The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-07-29
TiIIman Upholds Evans.
Earle and Duncan May as
Well Quit the Race.

BESSsTrsv1LLE, S. G., July o.
The campaign meeting at this place
was of a kind with those held recent
ly. Earle and Evans enlivened mat
ters little by the rather warm pas
sage of words, but the people are
becoming accustomed to warm talk
on the stump, which they have learn
ed to know is all for effect and after
all means nothing. To hear Earle
and Evans talk to each other one
would naturally expect them to be
at each others throats in a short
time. But it is all buncombe.
None of the speeches were of par
tlcular interest, and the only new
feature was the reading of a letter
from Senator ?';'lman by Governor
Evans. The :, n read was copy
of the one written to Mr. Duncan by
Gov. Tillman, and, as will be seen, it
upholds Evans and gives Mr.. Dun
can very cold comfort. Gov. Evans
appeared to be highly delighted
while reading the letter and is more
confident of election than ever The
letter is as follows
TRENTON, S. c., July 20, 1896.
To Hon. Jno. T. Duncan, Columbia,
&C..
My Dear Sir Your letter of July
5th, addressed to me at Chicago,
reached me in the midst Of the hurly
burly attending the national conven-
tion, and, of course, there was
neither time nor inclination to an
swer it,
! reached home on the 14th, but
had not recovered from the fatigue
and excitement before the shocking
tragedy occurred which snatched
from me my first born l mention
these things by way Of explanation
of the delay in replying to your let
ter.
Frankly, l must say that l am
sorry you wrote any letter, for as |
am dragged reluctantly into this mat.
ter, l must speak with my usual
bluntness. I have always regarded
you as my personal and political
friend and as a good and true Re-
former and for personal reasons l
would be glad to help you in any
way. You have perfect right to
aspire to any office in the gift of the
people and to use all honest and hon.
orable efforts to secure votes. |
must say, however, that you had no
right to make use of the private con-
versation which you had with me in
a manner calculated to deceive the
public. There was nothing in the
nature of a consultation about it.
You did net breathe word, or init
mate even your purpose of becoming
a candidate, and the ter~r of our en-
tire talk was. as you know. one of
malignant criticism on your part of
Governor Evans, while I defended
him or asked fer proofs of your &C.
cusations.
did tell you that | expected to
take no part in the election of Sena-
tor because l believed the people of
South Carolina to be competent to
Judge for themselves, and that I
have no right in any wise to attempt
to direct or dictate their decision.
You did me wrong, when, as you
are reported to have said in one Of
your recent speeches. you claimed |
could "make whom l pleased sena-
tor" 1t is an accusation of "boss
ism" which the people must resent
and which you yourself must feel to
be untrue If you were not in the
heat of battle in which self.love and
vanity are calculated to blind you,
you would see what is apparent to
every unbiased and calm mind, that
you are Unjust to Governor Evans,
and have jumped to conclusions that
are unwarraEted
How can Governor Evans, working
for or accepting fee fiom Rhind for
lega! services rendered before and
after the contract with the syndicate
was signed, be distorted into dis
honesty ," Rhind received com
mission for his services to the syndi
cate Governor Evans is to receive
a fee for his services to Rhlnd. /
did not know the nature Of the
agreement between them, because it
did not concern me. But | did know
that Evans was actin aas Rnind's
attorney, for I copi A help but