The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-06-09
Assails the State Democracy.


The charge brought by Mr.. John L
McLaurin that Ex-Governor Evans
-'owes his position as State chairman
TO the fact that in 1912 scome mar
not restrained by conscientlou'
scruples was needed to overturn tn.
verdict of the people at the ballo
box is a charge not so much agains
Mr. Evans as it is against the DEMO
CRATIC PARTY IN SOUTH CARO-
LIMA. 1t is supported by no evidence
It can be supported by none. Mr.
Evans has been, in times past, the
object of unsparing criticism, but il
has remained for John L. McLauriE
to originate this accusation. In 1914
and again in 1916 Mr.. Evans was
elected State chairman and if what
iXr. McLaurin says is true, or halt
true, the Democratic party in South
Carolina does not deserve the sup
port of honest men. If The State be-
lieved it The State would leave the
Democratic organization in prefer
ence to sacrificing its self-respect and
il Mr.. McLaurin believes that the
Democratic party is so corrupt and
rotten as the repeated election to the
head of it's affairs of man unre-
strained by conscientious scruples to
direct them would indicate, how does
he justify his continuance in it and
acceptance of honors and emoluments
at its hands? Where is the man who
regards his own honor that in one
breath denounces as corrupt the man
agement of the party with which he
:aHliates and in another seeks place
and power from it? Time was when
Mr.. McLaurin was held in tender af
fection by another party, the Repub-
lican party, when ne was offered Of
ice by it, when some of it's directors
in South Carolina were his compan-
ions. Accepting his expression about
the Democratic organization now as
sincere, when he hated the Republi-
can party most he must have loved
1t better than ever he loved the party
sof which John Gary Evans is the
head in this State.
Since the return of Mr. MeLaurin
10 activity in the Democratic party of
South Carolina, The State has gen
orally refused to publish references to
his unfortunate political record. That
after election to the United States
senate under the most auspicious cir
as the candidate of all
factions, he left that body at the end
Of his term a politician discredited. in
ehe Democratic party is the truth.
That Chairman B.ans bluntly re-
stated it may have been unnecessary
and ungracious, but, disregarding
that. il does not excuse an accusation
that, aimed at Mr. Evans, strikes the
Democracy of the State, We have
been disposed to allow the incidents
of 1901 and 1902 to be forgotten;
within the last month we have re-
jected communications bringing Mr..
McLaurin's record into the limelight
and we have given him the amplest
use of our columns to exploit his
system. Now, despite the
fact. which he will scarcely himself
deny. that only a few years ago his
was much better among Re
publican leaders, national and State,
than it was in his own party, and that
ne had the ear of a Republican admin
istration in Washington, he presumes
TO attack the DEMOCRATIC PARTY
in SOUTH CAROLINA.
5 The State therefore respectfully
ssbmits that it is fair and necessary
TO consider the charge brought by Mr.
McLaurin together with Mr.. Nc
Laurin's political conduct and afhlia-
,atns during the last twenty years and
that whatever was its intent, its ma
aral effect would be to plant in the
minds of the people of the State dis
wust of the party organization and to
teach them that they may expect that
she ballot box will be corrupted.
1T is within the rights OF Mr.. INC
haurin to oppose the Democratic
.party. Republican" and "Prgorse-
siye" are not, in the opinion of The
State terms CT reproach. The State IS
not endeavoring to read Mr.. NC
Laurin out of the Democratic party
- Sr1o S+o+o docs saw that the