The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-04-04
NO MORE FACTIONS.

Since 1890 South Carolina has been rent
by bitter factionaT fights. The election
OF the new Governor, a broad guaged
Democrat who did not belong to the Till
man faction, and Tillmans warm re-
ception IN the city of Charleston, have
cemented the Democracy of the Palmet-
to State. Crum's appointment was the
last hostile act of a hostile administra-
ton that caused both elements to see
they were brethren. AS evidence of the
harmony that now prevails, we quote the
following, which appeared in the head
lines of the Charleston News and Cou-
rier yesterday:
SENATOR TILLMAN is HERE -
He is The Guest of Honor at Many
Functions.
Yesterday he Was Escorted About the
City by Mayor Smyth and Prominent
Citizens-Last Night He Was Given a
Dinner, at which the Mayor and Alder
men Were Present-Today He Will Go
to the Navy Yard-Tonight He VIII
Speak to the Young Doctors-Tomorrow
Night He Will be Given Banquet
by Business Men.
The chief credit for bringing about
this EZRA of good feeling" is due to the
Charleston News and Courier and the
Columbia States devotion to principle.
These two papers aggressively fought the
Tillman movement and the election of
Tillman as Governor and Senator. They
stood with a large element of the party
which was called 'The Conservatives. )"
After McLaurin's break with Tillman, he
presumed that the hostility to Tillman
of the Conservatives, led by those two
papers. would cause them to rejoice in
any movement that would hurt Tillman
When he first went into the field to fight
TiIlman he thought that, while the News
and Courier and the State might not wish
kim to succeed, they would help him to
tear down Tillman, hoping to destroy
both. And if he had made his fight upon
some issue that was not antagonizing
the most vital principles of Democracy,
they could consistently have lent hand
to promote the fight. But McLaurin
pitched his fight upon an endorsement of
protection, ship subsidies, Imperialism
and other Republican policies. His sue
cess might have meant the undoing of
Tillman, but it meant far more than that.
1t meant also the overthrow of Demo-
cratic doctrine in the State of John c..
Calhoun. The State, the News and Cou-
rier, Gen. Hampton, Mr.. Hemphill and
the other patriotic leaders of the Con-
servatives resented Mcbaurin's attempt
to Republicanize the State. They forgot
their hostility to Tillman, or let it Iest in
allegiance, while they tore shred by shred
every piece of sophistry which McLaurin
employed to make Republican doctrine
attractive to South Carolinians. 1t was
a magnificent exhibition of such devotion
to principle as to cause personal or polit-
ical antagonists to have no effect upon
their course. 1t made a profound impress
sion upon the faction calling themselves
"Reformers" and taught them that their
ancient enemy, without office or the de-
sire for it, were worthy disciples of Cal
houn and Jefferson. 1t made them re-
spect their opponents as they had not
done for more than ten years. In their
common fight against McLaurinism they
found that at bottom they stood for the
same fundamental principles. The bit
terness was softened, the antagonisms
were forgotten, and "Reformers" helped
to elect a conservative" as Governor
and now the Charleston Conservative"
McLaurin's campaign, after all, was
not in vain. 1t caused honest. men, who
had distrusted each other, to touch
shoulder to shoulder, and to find that, in
stead of being enemies, they must fight
together to destroy the common enemy.
And Roosevelt's appointment of Crum.
equally Objectionable TO Retormer and
Conservative, also helped to tear down
the walls of partition and unite for a
time at least, the two factions of the
South Carolina Democracy.
The spectacle of Senator Clark, of
Arkansas, seeking a fight with a Con-
Il F,,1
The Clark Davis combine made TO retire