The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1913-11-07
Calls on Him to Fight Governor
in 1914 Campaign.
TALKS OF HIS CREED
Senator Says Marlboro Man Has
Fallen But Has Chance to
Retrieve Errors.

ing the announcement made day or
two ago by Former Senator John L.
McLaurin that he would not become
candidate for governor of South
Carolina. 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 Blease-
ism, Senator B. R. Tillman toda,
gave the press an interesting story
concerning these matters.
81 read in the South Carolina pa
pers this morning" said Senator Till
man, "McLaurin's farewell address
or statement withdrawing from the
governors race and bidding adieu to
politics forever. 1t is a pathetic ut
terance-pathetic because it is the
swan song of very brilliant man,
who failed to be a very great man be-
cause he lacked the moral fibre to al
ways be true to himsclf aai his cor..
viction of right rather than allow
ambition and selfishncss to warp him.
His life, in way, is sermon which
young men everywhere ought to take
to heart. Nothing in the States his
tory is more lamentahle. If he had
only been true to the r.,lmanism to
(which he says he was converted in
1890, he would be in the United
States senate now and would be an
ornament to it.
- Two Things He Denies.
"McLaurin says, 1T is the irony of
fate that l who suffered most injus.
tice from Tillman personally should
now be the sole defender of Tillman-
ISM"
"There are two things about this
statement upon which I desire to
comment. never did have any per-
sonal ill will towards John L. Nc
Laurin, and have none now. l de-
bounced him in the senate because
believed he was a traitor to the peo-
pie of the State who had sent him
there. The people were convinced
that my charge was true and have
sustained it whenever they had an
opportunity.
when he says he is the sole de-
fender of Tillmanism,' he means
among those Bleasites to whom he
vas 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 as they under
stand it, and he now understands it.
Mr.. Charles Carroll Sims out
, heroded Herod in this Bleaseism, pro-
claiming that is is higher than Till
manism. He illustrates Byron's
couplet:
"'He stood a foe with all the zeal
Which young and fiery converts feel
"He is no doubt as sincere in his
Bleaseism now as he was in his Has
kellism in 1890. He never under
stood Tillmanism at all. Inheriting
grand name, he thought he was ar
aristocrat and has ended by bccom-
ing an anarchist and wants TO run
into the governors office on dema-
gogy. Truly, politics does make
strange bedfellows,' and if the Till
nantes who deserted me last year on
account of Blease vote for Simms for
governor it will be remarkable
transformation. 1t will only show
how little wisdom or reason governs
their actions.
Something to Admire.
There are some things about Nc
Laurin's statement that are very ad-
mirable, and l say now that for the
| first time since l denounced him or
the floor of the senate believe he has
at last become patriot and wants to
do the State all the service he ca
during the balance of his life. OF
course he has played politics so long
and used diplomacy so much that
even now he can not drop the role all
at once. / have felt heretofore thai
he was trying to come back into pol
itics. have been hoping that Gov.
Blease would indorse him as q sue
cessor in the governors Office, feeling
that that would be enough to damn
] Continued on last page.)