The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1918-02-08
ANDERSON MEMBERS
REPLY TO NcLAURIS
Former Senator They Say Was a
Member of One Of the Reform
Convention and Assisted in
Formulating Principles
He NOW Refuses to
Support,

but in sorrow, the members of the An
aerson county delegation in the gen
eral assembly who signed the call TO
former Senator Jno. l.. McLaurin, OF
Bennettsville, to run for governor to-
day withdrew their endorsement OF
his candidacy.
In their recall there was no bitter
ness. There was only a tone of sad
ness. eve now fear that we have been
acting under a total misapprehension'
they say, "and will, we feel assured,
And some one else loyal to the cause
Of the people Of South Carolina and
the principles of the Reform party
The letter is the result of forme'
Senator McLaurin's letter to the effect
that he was no longer aligned with
either faction and that in the senator
ial race he was against both Blease
and Tillman.
The Anderson members of the leg
islature. however, who first sounded
the McIIaurin call do not mince words
in their criticism of the man who un-
til now was their favor:te. In parlia-.
mentary language they tell him
straight out that he is a traitor. eve
regret to see illustrated in its fullest
form" they say, "the conduct which
you describe in the opening part CT
yeur letter, whereby to advance your
own schemes for obtaining Office you
iRsincerely claimed and obtained the
votes and assistance of people who be-
lieved in your manhood and truth and
voted for your warehouse measure,
which measure we still believe in and
made part of our platform, but
which we wanted to be represented
and conducted by people in whom we
have the utmost confidence"
Senator McLaurin stated in his let
ter to the press that Gin order to get
the warehouse bill made a law had
to reckon with the veto power of the
governor, and without the assistance
of the faction then in power I could
not have moved STEP
Mr. Blease, candidate for the united
States senate now, and who has the
endorsement of the Reform party OF
this state, was then governor. 1t was
he who called the special session or
the general assembly which made the
warehouse system possibility in this
state, and IT was he who Immediately
upon it's presentation to him signed
what is known as the state warehouse
act. introduced in the state senate by
then Senator NcIaurin, from MARI.
boro county, and under which the for
mer senator from Marlboro was
chosen warehouse commissioner.
The Anderson members Of the
house do not discount the political sig
nifcance of Mr. -McLaurin's letter.
They recognize that it is "feeler."
But, so far as they are concerned, they
have analyzed it, and for themselves
thew have called a halt and they have
put the Reform party on notioe. at
is now quite r'anifest" they say, cal
though you were a member CT one OF
our conventions and assisted in the
formulation Of th"se nrinciD!es to
which we understood you had promised
yorr ailee anca a~7 srNnort, ard ''ot-
withstanding your prctestotions OF un-
selfish action that vcu now intend to
cast overheard your adherence to
those principles and to our party and
that, seeking merely to advance your
own individual political interests, you
attempt to seize what you now think
is an occasion to ride into Office as an
independent by drawing from the Re,
form party persons who become dis.
sentious. as well as frorl the ultra
conservatives who have consistently
for some years through election de-
vices robbed US Of our rights
Through it all. however, appears the
ray of clarification Of issues, and a
realization by the Reform party that
it has shed load which it has here
tofore had to carry. "We will" say
Messrs. Scott, Kelly, Hall and Sum-
mers Of the Anderson delegation in
the house of representatives, eve feel
assured, find some one else loyal to
the cause of the peorle of South Caro-
lima and the principles of the Reform
party"
TER letter in full follows:
''Hon. Jno L. McLaurin, Bennetts,
vile, IS. C-Dear Sir:
"Some time a"o at the sugge"t5on Of
one Of your friends and supporters, we