The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-03-12
A NORTHERN VIEW.
What a Leading Paper Of New Eng
land Says About
THE MCLAURIN-TILLMAN ROW.
Says Everybody Knows What the
Facts Are and That There
is no Need Of an In
yestigation.

The president could not well do
anything else, under the circum-
stances, than cancel the invitation to
the State dinner in honor Of Prince
Henry, which had been sent to Sen
ator Tillman as the ranking minority
member of the Senate naval commit
tee. The South Corolina's presence
at such function, when his Senate
brawl is so fresh in eyerybody's mind,
would, of course, be most unpleasant
for all present, and his refusal to
withdraw an acceptance left the Presi-
dent no other course to pursue.
Meantime, it is to be noted, the
other party to Saturdays fracas de-
mands an Investigation Of the truth
Of TillmanS charges, and resolution
has been introduced to this effect.
But what were the charges? Tillman
had first said that improper influences
were used to gain votes for the Philip
pine annexation treaty when it was
before the Senate. Name the man."
shouted Spooner. Of Wisconsin, add
ing that "a man who will impeach
brother Senator without naming him
is a coward" And thus baited on by
the desiring Wisconsin Senator Till
man declared that he knew that the
patronage of a State has been PARCEL
ed out to a Senator for his vote" And
when further pressed by Spooner he
mentioned South Carolina, referring
to McLaurin,
Now it is proposed to Investigation
the truth Of that charge, but the
truth is that there is nothing to in
vestigate. Everybody knows what
the facts are and everybody according
ly knows that the charge made by
Tillman is substantially true. These
undisputed facts are thus stated by
the Philadelphia Record which, by the
way, has been a supporter Of the Re-
publican policy involved in that treaty
Of annexation.
sit is a fact, as asserted by Senator
Tillman, that Senator McLaurin was
opposed to the Paris treaty, and that
when a vote was badly needed by the
Administration he was suddenly and
mysteriously converted in it's favor. 1t
is also a fact that Immediately after
this miraculous conversion Senator Nc
Laurin became the dispenser of
Government patronage in South Caro-
lima. He had the run Of the depart
ments and postofices and revenue col
lectorships in the State were at his
exclusive disposal. 1t is not yet for
cotton how he undertook, as one Of
his first experiments, to seduce the
venerable Wade Hampton with the
Columbia, S. c., postofice, and how
his base attempt was repulSed. This
did not seriously discourage him, as it
would have discouraged any man pos
sessed Of a lingering sense OF political
decency. McLaurin is still making
bis profers of Federal Office and spoil
to every Democrat in South Carolina
whom he can thus convert into tool
Of his own and Of the Administration.
With all this he still keeps up the
impudent pretence of being Demo
crat, while supporting by speech and
vote every measure Of the party in
power"
And when it is added that Nc
Laurin in all this has particularly
sought out Tillman's personal enemies
in South Carolina for the places and
power at his disposal it will help ex-
plain, while never excusing, the in
sane fury Of Tillman.
But was a deliberate bargain struck
between McLaurin and the Admins
tration before the ratification Of the
treaty? This is another question and
one an investigating committee can
probably dispose Of with proof. Nc
Laurin suddenly turned on himself
and voted with the Administration,
for reasons good or bad. II for rea-
sons honorable then be snirched him
self with the dishonor when he accept
ed pay for what he had done and when
he continues to accept pay in Office
patronage from Mr.. McKinley'S sue
cessor. His case thus becomes as bad
for himself as if there had been
previous bargain.
Spooner knows all this and knew it
when he baited on the fiery Tillman to
his undoing. Every Senator in the
chamber knew it. South Carolina
knows it and the country knows it.
The charge Of Tillman IS notoriouSly
true in every essential feature and
the only thing left for an investigat-
ing committee to determine is whether
McLaurin changed his coat in the
hope of gaining what he has without
previous promise OF in response to a
previous promise, and if the latter
supposition is true how many and
what Administration Senators, if any,
were responsible for the bargain. This
is one of those scandals connected
with the Philippine treaty which no