The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-07-19

winch a man Is cleCleu SIlali 10 'tAN
Judge Of the elections, returns, ana
qualifications of its own members.
Otherwise a mans title to his seat
here will always be in jeopardy, and
Iif il is worth while senators may be
driven by public clamor and newspa-
pers to persecute rather than prose-
cute senator. The changing cur
rents in our political life are some
times so rapid and violent that there
is danger in giving way to them, and
say this believing religiously in the
right of the people to govern them
selves, and having faith that ulti-
mately they will right all wrongs of
which we now complain.
That there is corruption at Spring
field, I have no doubt whatever. That
there is corr upton at Chicago, have
no doubt whatever. No large city has
ever escared the "boodlers" that nat
urally spring up where millions OF
men are assembled together and the
strong are led to prey upon the weak,
and in any State where there is
large city under our scheme of gov
ernment, there may be expected cor
rupt politics. The only exception, If it
be an exception, is in Massachusetts,.
T never have believed that Boston ex-
ercised the corrupting influence upon
the Massachusetts, legislature that
New York city does On New York, or
Philadelphia does on Pennsylvania;
and I attribute New England's exenp-
ton from corruption in politics to the
large size of the State legislature. 1t
is much easier by use of money or
other corrupt instrumentalities to de-
bauch a. small legislature than large
one: and then, too, our Yankee
friends. while they always seem will
ing and anxious, under the forms OF
the law, to put their hands in other
mems pockets, are always very care
full to guard their own. The corpora
tions in New England, I have some
times thought, controlled the legisla-
lures enough to send their attorneys
here, but in my Is years OF service L
do not believe there has ever, in my
time. been a senator from New Eng
land who was corrupt.
know that my vote in this case be-
fore has given great umbrage to a
large number of my constituents IN
South Carolina, because the neWspa-
pers there have a fellow feeling for
the great Chicago dailies, and have
howled about Lorimer's corruption
until they believe him to BE- corrupt,
and the people knowing nothing about
the record and the evidence in the
case have imbibed the same idea.
Two men are now canvassing the
State for my seat and the primary
comes off On the 9th of August; but
if I knew my vote would cause my de-
feat, I would still cast It in his favor.
Since I was striken with paralysis,
80 months ago, l have thought often
and seriously about death and the
hereafter. That I am here at all IS IN
some respects a miracle, and l know
must 90 hence and meet the Great
Judge face to face very soon. Know
ing that, l cannot do otherwise than
vote as my conscience dictates, and l
believe this man is innocent of the
charges brought against him.
If he be driven from the senate, as
seems probable now, 1 hope ne Will
iconsecrate his life and great talents
for we all recognize what phenome-
nal orator he is-to the purificatlon OF
politics in his native city and the up
lift of his fellow citizens IN Illinois TO
the realization of their duty and their
danger. But whether he is expelled
or not, he ought to do this and l be-
lieve if he does bravely fight for
purer and better government in Illi-
nois, God will strengthen his arm and
he will return to the senate vindicated
by the people Of that great State. L
know, for I have been all over 1t, that
there are many millions of the native
American stock there, men as nlgn
and patriotic as those in any other
State, and they ought to assert their
manhood and prove their patriotism.