The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-04-06
SHERMAN AS a SCOUNDREL.
a Covert Attack On Ianpton's Charnctc,
Exposed.
Special Dispatch to Ntpx and Courier.
WAsIIINGToN. March .;

WASHINGTON, March 81.
That John Sherman is political trick
stcr and pcculator Of public moneys few
people doubt after the developement o
the last Presidential campaign and tho
outturn of the treasury investigation
but here is proof that he carries hi,
scoundrelism into private rs well rs pub
lie life.
Every body knows that since Senator
Hampton convicted William Tecumsel
Sherman of lying, III regard to the burn.
ing of Columbia, tho Sherman family
have been very bitter against him. Ii
will also be remembered that during the
last Presidential campaign John Sher.
man, then secretary of the treasury, laid
bare his vulgar spite by replying to a
courteous letter of inquiry from Senator
Hampton with an open letter, most often.
sive in its terms and very insulting to
The people of South Carolina. Soon af.
ter this the notorious South Carolina
Radical and renegade white man, Rol.
lin II. Kirk, then employed in the treasu-
ry here, published scurrlous and libel
lous attack upon Senator Hampton, charg-
ing him with having aided in numbering
n score of negroes in Mississippi, and
with such other offences as a villanous
imagination could conjure up. This let
ter was circulated by the Republicans du-
ring the last Presidential campaign
throughout tho West. Upon Sherman .
exit from the treasury Kirk lost his place
there. A month or two ago he was rein
stated, and almost simultaneously his
wretched campaign lies were republished
by scavenger sheet in Charleston.
Upon this several Of Senator Hamp-
tons friends determined to look into the
matter. Here was an employee Of the
Government occupied in circulating the
most abominable falsehoods against n
Senator. The attacks were personal, not
political, and rs such could justly be ob.
jected to. Secretary Folger was seen and
the facts laid peforc him. He promptly
admitted that Kinks course was q sufIi.
cient cause for his discharge. He sent
for Kirk and interrogatcd him. Kirk ad
mitted having written the letter, but
begged the secretary with tears in his
eyes not to discharge him, rs he had Is
wife and six children to support. The
attack, he declared, was ordered by a su
perior official.
MIR. Folger communicated these facts
to Senator Hampton and offered to dis
charge Kirk from office if he desired it,
Senator Hampton replied that he would
spare him, but that he wished to know
who had melted the publication. Kirk,
upon hearing this, stated that the official
was Secretary Sherman, and produced a
letter from the Secretary to prove the
fact. This letter was read by Senator
Hampton and others and was returned to
it's owner.
1t seems that Kirk first wrote to the
secretary, who replied in substance rs
follows: "In my position cannot no.
ticc these things, but wish that you, or
some one else, would make n formal
statement of the kind age .nst Hampton u
Kirk said that coming from the highest
treasury officer he regarded the letter as
an order, and he also asserted that Sher-
man promised, if he was discharged from
the treasury, TO get him a place at the
Capitol.
These facts have been leaking ou,
gradually, and they are now known to
several Senators, who declare it the most
dastardly act they ever heard of. Here
was the secretary Of the treasury of the
United States employing the venom oi
his subordinate TO strike at the personal
character of Senator. The cowardly
brute who hires the services ofan assassin
to murder his opponent is as respectable
y. G. G.