The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-09-23
GEN. BUTLER IN REPLY.
Ills REMARKS WERE DIRECTED TO DE-
STOKES.

! He Denies EmpilaticliiY that lie -Appitsd q
Abusive .Epilhrts t" the Cotton Plant"
THE Worlds" -i-heviiie Interview
Was Correct.
EpGEFIELD :. e.. sept. S.-As Ms
minated in io,iay's World Srnat"r But
ler Yesterday sent DR.. Stakes the tolln~-
in.. letter in reply to The editorial III last
weeks issue Of The Cotton plan!:
SENATOR BUTLER's LETTER.
EnGEFIELE, S. C.. Sept. I. 1891.
Dr.. j. ". Stokes, OrnngeJ1tgY, $. {.
DEAR S1R-I have received your two
letters of the 2Glh ult. and .Ith last.
Also by The last mali a copy of The
Cotton Plant Of the 5th inst, contain-
inc nv letter TO YOU Of the 2Sth ult. In
reply to Your first letter. will say that
| did no: intend to say III my interview
with the reporter of The State at Ashe-
vile, that | had requested you to pub
| lish my letter in The State. | glanced
hurriedly over the interview after it ap-
peared IN the paper, and was not attract
ed by such a statement. Not having it
| before me l cannot verify your version
of it, or otherwise l am quite sure l
! could not have made such a statement,
because | did not request you to publish
the letter IN The State. However, that
is not at all material. AS | now recall
the interview, it was in the main cor
rectly reported.
In reply TO the inquiries in yours OF
the 4th inst, in regard TO my Interview
| IN The World and News and Courier,
| The one in Asheville and the other here,
l will say they are correctly reported,
andrepresent just what l did say.
And now a word as TO your editorial
criticism Of my letter, in The Gotten
Plant of the 5th inst; just one point.
| because l canno. follow you through the
m aZes OF evasion and Quibblins which
pervade It's entire length Of nearly two
columns.
You say, near the top OF the first
column: ''Iu view ofthe abusive epithets
the senator is reported TO have INDUCED
in reference to this paper, (The Cottrn
Plant in his recent AsheVilIe and Edge
field interviews, l might justly consider
that the senator had placed the whole
matter beyond the pale of courteous
reply, or even notice"
Now, my dear sir, You must know
there is not an atom Of truth in this
statement. No honest man can find any
thing in either OF the interviews 10 iustl-
ty 1t. Whatever of epithets that may be
| found in these interviews were addressed
to YOU personally, not the newspaper
YOU edit. l have two much regard Tor
the liberty and freedom OF the
press to lake offence at any fair
| criticism by the press OF my conduct. 1t
is not only the right but the duty OF the
| newspaper to criticise freely and fear
lesslv the acts and conduct OF public
men and question whenever and wher-
ever theyare ammenable to criticism.
have been the subject OF criticism by
the newspapers over and often. some
times adversely sometimes otherwise,
and I have never complained OF 1t. 1t
will be a bad day for the country when
the papers fail, from any cause, to hold
up to the public the acts OF public otii'
cials. But neither have you or any
other editor the right to make the press
the vehicle Of private, personal resent
ment. and claim immunity under cover
of the freedom of tne press. No hono1-
able editor will so abuse the high station
he occupies.
have been somewhat surprised at
the sensltiyeness which you and some OF
your sub-treasury orators have exhibited
at the legitimate newspaper criticisms
of your public acts. The boycott" l
believe, has been indulged in by some OF
you to punish certain newspapers tor
daring to give the public information
as to your transactions. Let me admon-
ish YOU. and those who adopt you
methods and tactics, that they VII lot
win. The light will be turned on, and
| you will not be permitted to ply your so
called campaign of education" behind
barred doors, and indulge in calumnIes
and manufactured misrepresentation.
The Alliance, as originally organized,
was most excellent institution, calcul-
ated to work IN calculable benefits to the
agricultural classes. Many Of the best
men in the country joined and sustained
it, with this end 10 view; but few SELF
seeking politicians got control OF lts
machinery and are trying to convert II
into a secret political organization, 70
be operated for their Own selfish ends.
All secret political organizations are
inimical to freedom OF thought ana
action, and to the liberties ofthe people.
trust you will not succeed III your
efforts to make the Alliance a political
machine, but that it will move forward
on the lines originally intended by its
founders and stand an invincible obstl-
Gle between the interests of the farmers
and those who would either opprcss or
mislead them.
No, sir. l have not indulSed ID
abusive epithets towards The Cotton
Plant. was among the first contrlbu-
tors to that paper before it fell into the
hands Of those some of whom at least
are prostituting its columns to unworthy
purposes. l wish The Cotton Plant
everv success, but cannot withhold my
expressions of contempt tor The uses 10
which it is being operated. Very re-
specttully yours. NJ. G. BUTLER
Driven to Desperation.
LONDON, Sept. 9.-From kelef comes
the account of horrible tragedy. y
Jew named naptan, driven TO dcspera'
ton by an order to leave Russia, he hav-
=. 1.<.. lo,,,;,-o.l Of q nnn1 fnrta hln hllSl-