New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-01-25
openly, in November, and the Republicans OF
his peiRbborhood suggested that his CONVEX.

effected by the brutal treatment he received
at the hands of bulldozers in 1875, an ac-
count of which was given him. Having YER
flied the story, as is his custom. he included
il in his report, and it was published in THE
TRIBUNE of November %. Almost immedi-
ately came letter from DIR. Cooke making, In
warm terms, a sweeping and complete denial
of the whole story, which The TRIBUNE,
of course, published in full. Then the
Democratic and semi Democratic news
papers, which up to that time had
either ignored the correspondence or treated
it as the creation of partisanship and preju-
dice. came plunging in. Here was man,
they said, who disclamed the crown OF mar
tyrdom and fatty denied the accounts of ter
r0iism which correspondents had been at such
pains to collect and this misrepresentation OF
the case of DR.. Cooke was probably only one
ont of many. So. with DR.. Cookies denial they
demolished the whole array of facts concern
ing South Carolina bulldozng, and made it
appear that in that lovely country no man Was
inundated. but all was peace.
Now we are very glad that all this hap
pened. 1t gave us the opportunity to publish
from the files of lions UerGH letter from
the Rev. A. Webster, Presiding Elder
of the Charleston Circuit OF the Meth
odist Episcopal Church, and the founder and
first president of Claiiin University giving
full and detailed account of the insults and
indignties, the rough and brutal treatment
suffered by DR.. Cooke in 1876, which orr cor
respondent had referred to and the Doctor
had denied. The public mind was re-
frcshcd upon the subject, and those
who had innocentIy accepted the Doe
tors denial, and made up their minds that
all the reports of Southern outrages were gross
exaggerations. had new light given them. Our
correspondents testimony, instead of being
broken down. was greatly cngtLened by the
appearance of Dr. Cooke on the stand. More
over, the letter of the Rev. Mr.. Webster was
useful in letting in II great food Of light upon
DR.. Cookies action with these two significant
sentences: I" have been told by those who
claimed to be my best friends, that the only
"way for Inc to live in the South was TO go
"with the Democratic party. From eleven
"yearS' residence in the South, and extensive
observation, | positively know that il is of
ono use for a man to undertake to do busi-
"ness here, in which he depends in the least
ION the sympathy or cooperation of the South
tern people, unless he will lndOrse their po-
" litical views"
But it is not easy to convince unwilling
minds. Notwithstanding the letter of Mr..
Webster. 1T was possible for the bulldozers
and their sympathizers still to claim that the
Rev. DR.. Cookies denial should stand and the
story Of his rough treatment bc discrcdIted upon
the strength of it. Wemeet that claim with his
own testimony in letter toZjOn'SHcrdid Of April
H. 1877, which we reprint elsewhere H. full.
This is Dr.. Cookies own testimony. and we
beg the attention of those journals which 80
eleefully snapped up the Doctors denial, to
these words IN the letter: The rough treat
"ment received by Doctor Webster and my
"self between Columbia and TINS place Orange
"burg) early in the Winter was trHfhJHHy
NARRATED by him i'll The Herald and other pa
"pers, only he did not more than haH state the
"real enorniity of the conduct IN that outrageous
"attack.r And because this gentleman says
he was not inundated upon this occasion it
is denied that there is any bulldOzing III South
Carolina, and strenuOusly asserted that all re-
ports of such occurrences are gross exaggera-
tons.
One other thing about the Rev. DR.. Cooke.
On the 1Sth of last December he wrote let
ter, apparently private, which WAS hurried into
pint by the recipient under the caption:
Testimony that Carries Weight "a strik-
"ing Letter from President Cooke" etc, in
which he attacked his former friends as
pet-baggers'' unprinciped natives"
Northern adventurers," etc, and attributed
all the reports about South Carolina fraud
ana bulldozing to their malice. One wonders
why he should be such swift Wit
ness for the Hampton Administration.
Not as explaining it, but as fact proper to
be considered III connection Herewith, iC may
he stated that he is the secretary Of the state
Agricultural College, at a salary of $1,000,
dependent upon an appropriation from the
Hampton Legislature. The charter OF the
Agricultural College was repealed BY the
HAMPTON Legislature Of 1877, and the whole
concern transferred to the trustees of the
State University, of which department for
coIored students was located at Oramgeburg,
the former seat Of the Agricultural College.
Since the change all the teachers formerly
employed and paid by the State, except DR..
Cooke, have been discharged. The Doctor
holds the Office Of secretary, and draws the
salary OF 81 800 in addition to his salary a.
president of the Clahin University. We do not
know, of course. that the 81 800 per annum
has anything 10 do with the Doctors zeal in
defending the Hampton Government and de-
nOuncing carpet baggers," any more than we
know that his conversion to Democracy was
brought about by the bulldozlng in 1876.
But we are certain he ia no martyr and being
of the fibre he is, is not likely to be.
"OH GIVE THE OLD Mn CHANCE"
The Democratic members of the Potter
Committee, and, indeed. Democrats generally,
IN Congress and out, behave in "A very singular