The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1907-08-29
HON. r. S. McLAURIN.


third born of eight brothers, six Of
whom survive. In his boyhood !. he
attended the neighborhood schools,
but, with the exception Of brief
course of study at the Lutheran Col
lege, known Is Roanoke, at Salem,
Va, enjoyed no other educational ad-
vantages beyond the shelter of the
paternal rooftree. His father, the
late Loeb MoI.aurin, however, was q
man who possessed wide acquain-
tanoe with men and affairs, and whose
knowledge Of the political history Of
the country was unusually thorough.
At his fireside the great party battles
of the past were fought over again
many time, and it can be imagined
with what eager interest the group of
stalwart sons who surrounded him
followed his recital of the grand con-
tests, on the stump and in the halls of
congress, between the giants of
day not then remote. Some one has
said that Mark Hopkins on one end of
log and some boys on the other would
make college, and 1t is true that the
most elaborate system Of education
has no higher value than direct oral
instruction and personal inspiration.
Sylvester McLaurin was never any
where an unapt pupil. and, upon the
whole, it may be said of him that he
began the battle of life under favor
able auspices. He was not born with
gold spoon in his mouth, he did
not leave home to enter upon the
practice of his profession with the
diploma of any famous institution of
learning in his trunk; but he had
health and strength, a brave heart,
and will to win the laurels of an
honorable career. At twelve years of
age he was counted full hand on his
fathers farm, and actually did a
mans work; but he did it cheerfully,
looked back upon it with pleasure al
ways, and to the end Of his life was
fond of returning as far as circum-
stances permitted to the employment
Of his boyhood and youth. At his
Brandon home he raised every year
crops of corn, and other cereals, and
took the greatest delight in looking
after his stock and poultry. After
the law he would have preferred farm
ing to any other pursuit
To those who knew Sylvester Nc
Laurin we'll it seemed very natural,
and, indeed. almost inevitable. that
he should adopt the legal profession !.
The possibility of success in that
sphere of activity was to him especi-
ally alluring, and it was there that
he found the way opening up before
him. He studied law in the office
of his brother, A. J. McLaurin, in
the town of Raleigh, and there began
the practice Of law in 1877. About
ten years later he was elected district
attorney, the rival candidate being
Hon. A. II. Longino, destined to sue
coed, some years later, "A. j. Nc
Laurin in the governor office. En-
tering upon the discharge of the duties
of states attorney after ten years Of
private practice, he began with the
benefit of considerable experience in
the practical work of the courts, and
from the first impressed all who had
occasion to observe his management
of cases rs eminently well-qualified
for the position he held. He had, in
the first place, very retentive
memory, which was of great service
to him in cross denominations and in
summing up. He had also remark
able acuteness in analysis. and an ex.
traordinary power of statement. In
his addresses to juries,- he was plain,
pointed, and intensely earnest. He
attempted no highly ornamented
flights of oratory, but bis style re.
fiected his direct forcefulness of ma.
ture and it was eminently effective.
The prosecution of criminals for
twenty years had not, however,
hardened his naturally tender and
sympathetic heart. Those who knew
him in his schoolboy days say that he
was then, as he was ever afterward,
prompt to defend the weak against
the strong, and no innocent man had
anything to fear from him in the
courtroom. In so long . term Of
service he could not fail to incur some
degree of enmity here and there, and
he could but remember that mo man
had ever remained long in Office with
out being subject to more or less un-
favorable criticism. When at last he
was defeated for office he accepted the
result calmly and without word Of
bitterness. He was still trne to his
cd conviction that the people ought
to rule. He had some time before
his death become . member Of the
Methodist Episcopal Church South,
and it seems likely that he had never