The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-08-22
BROoKER AND DERHAM.
The Lie Is Passed and n Fight Mar
rowly Averted.

Everyone who has been reading tb
accounts knows that there has bee
friction between MIR. Derham and Mr.
Brooker and that they have bee
throwing rocks at each other In eacI
others estimation. Mr.. Derham In
sists that BrOoker started the mud
singing by dragging his father an,
his reputation into the contest and Mr.
Brooker claims that Mr.. Derhan
started the racket by publishing u car,
in which he spoke Of his pocketing
sinking funds and overdra wing his &C
counts. So they have been going from
ing they assumed u lighting posture
and today 1t took hal a dozen on tn,
stand to stop Is genuine encounter.
Yesterday at Aikel Mr.. Brookel
said he would no longer indulge il
personalities and call things quits
He had nothing to apologize for bu
regretted having said anything un
called-for but would not admit saying
anything unfOunded.
4csterday 1T was 1t pleasant cross
fire but to-day 1t broke loose in good
style. Alter the Aiken meeting Mr.
Derham was handed u copy of cir
cular letter which he supposed had
been given general circulation. Mr.
Derham was tho first speaker and
when he got up he was trembling all
over and he had the offending circular
folded In his hand. Mr. Derham In
starting out in his speech said he
wished to say something about himself
and then told that he was born in 1861
and how he was elected county super.
intendent, State senator, member OF
| the constitutional convention and to
other places, continuously since 1888.
This was TO show the confidence Of his
people In him and then he related the
| story Of his father, being q one-armed
man and coming here from ireland
and turning over his funds to Hamp.
ton and that he WAS not responsible
for his father, but had himself always
been Democrat.
Then opening the folded circular, he
said Mr.. Brooker had promised not to
indulge in personalities yet here was
circular that had been handed him.
In the corner of the circular was the
Masonic emblem. by what authority
he did not know. He did not care to
read the whole circular, as he was too
much wrought up but just wanted to
read this one paragraph, and then
read the following from the circular .
Masonic To Democratic Voters.
Emblem Norton w. Brooker, Candi-
in corner date for Comptroller
General.
Two paragraphs omitted.
Who Is this man J. =. Darham who
would now try to drag me down and
asked to be continued in the highest
Office OF the State The people who
have been deceived and defrauded by
him have just right to know. He was
arm in arm with the negro against
the white people in the dark days.
AS a matter OF record (see State
reasurer's Ollice) his father, j. II. Der.
ham, not native Of South Carolina,
happened here and was appointed
treasurer OF Horny county by RDbt. x.
Scott, governor, Jan. 7th, 1869, and
served under Scott, Moses and Cham
berlain until kicked out by Governor
Hampton in 1876.
Three paragraphs omitted,
(Signed) Norton w. Brooker.
After reading the paragrap quoted
Mr.. Derham turned on Mr.. Brooker,
sitting near by, and cried out ut is
q slander; it is u lie say it ia a lie"
Mr.. Brooker, who was sitting near by,
jumped up, stepping forward and said
Now, sir.' He said nothing more,
but the evidences were he was making
Tor Mr.. Derham, but as he took one
step forward Senator Tillman caught
hin on one shoulder and Mr.. Wharton
on the other and pressed him down.
a dozen men rushed up on the stand
and Chairman ltainsford told everyone
to be quiet and sit down. Four or five
out In the crowd cried for Derham,"
and Go it, Derham," Let him fight
1T out" and the like.
Senator Sheppard was the first to
speak and he said that 1t was~always
characteristic of Edgefeld people to
show fair play and he hoped such
would be the case now and he begged
everyone to sit down and listen. Then
MIR. Derham went on to say his heart
was too full to speak and tnep he broke
trickled down his cheeks. Turning
around he said he thanked God he had
never dealt in such stencil and filth as
this man. He wanted to tell these
people and the people OF the State he
had been faithful servant OF the peo-
pie and would SANDER no one and then
he took his seat. Many went up and
shook Derham's hand at what he had
said or to restore his feelings and
heart, for he was still nervous and
showed his feeling
Mr.. BrOoker was then presented
and stepping up to the table was as
quiet and collected as q man can be.
he said he was calm and deliberate,
but he need not have said that and
then he entered into his usual argu-
ment that Derham had absented him
self from his Office beyond excuse, that
| the tax books throughout the State,
In many instances, were in ness !;
| that he had been stopped, more by
Derham than anyone else In prosecut-
ing his expert work In collecting back
| taxes and then he went on to say he
! never courted a fight; that he was not
| bel!igerent man, but that he would
fight II necessary and never ran from
trouble, but he wanted it understood
once and for all time that he was not
to he intimidated by Mr.. Derham or
anyone else.
Mr.. w. d. Evans and Mr.. j. FL.
| Wharton had a good natured cross-Gre
about Mr.. Wharton's services as q
member OF the board OF directors of the
penitentiary, under the Neal admins
tration. Mr.. Evans alleged that Whar-
ton was not moro likely to be q success
as commissioner than as q eeniten-
tiary director and Mr.. Wharton said
there was no record, proof nor was 1t q
fact that he had ever mismanaged the
institution nor had he made any mis-.
takes and Mr.. Evans had no right to
make charges without such report as
no report or proof was ever made on
, a ipnn IN h Ia h N yuao o - a l. .