The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1892-07-20
HAMPTON HANDLES TILLMAN.
The Old Warrior and Stateslnan's Eespon Sc
to the Governors Attack Upon Him
Some of the Fire and Higor of His
Youth Manifested-EeYer Again
to Speak to the People OF
His Native State.

Sir: In your paper giving the account
of the meeting in Columbia on the 4tll
inst, I find the following reference to
myself by Governor Tillman, and /
beg you to allow me space enough in
your columns to show how absolutely
false are the statements made by this
man, who never hesitates to resort to
falsehood when speaking of political
opponents, or to promote his own selfish
personal ends. I shall take his state
ments in the order they were made, and
I shall convict him Of falsehood in
regard to the first out of his own
mouth.
"At Aiken two years ago I said
; Hampton ought to bein tb" United
States Senate forever, and tnat I was
willing for him to stay there.
"At Aiken he refused to ride in the
carriage with me-" and yet, after my
having done so, he that day, in his
speech, made the declaration as to my
remaining iu the Senate! Yet he now
gives that as one reason why he subse-
| quently opposed my reelection.
Now, as to the facts in reference to
my refusal 10 ride to the meeting in the
carriage with him: I was the guest OF
one of the members Of the executive
comraittee, who had invited me to ride
will him, and his invitation had been
accepted, as I courteously Informed
Mr.. Tillman when he asked me to
drive with him; and, besides this, I
have yet to learn that the new regime
now prevailing in South Carolina for
bids a gentleman to choose his own
associates or companions.
The governor proceeds to say, "But
be had no business to Interfere in this
family quarrel" 1t seems to me that
every patriotic citizen of our State was
called on to deplore and to depreciate
any quarrel amongst brethren whose
only hope fer the welfare of the State
depends on concert of action and unity
of feeling. But, waving this question, /
assert, without fear of contradiction,
that at the meeting in Columbia not
one sentence, not one word, in the re-
marks I there made warrants the
assertion that I took part in the un-
happy family quarrel' which has
brought suct diaster on the State. I
came at the request of my old constitu-
ents of Richland to plead for peace and
harmony. I expressed no preference
for any candidate, no disapproval of
any, and Iappeal to the report of my
speech on that occasion, as published,
to substantiate my assertion and to
prove the falsity ofthe charge made by
Governor Tillman.
"He compared Tillman and his
friends to Mshone,n is the next count
in the indictment made against me by
the Governor. I did nothing of the
sort. warned our people, as I thought
my long service in their behalf justified
me in doing, of the dangers Of division
and dissension in our ranks, and I
illustrated MY warning by calling
attention to .he terrible consequences
which had befallen Virginia by the
quarrel in the Democratic ranks,
brought about by the unscrupulous
conduct of Malone. SO much for that
charge of the Governor, which like so
many ofhis ca other occasions is proved
to be utterly false.
II will tell you," proceeds the Gov
ernor, "whe.e he now is. He is in
retirement, where ne belongs and where
he ought to be. Hampton had
taught US that an independent was
worse than radical. That depended
whether the independent was his
friend or not. If Hampton had simply
said that an independent was still worse
than a radical and that he stood tc
what he said, be would be in the United
States Senate to-day" beg to .ssure
his ''Excellency" that stand b, anC
rejterate what l said about indepen
lents in our State, and he must pardon
me when I say in perfect franknas:
that l regarded him as an independent
when he "suggested" himself as 6
gubernatorial candidate in the tamou:
March Convention, and I held then, a:
I do now, that he and his follower:
there should have been ruled at onct
out of the Democratic party. This
however, was not done, and as tht
Democratic executive committee un
fortunately recognized him subsequent
", stated that I should vote for him
This I should have done, but for .
fortunate accident which saved m(
from what I should always have re
garded an inevitable but unritigatet
calamity.
refused to speak on the invitation
of Irby, for my experience at Aiken
when the Til!man roughs howled 1n'
down, taught Inc that nothing ! coul(
say would touch the hearts of n,
fellow-citizens nor Influence their con
duct. I confess it was with deep sers
Of pain and modification that fount
a Carolina audience refusing me ever &;
respectful hearing. determined thal
) "a determination to which I havt
adhered I would not agail
obtrude my advice on my fellow-citi
zens on any public question.
I am only private citizen, askin!
nothing from my State save las
resting place by the side Of my kin
dred.
am sin retirement where I belon;
2 and where l ought to be-" if the verdic
2 of the majority Of the legislature is en-