The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-02-05
GARY,S REPLY TO HASKELL.
He Denies Every Charge and Dencs His
Accdser.
Correspondence Ns,rs and Courier.

Correspondence Ne,rs and Courier.
EDGEr1ELD G. H., January 90.
As the letter of Col. John G. Haskell,
which was published in the Neua and
Courier of the 2Sth inst, had aroused the
keenest interest as to what line of action
Gen. Gary would adopt in meeting the
charges 40 pointcdly made against him,
/ determined to ascertain from Gen. Gary
himself, provided he were willing to in
dicate it, the course he would pursue.
With this purpose in view / arrived at
Edgefeld Village this morning and called
upon the General. said to him that |
had come as reporter of the Mews and
Courier to learn if he desired to say any
thing In answer to the charges made
against him by Col. Haskell.
Gen. Gary replied at some length, in
timating that he considered Col. Haskelps
letter as n covert attack by Senator Hamp-
ton, the assertion of Col. Haskell that
Senator Hampton knew nothing of his
(HasltelPs) purpose of publishing the
letter to the contrary Notwithstanding,
and, for this reason, declined to notice
any of the charges preferred in the first
portion of Col. Haskel's letter. He re-
garded the matters therein alleged as
pertaining exclusively to the controversy
between Senator Hampton and himself,
and he did not feel inclined to recognize
Col. Haskell's right to intrude himself
into controversy which in no wise pre-
sented an issue between Haskell and
himself, but which related exclusively to
the points under discussion between Sem
ator Hampton and himself. He gave me
an extended account of his own attitude
as public man during the last five years,
claiming that events had yindicated his
political course, and denying that he had
ever shown anything like personal hos
tility to Senator Hampton. The conver-
sation then proceeded as follows:
Reporter: Well, General, what have
you to say in regard to the Haskell let
teri
Gen. Gary: The attack Of Col. Haskell
upon me is evidently well-planned at
tempt to shift the issues and change the
actors. Col. Haskell has intruded him
self in rude and unmanly manner be-
tween Senator Hampton and myself, no
doubt with the view of relieving Senator
Hampton and giving himself some im-
portance. He acknowledges that he is
not authorized by Senator Hampton to
say anything, and l certainly have not
invited him 10 do so, for have no cause
of quarrel or controversy with him. If
Senator Hampton wishes to continue the
controversy or discussion | am ready to
do so upon any field he may select.
Whatever I have stated in my several
interviews rs facts of my own knowledge
I here reiterate that they are true, and
such facts as l have stated upon the
knowledge and information derived from
others here reiterate that | believe them
to be true.
Reporter: What have you to say in re.
gard to the charges against you contained
in the latter part of Col. Haskell's letter
Gen. Gary: AS to his personal filings
and abuse or as to what he thinks the
people think of me, have nothing
to say. AS to his charges, they have
been made and repeated in Radical
newspapers for the last five or six years
The one numbered First, appeared in
the New York Times, the National Re
publican and the Union-HeraLd. In Feb
ruary, 1878, it was laid upon the desks
of the members of the General Assembly
of this State, while 1, with others, wa:
engaged in the fight against the ring oi
fraudulent bondholders. I at the time
rose to a question of privilege, and re-
piled to this malicious falsehood against
Senator NJ. G. Butler and myself in 6
complete answer, which silenced the
Radical press, and satisfied our friends
but it seems that some of our Democratic
enemies are trying to burn this ammuni'
ton a second time to our disadvantages.
AS to the second charge, that en-.
gagged to aid in securing the approval
of the Taxpayers Convention to the re-
linquishment by the State of its first
mortgage on the Blue Ridge Railroad tc
private parties, 1 would say that l would
have stultifed myself as lawyer had ]
agreed to aid in any such proposition
The Taxpayers Convention was a vol.
UNFAIRLY body and had no legal existence
or Constitutional powers and could not
have made such REIMBURSEMENT. The
charge that I ever entered into any such
agreement or that l ever received pay for
the same is as false as it is malicious.
The third charge that was the con-
slant defender of McDevitt, the Radical
treasurer of Edge6eld, is also false. !
never defended McDevitt on the crimi-
nal side of the Court. On the civil side
of the court defended j. H. McDevitt
county treasurer of Edgefeld County, in
the celebrated case of George 2. Curry
and Hardy Wall, plaintiffs, VS.. Harri-
son Strom, Wesley Jefferson and Doc
Martin, county commissioners, and John
II. McDevitt, county treasurer, delen'
dants. 1t is also false that zone of the
indictments against NIcDevitt was fol-
fraudulently paying Gen: Gary large
sum of county money" The only
money that McDevitt, as county treas
urer, ever paid me was $,505 fol
Gary g. Gary, attorneys for the coun
ty treasurer in the case above stated
| The amount of our fee in this case was
reported by Chancellor Carroll, to whom
it was referred as q special referee to in
quire and report reasonable fee for oul
work in this case and he reported
after taking testimony as to the value ol
our services that we were entitled to 9
fee of 81 900, which report was confirmed
by the Circuit Judge.
The fourth charge is also false. | new
er did advocate that General Butler
should he withdrawn and that White
more should be put in his place. Thi:
is the same charge that | answered Us
question of privilege in the State Senate
when it appeared in the newspapers al
that time, as can be seen by referring t.
the files of the Columbia Register ant
the Journal of the Senate. Instead o
trying to withdraw Gen. Butler, it il
well-known that when he was virtually
deserted by Hampton and others whC
should have supported him, l at his re-
quest, gave him my support and assisted
in defeating the Patterson resolutions
which, if they had passed, would hav'
placed him in the awkward position o