Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-10-19
Mr.. Latimer Again.

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Mr.. Latimer Again.
THE ENQUIRER Is in receipt Of an
other letter from Mr.. Asbury G. Lati-
mer, representative in congress from
the Third district, and candidate for
seat in the United States senate
This letter Is in reply to the informa-
tion that was published for the bens-
fit Of Mr.. Latimer in our issue of Oc-
tober 9. We expected an answer SOON
er; but presume that the delay was oc-
casioned by Mr.. Latimer's having has
tened to Washington in the hope Of
being Of assistance to the president in
the distribution Of Federal patronage.
However, here is Mr.. Latimer's letter
as received, spelling, punctuation and
phraseology being reproduced without
change:
BELToN, S. c., Oct. IA, 1901.
EDITOR THE YoRKvILLE ENQUIRER:
in which Is contained an article headed,
You quote from certain letters from
DR.. J. VIM. Stokes. statements with
regard to me not true. I had a right
to believe him true friend Of mine.
through personal effort saved his seat
in congress at a critical time when it
was contested, and never did him any
injury during his life. He is now
dead, and I presume left this record
behind, however. protesting In the
same letter against appearing In
the role Of informant. You are so
anxious to defend your unwarranted
attack on me at Tirzah that you put
in print this dagger thrust at me in
secrecy. and now covered by the shad-
ows Of death. I never claimed any,
where or at anv time that I was the
author Of Free Rural delivery. Meth
er was DR.. Stokes the author. If in
his reference to defense or title; ne
means to claim the authorship Of F. r.
Delivery. nothing could be more alb
surd; the Congressional Record. and
every member Of congress who knows
anything about the subject will bear
me out in the statement that several
appropriations had been made to the
service. and 1t had been in operation
several years before he went to con-
gress. But I care nothing for his
claim on that line. deny that I ever
offered him a free pass. I did solicit
party Of members of congress and
senator's to visit Due West when Bryan
spoke and to visit this state and Cuba.
We hired a pullman car at so much
per day, the different roads pulled the
car free Of charge. My object was
pleasure and to bring representative
men in contact with our people. I in
Dr xIrffI "a NJ
bers Of the S. G.. Delegation to join u.s.
For this have no apology to offer. and
will do it as often as opportunity offers
and I believe good can be accomplish
ed. Sec Wilson visited my home and
suggested that he would like to ex-
pertinent in this section with Clovers
and Grasses, and proposed If would
furnish the land he would make an ex-
pertinent. I agreed not only to fur
nish the land but to bear all expen-
ses, If he would furnish the seed and
expert to do the work. this was done,
and for this have no apology to make.
He has made many experiments OF q
similar character in other states.
A. G. LATIMER.
1t Is true, as Mr.. Latimer says, that
DR.. Stokes Is dead; but it Is equally
true that he was not dead when the let
ters were written. We have always
considered the doctor as man Of ex-
ceptional integrity, who would not ut
ter a verbal falsehood, and the idea
that he would be so silly as to commit
falsehood to writing over his sigma
ture is absured, in our opinion. We
observe the complaint that Mr.. Lati-
mer makes about our putting in print
this dagger thrust at me in secrecy,
and now covered by the shadows Of
DEATH" but we are unable to see what
that has to do with the fact whether or
not Mr.. Latimer offered DR.. Stokes
free pass.
Upon reference to DR.. Stokes's pub
lished letter it will be observed that
DR.. Stokes said Of Mr.. Latimer: HE
also had sent me an annual pass over
one Of the great trunks lines, which I
returned" Mr.. Latimer, it will be OBJ
served says of DR.. Stokes: II deny
that I ever offered him free pass"
Technically there is no issue Of verac-
ity here; but If Mr.. Latimer had free
pass sent to DR.. Stokes, then the doc
tors charge holds good. In the alb
sence of a more specific statement from
Mr.. Latimer, the reader will draw his
own conclusion.
We have never understood Dr. Stokes
to claim credit for the authorship Of
the free rural delivery. We have all
along understood, however, that he
was responsible for the arrangement
that secured free delivery along star
routes in South Carolina. Individuals
who attended the Tirzah meeting Of
August 8, 1900, represented. to us that
in his speech Mr.. Latimer attempted to