The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1898-07-27
NOT INCONSISTENT.

control of it's Editor, Mr. G. NJ Har
man, has been broad and liberal. 1t
has been "unawed by influence and
unbribed by gain" 1t has been
the aim and purpose of the Ed
tor to make the Dispatch vehi-
Gle for the Interchange Of thoughts
and opinions of the people on ques
tions of public interest. How we'll
he has succeeded is clearly shown by
the large list of subscribers. Hold
ing decided convictions on political
issues, but at the sametime the col
umns of the Dispatch have never
been denied any one to attack any
editorial utterance.
So much by way of preface to
reply to a cruel and cowardly attack
made on the Editor of this paper
by the Carolina News of last week.
Since the establishment of that pa
per at Chaplin the Dispatch has al
ways cherished for it the most
friendly feeling. 1t never has nor
does it now consider i. in any sense
a rival. As far as my knowledge
goes the Dispatch has never lost a
cent by the establishment of the
News; therefore it cannot be truth
fully said that this article is inspired
by business jealousy.
Being the author Of the editorial
over the caption of Fair Play"
which the News attempted to criti-
else I feel it incumbent upon me to
reply above my own signature for
two reasons, the first being to as
sumo the responsibility and the Sec
ond, by fixing the responsibility, to
show how unwarranted, upiustifed
and brutal the attack was.
I have been assailed from three
different positions. The first being in
consistency; the second partiality, and
the third obligation, and then the
News calls upon me to ''specify" and
proceeds to uncork the vials Of it's
wrath and pour its vile stuff on his
head for appointing State constabes.
I was in no sense inconsistent in
anything I uttered in that editorial.
Because person says something kind
and pleasant of candidate who is
being bounded down by set of hun
cry Office seekers with "silly and
nonsensical charges that would be
unworthy the conception of even the
"most illiterate corn field niger"
it does not necessarily follow that
that person takes sides one way or
the other. Only the weak and narrow
minded puts such a construction on
such an action. I was hollering up
no mans persimmon tree, was only
trying to give justice to whom JUS
tice was due without saying an un-
kind word against the other caudi-
dates except that they were making
unsupported and silly charges and
that this campaign of abuse should
stop.
The News man most assure6ly
must have been out of his mind when
he asked who were making the
charges, and against whom? He
could have seen from the published
reports of the campaign meetings,
the correctness of these reports have
never been disputed to this day, that
Watson attacked Governor Ellerbe
from nearly every stump, charging
him with using the prerogatives of
his high Office in the matter Of ap-
pointments to strengthen his political
fences; that Col. Tillman attacked
the Board of Phosphate Commits
sioners through Governor Ellerbe, of
which he is a member ex of1icio,
charging that great deal more
money had been collected in royalty
than had been accounted for; that
Archer was forced to acknowledge
that he killed Epton in the Senate
because Governor Ellerbe appointed
him Comptroller General and Spar
tanburg county could not have
two candidates for State offices.
And so with the other candidates.
The combination, if there is one, has
been jumping on the Governor all
along until desire to see fair play
has been awakened in the hearts Of
the people and the fair and broad
papers have become aroused, entered
protests and joined in grand cho-
rus of condemnation. On the out
side of this issue is published a
strong article from the pen of Col. 7. B.
Crews, of the Laurensvi.le Herald call
ing for fair play. 1t certainly cannot
be charged that Mr. Crews is under
obligations to the Governor as the
Editor of this paper is said to be.
If the News man had consulted the