The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1913-11-04
7ilZnanisn1; and Bleaseisn
Former is Daddy of the Latter, Says John l..
McI,aurin.
McLaurin.

/ fierce flames that threatened last
summer a permanent breach among
our white people?
1--WE had an actual split In 1890,
and two tickets at the general cleo
ton. 1t is folly to say that it was
the personality of Tillman then or
Blease now. The private life and
habits of Tillman were attacked just
as viciously as Blease was last sum
mer. Our campaign meetings were
series of riots, and after we won in
the primary a great convention was
held, and it's slogan was b. r. Till
man shall never be governor Of South
Carolina 1 have lived to see Has
ken and Tillman bury the hatchet,
| and the leaders of that NOV ement
rally around Tillman and vote for
him last summer. The truth is that
the movement behind both Blease
and Tillman goes deeper than any
mans personality.
1--WE are also confronted with the
phenomena that movements similar
| i'm charact have occurred in every
one of the old slave holding states.
ut was not the personality of
Marion Butler, in North Carolina; he
was a weaker man intellectually ana
morally than either Tillman or
| Blease. 1t was not the master mind
of Tom Watson, nor the dash and
courage of Vardaman, in Mississippi,
or Kolb, of Alabama. But these men
like Tillman and Blease interpreted
and gave expression to what was
deep in the souls of the great plain
people; they gave voice to their un-
uttered thoughts and in their persons
embodied hitherto dumb resentment
at political and industrial conditions
which had been the slow outgrowth
of time.
AN INHERITANCE OF THE PAST.
"Before the war an oligarchy
based on slavery dominated the po-
litical, social and industrial life OF
the states which have named. South
Carolina extended this into politics
to a greater extent than the others,
and the contest here has been longer
and more bitter.
Under the system of representa-
ton for slaves the low country alb
solutely controlled the machinery or
government. In 1890 Charleston had
two senators instead OF one and
double the representation to which
she was entitled in the lower house.
Is 1t a wonder that there was kick
lin the up country, whose white popu-
Ilation redeemed the state in 1876?
THE large slave owners in ante
bellum days were the rulers and
office holders, and the masses of the
people were regarded as unfit to
govern. There were two classes of
white people as distinct as the
Patrician and Piebeian orders of
Rome. 1t was a generous, high
minded oligarchy. 1t gave the world
brave men and virtuous women. In
this day Of greed and graft it stands
out sweet and clear, civilization of
noble ideals. It's statesmen were men
of high character and intellectual
force. 1t produced soldiers the like
of which the world has never seen,
but for all that it must be admitted
that politically, it was an intolerant
uncompromising tyranny. Indepen-
dence of thought and freedom af ac-
tion was only permitted within the
bounds set by the leaders. The poor
whites" as they were termed were
not considered, and the middle class
succumbed overawed by these haugh-
| ty slave-owning barons.
"Feudalism amid 18th century
| civilization could not stand.
at was we'll said, South Carolina
sneezed eyerytime Mr.. Calhoun took
snuff
Qualification and the war were
the inevitable results of a condition
where only one class in society had
any power in shaping governmental