Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-05-07
McLAURIN GIVES 1T UP.
Junior Senator Issues Address to
the People.

The daily papers Of Monday publish
the following, sent out by Senator Nc
Laurin from Washington under date
of April 8:
my Fellow Citizens of South Caro-
lima: The great doctrine Of representa-
tive responsibility is the foundation
stone upon which our republic rests,
and no one more keenly than recog-
nizes his accountability to the people
of South Carolina for all official acts.
At the same time, no people who in
sist that their representatives adhere
to political policies and traditions long
since dead and declare them vital is
sues can ever become truly great. Ev-
cry advancement in the history Of our
race has been the direct result of inde-
pendence Of thought and action. In
most of the states of this Union, this is
secured by the presence Of Two politi-
cal parties and the resultant discus
sion of every public question before the
people, who are thus enabled to form
dict at the ballot box. Unfortunately
in South Carolina for nearly 40 years
we have been unable to have two par
ties for fear of Negro domination, and
for ten years, after the Hampton revo-
luton of 1876, our people took no inter-
est in public affairs, beyond maintain
ing a white mans government About
the year 1890, however, began what was
known as the farmers movement,
which was nothing more than an in
stinctive effort on the part of the peo-
pie to preserve the princinle of self
government. With Shell, Irby, Norris,
Tillman, Donaldson and others, I con-
tributed wnat I could towards its sue
cess, simply because I felt that agita-
ton was better than stagnation, and 1t
is passing strange, in that connection,
that the leader of that movement, B.
r. Tillman was then denounced, as
am now denounced, for attempting to
Inahoneize the state. The freedom OF
thought and action, however, which
followed the farmers movement, open
ed the doors for every white man and
every Negro who voted for Hampton
in 1876, and they could advocate what
ever views they cared to express, pro-
vided 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 Of
flcers, and have heard from the same
platform men claiming to be Demo-
Gratis, advocating 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 independent Has
kell movement, the Populist Bowden
movement or the Republican Pope
movement.
81 was elected to congress in 1892, af-
ter a heated canvass against able op-
ponents and yet on every stump in the
district, I proclaimed my independence
and announced that upon national
questions 1 would follow my own judg-
ment, and not be bound by the caucus
of any party. Although my Democra-
cy was assailed at that time, I was
elected four times upon the same dec
laration Of principles. Carrying out
my pledges to the people, I began a
systematic study of the questions of
the day with the result that I changed
my views upon many of them. The
first marked difference with my party
associates arose over the tariff ques-
tion while I was in the house and a
member of its ways and means commit
tee. Again, in 1897 wnen I was can
didate for the senate, I was charged
with being a Republican, but I disre-
garded the Characterization and res
olutely contended that the policies
which I advocated were for the mate
rial advancement of the people, re-
gardless of how they were labeled.
my attitude was endorsed by so per
cent. of those voting in the primary,
and came to the senate. The issues
growing out of the Spanish war WIDEN
ed the breach between myself and the
Democratic party leaders, for I could
only follow the dictates of my con-
science and stand by American SOL
diers fighting upon a foreign soil. AT
that time the war was not a party
question and I hoped it would not be-
come so. In this I was disappointed
and was soon confronted by the alter
native of retracing my steps, or finding
myself in opposition to a majority of
the Democratic party and excluded
from their caucus. I concluded that
not even a seat in the United States
senate was worth a surrender Of my
convictions and that opinion is un-
changed. There is not speech or vote
of mine upon any question growing out
of the Spanish-American war that T
would change, even if I could, and
which l do not take pride in, thus
proving my loyalty to my country.
Il have ever maintained this in To-
pendence of thought and action. Last
summer, recognizing my responsibility
to the people, there being no campaign
in the state, I announced my intention
of going before them for the purpose of
discussing these national issues. 1
was Immediately and violently assail-
ed for advocating Republican doctrines
and branded as a Republican in Demo-
cratic disguise. The state Democratic
executive committee met and under the
dictation of my colleague in the SEN
ate, formally declared that I was not
Democrat, which formed the basis for
similar action on the part of the Demo-