Evening star., 1902-05-05
McLAURIN'S ADDRESS
DEFENDS HIS INDEPENDENT
COURSE.
Suppression of Free Thought and Free
Speech in South Carolina-No
More Liberty Of Action.

More Liberty Of Action.
Senator McLaurin Of South Carolina last
night gave out the following address to the
people Of South Carolina:
my fellow citizens Of South Carolina:
The great doctrine of representative respon-
sibility is the foundation stone upon which
our republic rests, and no one more keeniy
than recognizes his accountability to the
people Of South Carolina for all official acts.
At the same time, no people who insist that
their representatives adhere to political pol
icies and traditions long since dead and de-
clare them vital issues can ever become
truly great. Every advancement in the his
tory of our race has been the direct result
of independence of thought and action. In
most of the states of this Union this is Sc
cured by the presence of two political par
ties. and the resultant discussion of every
public question before the people, who are
thus enabled to form an intelligent opinion
and give a verdict at the ballot box. Un-
fortunately IN South Carolina, for nearly
forty years we have been unable to have
two parties for fear Of negro domination,
and for ten years, after the Hampton rev.
olution in 1876, our people took no interest
In public affairs, beyond maintaining a
white mans government About the year
1880, however. began what was known as
the farmers movement, which was nothing
more than an instructive effort on the part
of the people to preserve the principle OF
self government. With Shell, Irby. Norris,
Tillman, Donaldson and others, I contrib
uted what l could toward it's success SIM
ply because I felt that agitation was better
than stagnation. and it is passing strange,
in that connection, that the leader of that
movement, B. r. Tillman, was then de-
nounced, as I am now denounced, for at
tempting to Mahoneize the state. The free
n n h oy,d aoff, h0yu, snt,
followed the farmers movement, opened
the doors for every white man and every
negro who voted for Hampton in 1876 and
they could advocate whatever views they
cared to express, provided only that they
took an oath to support the nominees OF
the primary election. Men who voted the
national republican ticket were allowed to
vote in the primary for state and county
officers, and have heard from the same
platform men claiming to be democrats ad-
vocattng Cleveland and the gold standard
and others Weaver and free silver. And
since then no attempt has ever been made
to exclude those who bolted with the inde-
pendent Haskell movement, the populist
Bowden movement or the republican Pope
movement.
Proclaimed His Independence.
II was elected to Congress in 1892 after
a heated canvass against able opponents,
and yet on every stump in the district 1
proclaimed my independence and announced
that upon national questions 1 would
follow my own judgment and not be bound
by the caucus Of any party. Although my
democracy was assailed at that time. L
was elected four times upon the same dec
laration of principles. Carrying out my
pledges to the people I began a system
attic study of the questions Of the day, with
the result that 1 changed my views upon
many OF them. The first marked difference
with my party associates arose over the
tariff question. while l was in the House
and number Of its ways and means COM
mittees. Again, in 1897, when 1 was a can
dldate for the Senate, I was charged with
being republican, but 1 disregarded the
characterize ton, and resolutely contended
that the policies which 1 advocated were
for the material advancement of the peo-
pie, regardless of how they were labeled.
My attitude was indorsed by so per cent
Of those voting in the primary and l came
to the Senate.
The issues growing out Of the Spanish
war widened the breach between myself
and the democratic party leaders, for Il
could only follow the dictates of my con-
science and stand by American soldiers
fighting upon foreign soil. At that time
the war was not a party question, and 1
hoped 1t would not become SO. In this I
was disappointed, and was seen confronted
by the alternative Of retra cling my steps or
finding myself in opposition to a majority
Of the democratic party leaders and ex-
cluded from their caucus. / concluded that
not even seat in the United States SEN
ate was worth a surrender of my convic-
t1ons, and that opinion is unchanged. There
is not speech vote of mine upon any
question growing out of the Spanish-Amer-
lean war that | would change even if I
could and in which l do not take pride In
thus proving my loyalty to my country.
Assailed as Republican.
II have ever maintained this indepen-
dence of thought and action. Last summer
recognizing my responsibility to the people,
there being no campaign in the state, an
nounced my intention of going before them
for the purpose of discussing these national
issues. I was Immediately and violently
assaled for advocating republican doc
trines and branded republican in demo-
cratic disguise. The state democratic ex-
ecutive committees met, and. under the die
tation of my colleague in the Senate for
mally declared that 1 was not a democrat,
which formed the basis for similar action
on the part of the democratic caucus of the
United States Senate. The policy of my op-
ponents has been to belittle the real issues
into a personal quarrel between Tillman
and McLaurin. This issue 1 am not willing
to accept. as l do not propose to be in
fuenced in my public course by personal
spleen or petty jealousy. The public inter-
ests should never be subordinated to purely
personal ends.
Exclusion From the Primaries.
Now, the proposition of my political en-
emies Is to exclude me from the primary
as candidate, and to exclude all candi-
dates for Office who entertain my views, and
thus prevent the people from hearing me
and from hearing them in justification of
my course and in advocacy of the absorb
ing public measures now confronting the
American people. I am absolutely con-
vinced and forewarned of this purpose to
exclude me and my friends, because 1 have
read the speech of Senator Tillman the ac-
knowledged dictator Of the democratic ma
chine Of South Carolina, delivered at Man
ming, in which he directs a revision of the
rules and form and oath of the party for the
purpose of excluding myself and friends
from participating in the primary. 1 resent
the suggested exception of myself, for of
course l would not make my race for the
Senate or proclaim my views under condi-