Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-11-06
Htistetlailenus &eading.
Personal MALICE.
How Mr.. Gonzales Seeks to Secure
the Defeat of Mr.. Koester.

How Mr.. Gonzales Seeks to Secure
the Defeat of Mr.. Koester.
Republicans in Charleston were excl
ted yesterday over the report received
citizens were being asked to sign Pc
tition urging President Roosevelt not to
issue a commission to George r. Koes-
ter, recently appointed collector of in
ternal revenue, on the ground that he
had participated in lynching some
years ago. The man who scattered this
information in the local political camp,
made the statement that the petition
had been started by a man who was
Koester's nersonal enemy. According
to the Columbia report afidavits have
been made by a newspaper man and a
retired newspaper worker in which the
alleged facts are cited.
While the politicians here were aware
that there would be opposition to Mr..
Koester's confirmation by the senate, it
was not believed that the matter would
reach a crisis at this early day.
The day after Mr.. Koester's appoint
ment was announced from Washington,
a Columbia newspaper devoted nearly
five columns on its editorial page to the
Booker Washington dinner at the White
House and then gave the rest Of its
space to the Koester matter. The par
agraph which created more than pass
ing interest was as follows:
perhaps it was President Roosevelt's
sporting blood that caused him to
choose George R. Koester for collector
of internal revenue. Koester has not,
like the president record for potting
cougars and Spaniards, but he is a fell
low sportsman-he has been known to
claim and discharge the first shot at a
Niger when that object Of the chase
was strung up by lynchers near this
city a few years ago. This may be
deemed by some people a fair set-off
for the dinner given to Booker Wash
ington at the White House."
The reference to the lynching was
generally discussed in Charleston at the
time and there was a feeling that it
would be used against the man who had
been appointed at the instigation Of
Senator McLaurin. When asked last
night about the petition one Republi-
can made the statement that he did
not think Republicans and Gold Demo-
Gratis would be over-anxious to sign It,
1.-The animus Of the thing is clear" he
said, "and those Of us who are trying
to get up decent Republican party in
South Carolina will not be misled by
any attempt Of an outsider to vent his
spleen. AS I understand 1t, the men
who have been ASKED to sign the anti
Koester petition have always opposed
the McLaurin movement. They will use
any effort to thwart the plans and pur-
poses Of Senator McLaurin and must
say that they have tried to go too far
This lynching question becomes a per-
sonal matter in South Carolina. Many
mems hands have not been clean and
many politicians and others who are
prominent today would not like to have
their records along this line threshed
out. It is a delicate question. While
the enemies of the McLaurin move
ment may be able to defeat the ap-
pointment Of one man here and there,
they will not be able to defeat the par
ty, which is gaining more strength and
power every week. News and Courier,
Friday.