The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-06
COL. MEALS REPLY,
TO THE sTATEME' CIADE nY EDITOR
CREWS.
His Opinion of Cotton Plants Editor For
cihiy Representatives, Combination
Dealt with.
The State, 4th. /


Cotton Plant, printed yesterday, WAS
received at this oflico. Tho Crows
editorial was much talked of yestor-
day in political circles.
TO the Editor of The State:
Dear Sir: I road with much sur
prise an editorial from Tho Cotton
Plant, which appeared in your
paper this morning, In this edi-
torial Mr.. Crews makes many state
ments in reference to the publishing
committee Of The Cotton Plant. Mr..
Grows himself admits that much of
the information which he has seen
fit to give to the public was private.
ly and confidentially received. If
his statements be true he is unwor-
thy Of the respect and confidence of
tho good people of South Carolina
for ho has betrayed the confidence
which among honorable gentlemen
destroys the force of whatever he
may say. However,, Mr.. Editor,
there is scarcely one statement made
by Mr.. Crews which is not partly or
wholly untrue.
He states that I, as chairman of
the committee, offered him $50 a.
month and his board at the Grand
Central hotel if he would move The
Cotton Plant to Columbia. His
statement is absolutely incorrect.
The committees contract with Mr..
Crews provides that we were to
have given him $50 to assist in NOV
ing the material etc, from Spartan
burg to Laurens and otherwise get
the papor started. This WAS all we
agreed to pay under tho contract
covering the year 1897.
The committee paid Mr.. Crews
$113 in worry short time after the
paper was removed to Laurens.
Learning from Mr. Crews that we
should have to continue to make ad-
vances in money from time to time,
we were forced to look around in
order to make some other arrange
ments. Accordingly we suggested
the propriety of removing The Cotton
Plant to Columbia, which PROPOSE
tion Mr.. Crews readily consented to.
| We did have a conference with Mr..
Koester and endeavored to make an
arrangement with him for Mr.. Grows,
but could not persuade Mr.. Rooster
to agree to take tho paper and ON
ploy Mr.. Grows. Mr.. Crews agreed
to work on The Record and Cotton
Plant, set type, or do any other
work for $50 month. | insisted
that Mr.. Crews should demand $50
and his board, but he argued that he
would bo glad to get $50 to begin
with. This nearest proposition to
buy out Mr. Grows and his in.
huence that was made to him by the
committee.
| In reference to consulting Mr.. Nc
Laurin, which Mr. Crows states was
necessary before Mr. Kceater would
agree to any proposition, Mr. Koestel
did consult Mr.. w. ~. Martin, who
owns The Record plant Mr.. Mar,
tin advised against taking The
Cotton Plant as business prop
osition.
With tho nnfavorable advice oi
Mr.. Martin this was calculated tc
have more effect with Mr.. Rooster
than the advice of any political 0,
personal friend. | doubt if Mr.
McLaurin was over consulted in this
matter.
Mr. Crews statement that the cd
itor of The State and his friends hat
Joined hands with tho Reformer
and would do battle for our cause i
wholly untrue. We never stated o
intimated to Mr.. Crews that we ha,
had any understanding or agreemen
with the enitor of The State. As
matter Of fact I have never met MI
|, Gonzales but twice in my life an
q up to the time Mr.. Crows was i
o Columbia seeking to make a trad
:, with The Record I had not met NJ
Gonzales at ALL
| have only known M. Crews fe
a short time. | met him for tt
first time whom he came to Columb