The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-01-08

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into consideration the note in
Colonel Jones' bank has created
smiles before today-a standing
joke, so to speak.
"Specify the questionable
deals" that he has been mixed up
in, cries the Senator-an old
trick of his, one of his ''prove
it" kind. He is shrewd enough
to know, if an authorized COM
mittee from the South Carolina
Legislature will not be allowed
70 examine the evidence, that it
IS impossible for US to get it.
We voted for him last January,
and in fact every time we had the
opportunity, because we had i'm
plicit confidence in him. It would
have been useless in US to have
introduced a resolution looking
TO an investigation; that was
tried, and it was found that the
evidence would not be unlocked
from the safe of the whiskey
trust-his alleged copartners in
the rebate steal.
The Senator bantering US to a
joint debate is ludicrous. We
would no more think of accept
ing a challenge to debate with
lim than we would accepta chal-
lenge to fight with Jeffries-one
is a scientific handler of the pu-
gilistic fists, the other scien-
tifc juggler of words and grim
aces. and a professional jaw
worker. Why, his jaw could slay
US as efectually as were the
Philistines by Samson. No, we
will not accept his challenge, and
we acknowledge our inability to
cope with him in argument, but
his banter will not cause US to
foolishly give him an excuse to
carry out his program to come
here and dictate who shall be sent
to the conventions. Senator Till
man does not want a debate
with US, he simply threw out a
glittering hook expecting US to
bite at it. No thanks, we de-
cline the distinguished consid-
GRAFTON, but offer him, free of
charge, our columns to reply to
anything we might say about
him.
He says we were never his
friend. Ingratitude is the mean
est phase of a mans character,
and when Senator Tillman so
far forgets the past as to make
such a false assertion, because,
fcrsooth, we do not agree with
him in his present unfair meth
DDS, and perhaps on certain nat
ional questions, then we are
justified in denouncing him as a
cold -blooded migrate and a
wretch. The first speech made
in this county in his behalf was
made by US, and from that day,
continuously on, until Tillman
abused his powerful influence to
force from the primary those
who have views not in accord
with his, on national questions,
we have been his enthusiastic
supporter with voice and pen,
he had our confidence so implic-
lily that we turned a deaf ear to
those of our friends who en-
deavored to differ with US. At
Sumter in '94 we think, a Mr..
Villeneau was, without just
cause, insulted by Tillman, the
young man, a giant in strength,
resented the insult, and was
about to do Tillman bodily harm
and probably kill him, we threw
ourself between him and the OBJ
| iect of his wrath, and with the
aid Of Mr.. G. L. Emanuel sue
ceeded in saving Tillman. There
fore to now charge US with hy-
pocrisy in our friendship to him
is brazon effrontery and ingrat-
itude, and reminds US of what
poor John L. N. Irby; once pre-
dicted about him, that we cannot
print, but the prediction has
come true.
We have a right to our opin-
ions, and honesty demands that
we shall give them to our read
ers, as we believe them, and
whether it pleases Senator Till
man ornot we will express them.
If the suspicious or charges
against Senator Tlllman are with
out foundation, we would feel very
pround of it, but his rough, un-
couth, staggering denials, and
bantering demeanor will not help
to convince US that there is no
ground for at least some of the
charges against his character,
especially since we have his
written confession that some of
them are true.
He orders US off into the Re
publican party. Who gave him
such authority? Public pap has
swelled his head, but we will not
do his bidding, we shall stay
where we are, and be thorn in
his flesh, we do not belong to
any other than the Democratic
party, and we propose to sink
or swim with it. If the majority
get deceived by bunco-steerers,
and are led wrong, we will go with
it too, in order that we might
hope to bring it back right.
Whatever action the Democratic