The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-10-02
SEES NO HARM
To Use Trust Money to Farther
Political Ends Is
SENATOR MCLAURlN'S

Publication Of the Standard Oil
Letters, Who Declares That Soptl.
Cardinals Natural Progress Is
Throttled by nm Oligarchy.
Senator McLaurin gave out the fol-
lowing statement in reference to the
letters that passed between him and
]. D. Archbold, the Standard Oil
magnate while he was carrying OH
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:
can effort has been made to Gre
ate 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
respondence l have no apologies to
make. At the time the letters were
written 7 had the honor to enjoy, and
am proud still to possess the friend
ship of Mr. Archbold, for whom I
have the highest regard. At the
time the letters were written / Was
engaded in a bitter struggle, In
which was involved not only my owR
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, saw
then no improperly in enlisting, IL
practicable, tho assistance of the
most intelligently officered corpora
tion that human intelligence has
yet produced. Nor has the enormous
body of statutory crime since. Great
ed or the hypocritical affection oc
morality assumed by some of, ou-
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 trustzproduced and tariff
protected money for their churches
and libraries, or accept MIR. Rookie
feller's large sums for the education
of the negro, whom they have dis
franchised.
eff 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 apprisef
of the arrival of that Utopian era.
but until that period has arrived
can see no reason while /, in bat
tling for what l conceived to he the
right, should refuse to seek or de-
cline to accept the support, whether"
financial or personal, of which
stood in need.
Men may die, but right princi-
pies persist and in the end they WIFI
triumph.
"I believe that the South, and
ESPECIALLY the State of South Caro-
lima, is today throttled in its natural
progress and it's intelligent exercise
of the right Of self-goVernment oF
an oligarchy of past generation
through the," perpetration OF igno-
rance and the fertilization Of cor
ruption, and / shall welcome the daS
when the educational propaganda
which can only be spread by the USE
of money, whether it be Standard
OIL money or railroad money, o.
any other money save that derivete
from the government sale OF Whls--
key, will enable the people to see
more closely their own best inter
ests and cast out those leaders whose
hypocritical morality and III dis
euised selfishness is responsible for
the fact that in the South illiteracT
Is greater and the increase of popu-
lation and wealth slower than In anF
other great section of the Union.
"It is the fashion of present day
hypocrisy to decry the corporatlon'
to abhor the trust and to pretend IN
public life to prescribe the influence
of wealth, but as in this country ana
in this age wealth is and must De.
the reward of intelligence I am not
willing to be considered amonsS1
those cowardly enough to deny thss
influence observation-disclosures has a.
ways exercised under every form OF
government thus far devised. VI q
government of ignorance nave
had enough in my native state.
hone for, and shall continue to WorS
FOR a government Of intelligence.
"(signed) John Lowndes McLaur'h
Senator McLaurin leaves tomorrow
for South Carolina.