The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-03-05
CONSENSUS OF OPINION.

resentatives in the United States
Senate, and calling loudly for
severe punishment, The most
of them admit that although
McLaurin used unparlimentary
language. he would not have
been human had he employed
milder language, after the VI
cious attack made upon his in
tegl'ity by his colleague. Many
express the opinion that both
Tillman and McLaurin should be
expelled, while others demand
such punishment for Tillman
alone. The demands for the eX-
pulsion of Tillman comes from
Southern Democratic journals,
and some Of the Severest crit,
cisms we have read are from Dem
ocratic newspapers: we note this
specially, because Senator Till
man in a letter to the News and
Courier rapS that paper for its
criticism and speaks about its
''joining the Republican chorus"
of condemnation. He is com
mencing already to try and make
his deplorable predicament turn
to profitable political account, by
creating the impression that the
clamor against him comes from
Republican sources. H nry
Watterson, editor Of the Louis
vile Courier Journal, one of the
staunchest Democrats in the
country does not ATTACH any par
ty Importance to the affair and
he comes down on both Senators,
and says 1T was an outrage, and
if I were in the Senate. | would
vote to throw both Of them out. >
We have not seen solitary
newspaper which condoneS TIL
mans offense, and where they
blame both Senators. in nearly
every instance do they say. that
McLaurin was forced to do as he
did.
The matter is now settled so
far as the Senate is concerned.
Both were censured. and humil-
lated before the country. Tillman
came near getting himself back
into trouble on Friday by using
offensive language to the Sen
ate, and as he realized that his
foot was in it, again he made
haste to apologize. 1t does strike
Us as being very foolish for a
man of Tillman,s known ability
to be getting up in the United
States Senate, and make offend
ing remarks which are uncalled
for, out Of place, and without
any apparent reason. Such con-
duct is bound to weaken the use
fulness Of any man, and his latest
ofense in the Senate could not
be pleaded as coming in the heat
Of passion or debate, because
when his name was called he
arose and coolly and deliberate
", and with dramatic pose said
"among gentlemen an apology
for an offense committed under
heat of blood is usually consid-
cred sufficient" Sepator Bur
rows demanded that Senator
Tillman's words during roll call
be read. and when the clerk I'm
ished, Benjamin evidently smelt
a rat, because he again rose, and
said ''the words uttered by
me were not intended to be Of
fensive and if they were so con-
sidered I very gladly withdraw
them" The senior Senator want
ed to~ire in an offensive remark
for his friends to applaud, but
he was promptly halted, and we
believe if he hadn't eaten his
own words so ravenously, the
Senate would have punished
him severely. Our senior Sena
tor will learn after a while that
the United States Senate is not
like our State executive commit
tee, and when he undertakes to
have his own way there, the
check rein will be jerked on him.
If Senator Tillman feels that
he was not Justly treated by the
Senate, let him get his friends to
help McLaurin push through the
resolution to have investigated
the charge of bribery he made,
and which was the source Of
trouble. McLaurin published
him as a liar, now let him show
whether or not McLaurin told
the truth on him. If Tillman
told deliberate lie, in order to
iniure McLaurin, then decency
demands that he be expelled and
never allowed to a seat in the
Senate again, and if, on the
ether hand Tillman told the
h that McLaurin sold out,
then the same treatment ought
to be accorded McLaurin; justice
to the people demands that this
charge Of Tillman's against Nc
Laurin be thoroughly investi-
gated, and T'illman should not
be allowed to shift his position.
He made the assertion, now make
him prove it, and tell who it was
that gave him the information.
Perhaps after all Tillman has
permitted himself to be Il cats
paw for others who will desert