The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1912-10-02
LOSt-Our Assets.

LOst-Our Assets.
After the storm has passed, one is
fascinated and goes poking into the
debris with moribund curiosity.
After the dwelling is destroyed, per-
sons gather and poke in the embers
for salvage. South Carolina has
been swept by political storm. Let
us see what is lost and what is left.
When we contemplate Anderson's
legislative ticket and compare it
with material that we might have
had, we do not feel elated. But we
will stand by the delegation the
people have chosen.
And there is AbbeviTIe. the mill
tant Graydon has gone down. Chris
Waller, the old war horse, crossfired
by his own friends. And in Laurens,
DIR. j. Fl. Miller, the most Intelligent
and most progressive legislator that
county has had in a score of years.
man of unquestioned courage and
the soul of honor, caught in a vor-
tex and defeated by a young. and un-
tried, though pleasant and agreeable
man, nephew of Lemas BlaIock,
one of the republican bosses of the
state
And in Spartanburg. The contem-
plation makes one heartsick. A
fairly representative delegation has
been chosen, one or two toy balloons
and some others. But think of the
men who were sacrificed: Archer, Os
borne, Ben Hill Brown, Drummond,
Arnold. There never has been in
the legislature straighter, truer
man than II. Fl. Arnold. Nothing
tricky. shady or questionable about
him. A plain, Straightforward hard
headed farmer. Osborne was not
only brilliant fighter champion of
and for the poor people. He came
from the pooS people. He is self
made man, and man ne is. inde-
pendent, manly, combative. In his
short public career of two years he
did more to try to elevate the condi-
tfon of the poor to uplift the igno-
rant and to relieve the suffering
than some men, more successful in
politics. have done in a quarter of a
century.
In York the brilliant wit and schol-
arly gentleman, r.. F. McDow, would
have been a tower of strength to any
righteous cause. He was defeated by
Beamguard, who is clean and honest
and worthy, but not aggressive. In
Lexington the courageous Square
head" DR.. d. NJ. Crosson, who
fought so gamely for a state highway
commission and for other progress
sive legislation was defeated by the
unspeakable Sharpe.
And in Kershaw the righteous
kirkland was defeated by a nonenti-
ty. There is no man who has been
in public life in this state who more
nearly than Kirkland resembles the
bold interpid, unselfsh prophets Of
old. Convinced that he is right,
kirkland would face an army and
proclaim his ideals.
Amid the embers we find the ashes
VI VIZ hOpCo vi IhC pcOpIt Vi tLlCn-
land. John j. McMahan defeated
and by whom? Sad the day for Rich
land county when her people turn
the backs OF their hands to such
man as McMahan. AS pure as wo-
man. as dauntless as knight, as de-
termined as Noah OF old, this man
was and is an asset of the whole
state. He is many times too large
for the place for which he offered.
The objection to him was that he is
an idealist. Yes. his ideals have in
part found fruit in the new life Civ
en- to the public schools of the state.
Under his four years service John ].
McMahan did statesman's part for
the public school system of the state.
These are the most conspicuous
examples that we know of-the