The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-11-05
M'lIURIN SHOULD TAKE STUMP
SENATOR TILLMAN SAYS FORM
Err SENATOR SHOULD MAKE
WAR ON BLEASEISM.
Thinks IL His Only Chance To Retrieve
His Past Errors---Scors Sims for
His Blcasclsnr-Loud Mouthcd
shoutcrs at Blcase banquet Arc
Only Office seekers.

WasnInStOn' NOV. S'-DiscuSSlnB
the announcement made a day or two
ago by Former Senator John l.. Nc
Laurin that he would not become q
candidate for governor of South Car
olina In the primary Of next year. and
denominating this statement as the
swan song Of a very brilliant man
who failed to be very great man.
and declaring further that he disowns
being the father Of Bleaseism, Sena
tor B. II. Tillman today gave the
press an interesting story concerning
these matters.
II read In the South Carolina papers
this morning" said Senator Tillman,
"hcLaurin's farewell address OF state.
ment withdrawing from the governors
race and bidding adieu to politics for
ever. Ii In q pathetic utterance-pa.
thetic because II is the swan song of
. very brilliant man, who failed TO be
a very great man because he lacked
the moral fibre TO always be true TO
himself and his conviction Of right
rather than allow ambition and sell.
hshness to warp him. His life. in a
way. Is a sermon which young men
everywhere ought to take to heart.
Nothing In the states history Is more
lamentable. III he had only been true
to the Tilimanism TO which he says
he was converted In 1890, he would
DO In the United States senate now
and would be an ornament to 1t.
McIaurin says. 1t Ia the irony OF
fate that who suffered most injustice
from Tillman personally should now
be the sole defender of Tillmanishm.'
There are two things about this
statement upon which desire to COM
ment. never did have any personal
III will towards John l.. McLaurin,
and have none now. i denounced him
In the senate because / believed ne
was q traitor to the people OF the
State who had sent him there. The
people were convinced that my charge
was true and have sustained 1t when
ever they had an opportunity
When he says he Is the sole de-
fender OF Tillmanlsm,' he means
among those Bleaseites to whom he
was speaking. He. OF course, knows
there are tens OF thousands Of Till
NANTES. some of whom voted for and
some against Gov. Blease last year.
who have never wavered In their ad-
herence TO Tillmanism an they under
stand II. and AZ he now understands it,
Mr.. Charles Carroll Sims out
heroded Herod in this Bleaseism, pro-
claiming that Il is higher than Till
manism. lie illustr ties Byron's
oouplet:
"Iie stood a foe with all the zeal
Which young and fiery converts feel
He 10 no doubt as sincere i'm his
Bleaseism now as he was In his Has
kellism in 1890. He never under
stood Tillmanism at all. Inheriting
a grand name. he thought he was an
aristocrat and has ended by becom-
Ing an anarchist and wants to run
into the governors office on dema-
gogy. Truly. politics does make
strange bedfellows,' and IL the Till
NANTES who deserted me last year on
account OF Blease vote for Simms for
governor IL will be a remarkable trans
tie wisdom or reason governs their
actions
There are some things about Nc
Laurin's statement that are very ad-
mirabie, and | say now that / for the
first time since / denounced him oil
the floor OF the senate believe he has
at last become a patriot and wants t.
do the State all the service he can
during the balance OF his life. OF
course he has played politics so long
and used diplomacy 81 much thas
even now he can not drop the role all
at once. I have felt heretofore that
he was trying to come back into poll
tics. have been hoping that Gov.
Blease would indorse him as sue
cessor In the governors office. feeling
that that would be enough to damn
both OF them In the eyes Of the peo-
pie. But Blease had too much political
sense To make such a blunder as that
and McLaurin is wise In withdraw.
ing once for all into private life"
Senator Tlllman here goes into some
detail in denying that Bleaseism is
the honest child OF Tillmanism and
goes on To say that the governor ha,
stolen much OF the old time Tillman