Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-09-30
Atiseetlaneuus &eaaing.
"WATCH TOM |"

Ex-Judge Mackey Returns to South Caro-
lima After Long Absence.
Columbia Register, Saturday.
Ex-Judge Thomas ]. Mackey, well
known throughout this state as jur'
list, politician, brilliant and witty con.
versationalist and later as an author
lis again in South Carolina for short
stay. He arrived in Columbia yester.
day afternoon from New York and is
stopping at the Grand Central hotel
1t has been IA years since the judge
shook the dust of South Carolina from
his feet, but time seems to have made
but slight inroads upon his constitu-
ton. He looks as young as ever and
the brightness of his eyes has not been
dimmed.
Judge Mackey is member of the
Charleston family of the same name
and was soldier in the Confederate
army. He become Republican after
the war and was elected judge of the
Sixth circuit, which position he held
during the trying period of 1876.
The judge, however, true to the in.
stincts of the Anglo-Saxon and the
southerner, left the party with which
he had affiliated and stumped the state
for Hampton. At the same time he
supported Hayes for the presidency,
which circumstance made him a man
of some influence with the president,
all of which the judge exerted in be-
half of Hampton, and he no doubt had
great deal to do with the recogni-
ton of Hampton as governor. For
Hampton Judge Mackey had and has
the highest admiration, believing him
to be one of the purest and most spot
less men in public life to-day. For his
services to the Democracy he was re-
elected Judge, but when his term ex-
pired he was succeeded by Judge
Witherspoon, who now sits upon the
bench.
The Judge then remained quiet at
his home in Chester for some time, but
when the Greenback party made a
sporadic attempt to take hand in
politics in the state he united with
them and became quite prominent.
The Greenbackers evidently didn't
trust him too much and letter was
made public from one prominent man
in the party to another in which the
admonition to "Watch Tom" was re-
peated several times. This became the
political joke of the season and was re-
peated nearly every time the judges
name was mentioned. He left the state
soon afterward and went to Washing
ton, where he practiced law, became
involved in a scandal and then he
went to New York. He left there and
lived in France for while, returning
to New York about five or six years
ago. He had in the meantime dropped
from the public view in this part of the
country until short sketches of Wash
ington and Lee which appeared in
monthly magazines over his signature.
In this line the judge is peculiarly sue
cessful and ali of his articles are in
tensely interesting, not only on account
of the bright way in which his matter
is put, but from the many new in
stances in history that he brings out.
He is still engaged in literary work
and proposes to get out a complete
history of George Washington, Lee
and Calhoun in separate volumes, his
magazine articles being fragments of
each, their crowded space not permit
ting the full story to be told in their
pages.
The Register representative called
on the Judge yesterday afternoon at
his room at the Grand Central for the
purpose of interviewing him, but the
| Judge Immediately began to talk about
men and current topics and the re-
porter simply listened, interested,
while the judge jumped from one SUBJ
i iect to another with ease, throwing in
Ia Joke now and then to add spice to
what he said.
"After IA years ABSENCE" he began,
81 am again in the storm center of
America. The wind may blow from
the north, the south, the east and the
west, but the storm is always in South
Carolina. When I left here Conner
was at the head ofthe bar, but as re-
turn find his excellency, the govern
or, at the head of the bar"
With this little joke he went on to
say that he was now of New York,
but that he lived in France, near Paris,
where he farmed and did literary work
when he had an opportunity. ".But l
quit farming" said he, "because |
could not associate with such immoral
people as farmers, who put all their
best apples on top of the barrel and
all their best potatoes on the top of
the heap. But" he added, 81 believe
next to the members of the bar, the
| farmers are the most honest and NOR
al people that there are"
The judge then talked about his
histories of Washington and Lee. OF
the latter he said he proposed to show
that "the Father of his Country had
been pictured on too low plane of
mentality. I will bring him nearer in
touch with Americans, make him the
American that he really was. 1t is
said that Washington couldn't tell u
| lie, whereas every American can tell
one as soon as he hears it. Washing
toms greatest incumbrance was that
he could swear in only one language
and I will show that he was most
excellent swearer.
81 can swear in three languages, "
he added reHectively, "and am study
ing two more and that will hardly be
adequate. Yes, that was one OF