The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1894-08-29
4 SERIOUS CHARGE.
MADE AGAINST Or. BYRD, OF FLOR
ENCE COUNTY.

lie Il Accused by Mr. Cspers OF Colum-
| b's, OF Iaviting Candidates TO His House
far Dinner, snd then Searching thei-
Pccket'.
CoLUMBIA,S 5. c., Aug. 24.-A copy
OF the following card addressed to the
! editor Of the Register, was yesterday
given to the press for publication. The
card is rather sensational in its nature
and makes very racy literature:
Columbia, 5. g., August, 81, 1894.
TO the Editor Of the Register: have
noticed your coup d'etat in a recent
Issue Of your paper and your editorial
comments thereon, in which you pub
| iSh a personal letter written bv me to
the Rev. Id. Bass, on June q. Mr..
Bass was at that time Butler candi-
| date for the State Senate and the let
ter, containing, as 1t did, some Sugge5.
tons and information from "Butler
headquarters" as you express it, was
made much Of by you and your pollti-
cal Sagacity and activity. as demon.
| stratcd in securing the letter. was en-
| phasiZed to commend yourself and your
| paper to the movement.
| Now, Mr.. Eiitor, in the first place 1t
| is due Mr.. Bass to say that in letter
| received from him recently he says: 81
was never more surprised than when
saw the publication OF your letter to
| me of June 9Th. | regret it and as
sure your that | am innocent of the
thing being made public" So much
for Mr.. Bass. A high and honorable
gentleman, by the way, who smarts
under even the shadow of Inference
that he would break confidence in the
way iuGicsted in your comments and
| by the publication OF the letter.
But here, Mr.. Editor, is the part Of
your great political and sagaclous &C
tivity, which | want to make public.
! | am reliably informed that very re-
Gently, DR.. Byrd of Florence county
| Ian eX legislator from that county, has
| spoken more than once, on the streets
Of Florence Of having found (?) let
! ter written Mr.. Bass, and that in is
publication ha, DR.. Byrd, would make
ten strike. ! am further informed
that when the public speaking took
| place at TlmmCnSyille, in Florence
county, that this astute DR.. Byrd asked
a number OF candidates to his house at
that place TO dinner. That at the sug-
gestiOn Of the host the guests took OF
| their coats in the bed room and retired
TO the sitting room, after dinner TO
| smoke. Mr.. Bass had the letter you
have published in his pocket when he
went to DR.. Byrd'S hOu5e, it was "out
| Of sight" when he left.
The letter, | am Informed and be-
lieve, was sent you by Mr.. Mccall Of
! Florence, and was given him by DR..
Byrd (our hospitab!e host. In your
editorial comments you say: The let
| ter has been sent to us bV one OF the
most active and vigilant Reformers IN
the eastern part Of the State" Allow
me to suggest shat this "actiVity and
vigilance" is taking very dangerous
turn and this very "active and vigil
lant" Individual and host may have
been down into Mr.. Bass'S pockets for
paper of more com nercial value for all
we know. Not finding that, he seems to
have taken everything else in sight and
let his lind of political paper act as the
next best thing.
You are welcome, Mr.. Elitor, to all
| letters gotten at the houses of people
from the pockets of their guests, when
coats, by invitation, are hung in an ad-
oining room and the guests lured
away by cigar, are out Of sight. l
have written Bro. Bass to take warn
ing himself and to memorizs the fol-
lowing lines and repeat them for the
protection Of his people:
Will you walk into my parlor? said the
spider to the fly.
Well, hardly, said the insect, and he
winked the other eye.
You parIor haa n entrance, but OF an
exit 1t is shy,
50 III stay on the outside and remain
little ''lly.'
This communication IS written on
the supposition that Mr.. Bass and my.
self are correct in placing our men"
If we are wrong, let him make an hon
| orable disclaimer.
All names desired will be given on
application and the undersigned Is per
sonally responsible for every line OF
| this communication.
Very truly.
! join q. CAPERs.