Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-09-23
McLAURlN'S LETTERS
TO JOHN D. ARCHBOLD
Interesting Story of Big Industrial Devel-
opment and Collapse
MATTER OF BUSINESS SUBJECT OF REPROACH
Marlboro Senator Says He Never Had Any Official Relations With
ANYBODY That Compromised In The Least His Integrity AS
Representative Of The People Of South Carolina In The
United States Senate.

pTOuuCSu III oOhS VI hAS
and gave out to the Associated Press
a number Of letters from different
prominent men of the country. includ-
ing senator's and representatives to
John D. Arehbold, of the Standard OH
company. Among these letters were
several from Hon. John L. McLaurin,
and although 1t can hardly be said that
they contained anything that seemed
especially significant Of improper deal
ings, because of the charges and coun-
ter charges of general corruption then
rife. there was q lot of scandalous talk
In connection with the matter. AS the
result of insinuations INDUCED In by
opposing newspapers and political enc
mics, 1t has seemed desirable that some
explanation be made of the matter, and
of late there has been reason to believe
that the public has had sufficient curl
osity over the whole subject to be will
ling to give an explanation full consid-
Grafton. 1t has been understood Tor
some time that Mr.. McLaurin had
made up his mind to tell the story, and
in the Columbia Record Of last Thurs
day, 1t was published as follows:
"Back in 1892 1 left my home town In
Bennettsville for Washington as rep
resentative Of my district in congress.
Entring politics in South Carolina when
a very young man. barely thirty. was
then. eager to serve my country and
my state, ind to climb the ladder OF
success. Appointed to the senate IN
1887 to succeed Senator Earle, be-
came a member of the national upper
house until 1908. In the meantime there
had come a breach between Senator
Ben Tillman and myself, that resulted
In the passage of blows on the senate
floor, But the interesting story of high
finance and the so-called Archbold let
ters shall now explain, as they lead
up to the subject just referred to.
"As previously stated by me. In my
former interview with you, all but two
or three of the letters were written
when / was not in Office. and not one OF
these letters related to any public mat
ter. / went to congress when l was
about thirty -one years old and In about
four years got on the ways and means
committee of the house. The hearings
on the Dingley bill were very valu-
able education to any member at that
time. They first made me realize how
ignorant was and what vast propo-
sition these United States were. Then
came the desire to learn all could. EV-
cry line of business and every industry
in the United States passed in review.
Also our complicated international
trade relations One fact seems to have
escaped attention as regards the Ding
lev bill. 1t stated in the title that II
was not only bill to raise revenue,
but also to encourage and develop
American industries.
"The United States was at that time
in a state of panic, factories were clos
ed. and able-bodied men walking the
streets in nearly every city OF this
country hunting work. 1t was a time
following the famous march Of Coxey's
army of unemployed into Washington,
where this invasion attracted interna-
tional attention.
1T was the main purpose OF the
Dingley bill to restore prosperity, and
the significant title meant that the gov
ernment intended to exercise Its taxing
power to build up manufacturing in
dustries so as to give employment TO
labor and thus avert revolution that
was certainly under way. The aca-
demic question of tariff was not involv-
ed. took the position at once that the
south must bear her share Of the bur-
den Of this tax, and was as much enti-
tied as any other section to her share
OF the benefits of this declared policy.
ION the floor of the house made a
speech which attracted attention, just
at that time, owing to its significance,
from ocean to ocean. 1t was plea for
fair treatment to the south and an an
alysis Of the schedule showing where
unjust discrimination existed In the
bill. Let any one look at the newspa-
per files in any state Of this Union at
about that time and they will see ex-
tracts and editorial comment verifying
what say here.
""I went to bed that night compare
lively unknown, and woke up next
morning to find myself a national
character. ! have read that speech
over since and realize that 1t was
not so much the speech as it was
the utter absence Of sectional bitter
ness, and that it came from South
Carolina. It would have attracted nc
particular attention from a northern
Democrat. However, l was in the pub
lie eve for the moment, and anything
said would be widely published and
read. 1t was the physiological mo.
ment to give the undeveloped resources
of the south great advertisement.
knew exactly where to go to get what
wanted, much of 1t came from the files
VI M. v. ISlSAieaANot Va SAAS
railroad, the greatest advertiser in the
world. / got a couple Of experts ant
put them to work getting up the sta
tistics, and followed my tariff speech
with one on The South and Its Oppor'
tunities.' A man who knows the soutf
now, with It's great lumber mills ant
electrical development, can hardly real
ize how dull and flat everything was tr
1897. Capital was reluctant to come
south; 1t needed something to turn the
eyes Of investors southwark, where oul
natural resources were going to waste
Ny expectations were more than real
lied. Nobody in Spartanburg or Co.
lumbia ought to forget the boost gave
those cities. The effect on myself was
tremendous; and then began the tall
of a Commercial Democracy etc.
was heralded as a second Henry w
Grady, and all that sort Of thing. May
be, If had died then, they would have
built me a monument, too. I will hon.
estly admit, did get the 'swelle6
head. and that was the real cause OF