The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1902-05-08
BALKER IS M'LAURlN
Refuses to Enter Regular State
Primary in South Carolina.
ISSUES EXPLANATORY ADDRESS
Says System Has Been Perverted Into
Political Machine With Till.
man as Chief in
Control.

Under date of May 3, Senator NC
Laurin, of South Carolina, issued sn
address to the people of South Caro-
lima in part as follows:
"My Fellow.Citizens of South Caro-
lima: The great doctrine of represen-
tatives' responsibility is the founda-
tion stone upon which our republic
rests and no one more keenly 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 ad-
here to political policies and tradi-
tions long since dead and declare 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 secured by the presence
O.: two political parties. and the result
ant discussion of every public question
before the people who are thus ena-
bled 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 una
BILE to have two parties, for fear OF
negro domination, and for ten years af
ter the Hampton revolution, in 1876,
our people took no interes~ in public
affairs, beyond maintaining a white
mans government About the year
1900, 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, Donald
son and others, 1 contributed what l
could toward its success, simply be-
cause I felt that agitation was better
than stagnation and it is passing
strange, in that connection, that the
leader of that movement, B. R. Till
man, was then denounced, as am de-
nounced, for attempting to Mahoneize
the state. The freedom Of thought
and action, however, which 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 republi-
can ticket were allowed to vote in the
primary for state and county officers.
"The primary system adopted in our
state. through the farmers movement,
has been prostituted and perverted
into a political machine for the pur-
pose Of excluding all candidates who
are not in full accord with the views
and wishes of the dictator. The vital
question, therefore, is, will the people
of the state submit to this political
tyranny and join in this unholy and
unpatriotic work of disfranchising the
intelligent people and excluding them
from our elections?
with such a system l have no SYM
pathy and feel impelled by strong
sense of duty to warn the peopl>
against such tyranny as it encourages
and establishes. With these facts be-
fore me, and my convictions as to ths
original purpose of the primary sys-
tenn, 1 am driven to the conclusion
that it has outlived its usefulness. 1t
is, therefore, a matter Of no concern
to me what may be the action Of the
Nav convention as to the rules of the
primary and a revision Of its pledges.
"The suppression of free speech and
independence of action in voting by
such means renders it impossible for
any self-respecting citizen holding my
views to become a candidate in the
democratic primary in South Carolina.
"A party yoke has been placed upon
our people, and it has become too gall
ing for further endurance, and yet /
realize that many Of my loyal friends
would even once more hold in check
their resolution not to again enter our
system Of primary elections in order
to again vote for me, but have reach
ed the point where I will not subject
them to subscribing to an oath to sup
port men and measures which do not
represent their views upon the issues
facing the American people today.
Respectfully,
John LOWNDES McLAUR1N.