The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-08-28
DIR. STOKES IN EXPLANA-
TION.

Editor Watchmaon and Southron: In
the interest Of fairness and honorable
dealiog. ask you to publish the sub.
Joined letter. This letter was refused
by the Sumter Herald after the editor
of that paper bad misrepresented NE in
his comments upon my former letter.
Not content with refusing to let me set
myself right before the same audience
that read his charge and comments, be
refused to return MY manuscript upon
the ground that it had been destroyed.
Why there should be such unseemly
haste 10 destroying manuscript. will
leave the public to judge.
Here is the letter which THE Herald
refused to publish:
Editors Sumter Herald: Permit
word iu reply to your comments 90 my
last letter You assume that there is
something Inherently wrong lu one bav-
log an organ. Your rather implied
that my denial of your charge agaius;
was an admission that some discredit
would attach to my having an organ if
such were the fact. | made 90 such ad-
mission. make no such admission now.
If any man have convictions SO strong
that he is willing to maintain paper to
propagate those convictions. there is no
law sacred or secular to binder him
On the contrary, zeal that is willing to
spend and be spent in defense Of
its convictions. is commended the world
over. l did not set out to argue
this matter. however but to impress
the fact which you seem unaccountsbly
to have overlooked, that I objected to
your charge simply aud purely because
it was not true; aud because it was not
true, it was an injustice to Tile Patriot
and to me-more to the editor of The
Patriot than to me.
10 reply to my request for the
grounds Of your charge that The Patriot
was my private organ. you refer in
confused indistinct sort Of way to state
ments 10 other papers and vague
rumors. which you cannot even recall
the verbiage Of.
Now, Mr.. Editor. ask 10 all frank
ness If you consider such unsupported
rumors and newspaper statements as
evidence in any proper sense? would
you like to be tried upon such evidence ?
Would you think it justi6able not to say
cbristiaulike to charge against you
true, all the ugly things said about yo-
10 the papers and by rumor. because
forsooth your maligner pretended be
bad never seen any specific denial from
you?
You saw fit to. refer to my being
member Of the church and therefore
(you said) | ought to be truthful. You
said you hoped the people would believe
me. Hope implies desire with expecta-
ton. With strange Inconsistency you
went to work to discredt my denial
In other words you set about to defeat
what you said you desired and expect
ed.
You also said | was probably an off,
cial member Of the church. don't
see what this has to do with the matter
at issue; out it is just as we'll tc 5e
accurate even in irrelevant matters.
am only private member while
| see your name frequently ln he
church papers 10 various Official rela-
tious. In this respect you have the ad-
vantage of me But when you seek to
discredi' private members of the same
church. while protesting to do justice to
all. and while processing to desire and
expect that private member vii! De be-
lieved, think have the advantage of
Jou
W. STOKES.
Oraneeburg, S, c., Aug. 16. 1895.