The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-05-14
McLAURIN GIVES IT UP.
1unlor Senator Issues Address 70 the
People.

s. Junior Senator Issues Address 70 The
People. i
Washington, May 4.--Under date
of May 8 Senator Mo1.aurin, OF South
Carolina, has issued the following ad.
dress to the people Of Sonth Carslina:
"My fellow Citizens Of South Caro.
S,ipa: The great dootrine.of represents
hive responsibility 10 the foundation
stone upon which our republic rests,
q and no one moro keenly than I recog.
s r;,es his accountability to the people
q of South Carolina for elI official acts.
At the same time, no people who in.
a;st that their representatives adhere
10 political policies aad traditions long
J. aimee dead and declare chem vital is+
sues can ever become truly great.
s5Every advancement in the history Of
S6our race has been the direct result Of
INDEPENDENCE Of thought and action.
Elm most of the states Of this Union,
Ibis is secured by the presence Of two
|political parties and the resultant dis
cussion of every public question be.
fore the people, who are thus enabled
TO form an intelligent opinion and give
i, verdict at the ballot box. Unfor-
Munately in South Carolina for nearly
40 years we have been unable to have
1.-TWO parties for fear Of negro domina-
3kion, and for ten years, after the
aHampton revolution of 1876, our pec-
q 8ple took no interest in public affairs,
beyond maintaining a white mans
sRovernment.' About the year 1890,
|Sbowever, began what was known as
the farmers movement which was
nothing more than an instructive
Ss8ort on the part Of the people to pre-.
serve the principle Of sslf-government.
With Shell, Irby, Norris, Tillman,-
SDonaldson and others, I contributed
what l could towards its success, sim.
,sply because 1 felt that agitation was
better than stagnation, and it is pass
3ng strange, in that connection, that
Ahe leader of that movement, B. r.
2Tillman, was then denounced, as I am
) bow denounced, for attempting 70
NIahoneize the State. The freedom
Epf thought and action, however, which
Followed the farmers movement, open.
z$d the doors for every white man and
severy negro who voted for Hampton
3n 1876, and they could advocate
i whatever views they cared to express,
ssprovided only that they took an oath
ITO support the nominees Of the pri-
mary election. Men who voted the
national Republican ticket were allow
5ed to vote in the primary for State
and county officers, ard I have heard
from the same, platform men claiming
% be Democrats, advocating Cleve-
land and the gold standard, and others,
aWeaver and free silver. And since
lahen no attempt has ever been made
20 exclude those who bolted with the
Bndependent Haskell movement, the
.aPopuliso Bowden movement, or the
'Republican Pope movement.
II was elected to congress in 1892,
|After heated canvass against able op.
sponents and yet on every ssump in
zehe district. 7 proclaimed my inderen-
aence and announced that upon
national questions Iwould follow my
Own judgment, and gnot be bound by
fhe caucus Of any party. Although
3hy Democracy was assailed at that
7fime, [ was elected four times upon
4he same declaration Of principles.
Marrying out my pledges to the peo-
sple, | lhaSan Systematic study Of the
Questions IF .ae day with the result
3hat | changed my views upon many
'pf them. The first marked difference
with my party associates arose over
afhe tariff question while I was in the
house and a member Of its ways and
means committee. Again, in 1897
when | was candidate for the SEN
!ate, | was charged with being a Re-
sPublican, but I disregarded the char
Acterization and resolutely contended
sfhat the policies which advocated
sSf8ere for the material advancement Of
ahe people, regardless of how they
3were labeled.
/ WY attitude was endorsed byAsO
per cent. Of those voting in the pri-
''i@ary, and came to the senate. The
issues growing out of the Spanish war
s|ldened the breach between myself
hnd the Democratic party leaders, for
4 could only follow the dictates of my
stOD Sciencn and otand hv "A ~ ors NJ