Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-08-15
AN OPEN LETTER.
To DIR. Thomas Jefferson Strait:

To DR.. Thomas Jefferson Strait:
SIR-In The ENQUIRER of today is
reproduced The Lanterns report of
your speech at Chester, and by way of
adding still further interest to the situ-
ton, I beg your indulgence while I
take this method of making few re-
marks in reply:
I am a newspaper man, doctor, tax.
ing no especial interest in politics be-
yond the right and duty of any other
citizen. 1t is my business to try and
keep up with the events and help tell
the public what is going on. Some
times it is disagreeable. In this have
no choice. Whether the work be
agreeable or not, those whom I serve
expect me to be fair and honest.
You came into this campaign, doc
tor, with the statement that you told
the people three years ago that Nc
Laurin was Republican that the peo-
pie did not believe you, but elected
McLaurin anyway and turned you
down; that subsequent events have
shown McLaurin to be Republican,
and that, therefore, on account of the
wrongs you have suffered, you are
entitled to again be allowed to draw
$1,000 a year. If your story were
true, doctor, you would have very
good case, and I would not think of
trying to interfere with your scheme
but I happen to have the record, doc
tor, and as that record shows that you
did not prophesy as you claim, there
has been no other course open to me
than to publish the facts. If the facts
make against you case of false pre-
tences, I cannot see wherein you have
a right to hold me responsible; but if
you want to hold me responsible any,
way, you will have to make the most
of it.
But in your rage, doctor, you are
inclined to be too sweeping in denun-
Citations. The gentleman to whom you
refer as the editor of THE ENQUIRER,
who was captain in the army, is
Captain L. M. Grist. He tells me that
he has never seen you to know you,
and that he has never spoken to you
in his life. am sure that he has new
er written word about you in The
ENQUIRER. Whatever may have been
his views as to the war, most of his COM
rades will probably testify that he did
his duty as best he could. He was not
Ku Klux, and he never reported one
to Merrill or any one else. But as he
has had nothing whatever to do with
you, I cannot see why you have at
tackled him, and will not attempt to
defend him further than to say that in
so far as be is guilty as you charge,
his sins be upon me and my children.
Coming back to myself, doctor,
when was it that you caught me in a
lie? I would be glad to have details.
If you furnish them promise to have
them published in THE ENQUIRER in
full. 1 feel sure that they will make
Interesting reading. Anyhow, you
have succeeded in exciting my curios.
ity somewhat. And as to your unwill-
ingness to believe me on my oath / am
not in the least surprised. No, doctor,
I don't think you would admit your
belief in any unpleasant truth against
you on anybody's oath, not even on
the oath of the Yorkville gentleman
who put it into your head to try to
slander Captain L. M. Grist.
And again, doctor, when you say I
am fighting you in the interest of Fin
ley, you do me another injustice. l
have not fought you at all. 1 have
merely nailed some palpable false
hoods, that would have been detected
by the public even if had not called
attention to them. AS to what the
public will do about the matter is no
responsibility Of mine. When 1 set
the record straight my duty ended.
The issue as it now stands between
you and Finley is no business of mine
as can see, as a newspaper man or
otherwise.
Lastly, doctor, I am not surprised at