The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1872-10-02
The Radical Canvass.

w The Radical Canvass.
The Charleston News publishes
the following communication
SpARTANBURe @. H., Sept. IA.
To the Editor Nesos:
A severe illness of several days
since my return from tle low
country has prevented a prompt
reply to the communication in
your issue of the 9th inst, over the
signature of Reuben Tomlinson.-
| have to regret, too, that in the
absence from Columbia of several
parties engaged in the campaign,
my response cannot be made as
complete as facts will warrant
The supplement must appear here.
after. -, ..5...
In the communication reference
is made to me in these words
hi. hvltuu 10 represented as
saying, at Yorkville, that he had
been Told Iand would give his au.
thority if Mr.. Tomlinson asked for
it) that he Cromlinson) had borrow
ed the money or endorsed note at
the bank to get the money, which
was used for the purpose of passing
the phosphate bill through. In
reply, l have to say that there is
absolutely not the shadow of truth
in the statement"
1t is sufficient to say, as I do,
that l have not, at Yorkville or
elsewhere, made any such state
ment /; nor had l heard Of such
charge against Mr.. Tomlinson un.
til it was stated in his card. Posi-
bly, his actual knowledge of the
transaction may have suggested it.
1t is probable, however, that he
has found it necessary to resort to
that weakest of all lines Of defence,
and has "put mp a man Of straw,
to knock it down." He might as
we'll have represented ME as charg.
ing that he had 'stolen a horse or
robbed a bank" and then proceed
ed to deny it. ~.I'
What / did say at Yorkville and
repeated in Charleston is this -
When the phosphate bill was un>
expectedly vetoed by the Govern
or, the iobby.agent whom the
friends of the measure had en-
ployed to secure Its passage by
bribery, found himself without suf-
ficient funds to carry the bill over
the veto, and resorted to empty
promises. This form Of bribery
certain senators refused to accept
and Mr. Tomlinson, in order to
procure their votes, pledged to
them his personal faith that the
brides would be promptly paid
That he borrowed money, or en-.
dorsed paper to THE end let me re.
peat, l have not been informed.
and l have never 80 charged.
1t was distinctly announced tha,
the statement was not made upon
my personal responsibility, and
that if Mr.. Tomlinson should DENY
it. / would cheerfully give the an.
ktlority upon which it was based
At the Yorkville meeting, Mr.. Cor,
bin was present, and in behalf oa
his candidate undertook to deny
the charge; whereupon Mr.. F. l.
Cardozo, from whom the informa
tion came to me, assumed the re
sponsibility, and represented to
1.-THE meeting that he had il from
Mr.. Tomlinson himself. When
the statement shall be denied by
Mr.. Tomlinson. if at all, he will
have the advantage OF knowing
whence it came. But l have eve
ry reason to believe that, when his
card was written, he knew the an.
thority and the exact purport OF
the charge against him.
| Apart from this direct testimo.
ny, the charge derives probability
from his connection with the
scheme. / take it, Mr.. Tomlinson
will not deny that he strenuonsly
advocated the bill, and used his DO.
sition OH the floor to promote it ;
that he was the mouthpiece of Gov.
SCOTS administration in the House.