The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-01-17
ECHOES FROM THE IRBY YLETTER--sTATE
HOUSE OFFICIALS KNOW OF

HOUSE OFFICIALS KNOW OF
NO RING.
COLUMBIA, January 14.-When a
few days ago in this correspondence the
facts in regard to the little war inside
the ranks of the Reform party were
gwen, supported by the editorial in the
Cotton Plant urging the calling Of a
March Convention of the Reformers, in
direct conflict with the suggestion of
Senator Irby's Alliance at Laurens, and
suggesting Congressman Shell as the
man to manage the Alliance or major"
ity wing campaign, no one had any
idea that those facts would so soon be
substantiated by Senator Irby himself.
Yet such substantiation comes to-day
in his card published in the several
newspapers over his signature. He
frankly confesses that he has enemies
who are 'so-celled Reformers" in the
State House and speaks of the State
House Ring. No Que knew that it had
gone so far IS that, but Senator Irby's
own statement in regard to it will
undoubtedly he taken. His attack upon
the correspondent of The News and
Courier is generally considered here SO
unwarranted by anything that the cor
respondent has done. The way all the
facts as published tally with those IN
the card is sufficient to show that no
attempt was made to injure Senator
Irby. But the correspondent is absent
from the city to-day and nothing needs
10 be said.
BROAD SMILES AT THE STATE HOUSE.
The politicians about the Capital to-
day are talking of nothing else but the
Senator's card and each one wore a
broad smile when they read it this
morning. Those who are in the fight
against the Senator smiled when they
saw it till their faces wore broad grin.
It was grin Of satisfaction. The gen.
eral impression is that the Senator has
put his foot into it very deeply; that he
allowed his personal anger and spleen
to get away with bis judgment, and
that he will soon find himself ditched.
Nothing has been said recently or at
any time that anyone knows of about
desposing him from the State chair
manship. The bulk of the Refor:uers,
as stated the other day, were simply
going ahead and use Congressman
She'll and his committee as campaign
committee to engineer the campaign.
But the Cotton Plant explained all
that very thoroughly. No one here
abouts has any malice against Senator
Irby, so far as your correspondent can
ascertain. The Reformers who are op-
posed TO him now are opposed to him
and bis friends on political grounds
only and would not hesitate to tell him
So. Some of them openly say that
they are tired OF bis leadership.
A good many of the leading Reform
ers who are opposed to the Senator, and
many of the State House officials who
are said to be in the Ring, all talk very
conservatively about the matter. and
none Of them would sling mud back
at the Senator.
TILLMAN SILENT, FOR ONCE.
Governor Tillman had nothing what
ever 10 say. His private secretary tele-
phoned that the Governor was not
mixed up in it and would leave the
other menb bers of the "Ring" to speak
for themselves.
Comptroller General Ellerbe, against
whom the Senator made direct attack,
said that the matter was not personal
one; that it was entirely impersonal,
on the contrary, and he did not care to
have anything to say for publication
further than that he was attempting to
run the tax department of the State