The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-07-16
MACUNE's FREE PASS.
He Violated Alliance Principles in Accept
ing It--SomethinE About VIM. C. Wolfe's
Puerile Views on Finance.

:. To the Editor of The Herald ant
News: I used sometimes to read th'
Cotton Plant with pleasure while pub
lished in Greenville and in the interes
of the farmer. But since it has beer
removed to Orangeburg, and is run ii
the interest Of a mere clique of a clique
of politicians, 7 have rarely read it. A
friend, however, has kindly furnished
me a copy Of June 10th in which no les:
than two of its principal articles are il
reply to, or rather I should say, are in
abuse of "Civis" and the News and
Courier, which it seems to regard a:
one and the same. The one of these
articles is signed by my quondam
friend Wn. G.. Wolfe, whom am now
able to locate, and am glad to see ven.
turing out again. Only would kindly
admonish him to keep in shallow water
near the shore, and not venture beyond
his depth again in the intricate science
of finance, of which he manifests the
most remarkable ignorance. The other
is on the editorial page and unsigned,
so I must presume it to be from the pen
Of no less parsonage than the Hon. J.
VIM. Stokes himself, the president OF
State Farmers Alliance. Having re-
ceived so much attention, and from 30
distinguished source, it might appear
uncivil on the part of "Civis'' not to
make some suitable reply; and he
would not like to be charged with in
civility. But he labors under some
difficulty in 80 doing. "Civis" went
into this discussion with the resolve to
discuss the questions at issue solely on
their merits, and not to allow himself
drawn into any personal controversy.
This was chief reason for adopting 8
nom de plume, which seems to give so
much annoyance to some Of his oppo-
nents. :. would here state that "Civis"
entertains no kind of personal i'll feel
ing towards single one Of those whose
fallacies he has undertaken to refute in
the course of this discussion, not even
against DR.. Macune, Notwithstanding
his very virulent attack on him some
time since in the National Economist.
It is true he does not entertain the
same respect for and confidence in the
honesty and integrity and disinterested
motives of DR.. Macune, that he. does
in President Polk, Gov. Northen and
other leading alliance men, and that he
would prefer entertaining fo. all.
This is not only because Of the doc
tors now we'll established guilt Of
the charges made against him in the
Gecrgis senatorial contest, but also on
account of his habitual and continuous
gross Misrepresentation and .-isehoods
=. in the National Recommendations Of
course for the purpose of misleading a
large element of the people in whom
''Civis" feels specialin interest, and who
unfortunately depend chiefly on the
Economist for their information.
But to return to the Cotton Plant.
"Civis" proposes to answer whatever
he can find in the two articles in ques-
ton, that could possibly be tortured
into an argument; but leaving as here
tofore, personalities, as much as posi-
bic, out Of question.
Twill notice first the editorial article,
presumably by Mr.. Stokes. This is
relative to DR.. Macune and the Geor-
gia senatorial contest, and is Of course,
necessarily somewhat personal, so far
as the doctor is concerned. But "Civis"
has heretofore, and still proposes to
treat the question as an outside neutral. |
It grew out of the famous exposure Of
Macune by U. S. Hall, of Missouri,
which as is known was widely re-pub-
lished in our State. Mr.. Latimer, Of |
Belton, and Mr.. ---, of Newberry,
answered Hall in the Nevberry Obser-
yer, not by denying what Hall asserted |
of Macune, but the former chiefly by
abuse of Hall, for divulging secrets of
the Alliance and the latter by assuring
US that Macune was "Christian gen.
tleman." Then "Civis" ventured to
suggest in The Newberry Herald and
News that neither of these attempts at
defense touched the question at issue
at all, which was not as to Halls char
acter or Macune's religion, but solely as
to whether or not Macune was guilty Of
the charges made against him. These
charges, as is we'll known, were of hav-
ing received from PatCalhoun free pass
over the Richmond Terminal railway
system and loan of $1,000 in money,
and after receiving these favors, Of sup
porting Calhoun with might and main
for the United States Senate.
I may here state that Mr.. Latimer,
who was a member of the so-called
white-washing committee at Ocala, has
since replied toSECixis,' hedging con-
On account Of his pledge to
secrecy, but virtually admitting Ma
cune's guilt, and attempting to palliate
if not justify the ofense. It is in aid
of Mr.. Latimer and DR.. Macune that
Mr.. Stokes steps into the arena, fully
booted and spurred, in his editorial and
official capacity. may here note that
both DR.. Stokes and DR.. Macune speak Of
that famous white-washing committee
IS composed oftwenty six(2s)members,
while Mr.. Latimer speaks of thirty-six
1867. This is slight difference. Which
is right?
DR.. Stokes, in his editorial assumes
and says much of "Civis's" position,
that is not justified by ANYTHING "Ciyis,'