The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-10-07
SEES NO HARM
To Use Trust Money to Further
Political Ends Is
SENATOR MClAURIN'S

Reply to the Hearst Exposure by the
Publication OF the Standard Oil
Letters, Who Declares That SoutI,
Cardinals Natural Progresa is
Throttled by an Oligarchy.
Senator McLaurin gave out the fol-
lowing statement in reference to the
letters that passed between him and
j. D. Archbold, the Standard OH
magnate while he was carrying OF
his Commercial Democracy" fight
In this State some years ago:
Mr.. McLaurin, who has just re-
turned to New York, gave out a
signed statement as follows:
AN effort has been made to ere.
ate a political sensation by the pub
lication of certain correspondence, be-
tween Mr.. John D. Archbold, vice
president of the Standard Oil Com
pany, and myself. For that cor
re%spondence I have no apologies H.
make. At the time the letters were
written I had the honor to enjoy, and
I'm proud still to possess the friend
ship of Mr.. Archbold, for whom I
have the highest regard. At, the
time the letters were written I was
engaded in a bitter struggle, IN
which was involved not only my own
political future, but the economic
and political principles for which
stood and which, stated briefly, meant
the emancipation Of the South from
the ignorant prejudices Of Bourbon
ism and the bloody shirt into the
freedom Of an enlightened self.
interest and the progress Of an In
telligent industrialism.
I'm the support Of these principles
and the hope Of this progress, I saw
then no improperly in enlisting, II
practicable, the assistance OF the
most intelligently differed corpora.
ton that human intelligence has
yet produced. Nor has the enormous
body of statutory crime since Great
ed or the hypocritical affection OF
morality assumed by some OF GU:
Legislators and Congress in any wise
changed my point of view or quick
ened my conscience of expediency.
as seems to have been the case with
some of my former colleagues and
associates.
1.-The constituencies that they rep
resent do not hesitate to take Mr..
Carnegie's trust-produced and tariff
protected money for their churches
and libraries, or accept Mr.. Rookie
~feller's large sums for the education
Of the negro, whom they have dis.
f%ranchised.
IF political campaigns are to be
run without money and political
progress is to be achieved without
financial expenditure it is high time
that both parties should be appraised
# the arrival of that UtopiaH era.
tut until that period has arrived |
AN see no reason willis I, In bat
ling for what 1 conceived to. be the
light, should refuse to seek or. de-
Zine to accept the support, whether
financial or personal. Of which I
stood in need.
Men may die, but right princi-
| lies persist and in the end they Will
triumph.
81 believe that the South, and
specially the State OF South Caro-
lima, is today throttled IN Its natural
progress and its Intelligent exercise
If the right Of self-government by
| IN oligarchy of a past generation
through the. preparation OF igno-
~ance and the fertilization OF cor
| upton, and I shall welcome the day
when the educational propaganda.
which can only be spread by the uss
Of money, whether 1t be Standard
| OIL money. or railroad money, o.
any other money save that derived
from the government sale Of whis-
key, will enable the people to see
more closely their W best inter-
ests and cast out those leaders whose
hypocritical morality and Ill dis
suised selfshness is responsible Tor
he fact that in the South illiteracy
is greater and the increase OF popu-
lation and wealth slower than IN any
other great section of the Union.
ut is the fashion Of present day
bvnocrisy to decry the corporation
70 abhor the trust and to pretend IN
nublic life to prescribe the influenct
Of wealth, but as in this country ano
In this age wealth is and must be
the reward of intelligence I am MOI
willing to be considered amongs
those cowardly enough to deny TN
. influence which intelligence has a!
, ways exercised under every form o
government thus far devised. Or
;. government of ignorance l nav
had enough in my native State
. hone for, and shall continue to wor'
FOR. a government of intelligence.
"(signed) John Lowndes McLaurin
Senator McLaurin leaves tomorro'
. --o