The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1902-03-04
Governor Wires To
The President.
TELLS HIM THE ST.TE is NO WISE
RESPONSIBLE.
The Text OF the Telegram Significantly or
the Subsc' ib"rs or the Fund for the
sword Not Yet Obiained

the Subsc'i ibsrs OF the Fund for the
sword Not Yet Obtained.
The State, 18th.
The Tillman-Ro sevelt incident is still
being much talked of and is deplored on
every side because of the injury it is cal
culated to do the State and the Charles
ton Exposition. Indeed it has attracted
such widespread attention that the gov
ernor, who, as previously stated, did
not wish to have anything to do with
the matter, yesterday sent the follow
ing telegram to the president with the
sole purpose of setting the State of
South Carolina right in the matter:
President Theodore Roosevelt, Execu-
tive Mansion, Washington, D. c.:
It was my intention not to have any
thing to say. about the telegram sent
YOU Ivy Hon. James II. Tillman, with
drawing the request for you to present
the sword to Maj. Micah jenkins, but
as undue Importance and publicity have
been attached to it, beg to say that
the telegram sent you was not author
lied by the State, and that the lieuten-
ant governor did not speak officially
for the State or the people in his action.
His telegram to you was purely a per
soual matter, and neither the State nor
the people should be held responsible
in any way for his attitude.
M B. McSweeney,
Governor.
In the past "a hours kilograms from
all parts of the country have been pour
ing into Columbia and the governor has
gotten a number. When the governor
finally got the following from leading
paper of the northwest, he immedl-
ately wired an emphatic expression,
and followed 1t up yesterday with the
telegram quoted:
"Will you kindly wire your position
regarding the action of Lieut.. Gov.
Tillmsn in Withdrawing the'invitation
to President Roosevelt. We hesitate
to print the statement we have received
that you endorse it unless you person
ally authorize it,"
Despite all efforts yesterday to ascer-
tain the names of the subscribers to the
Jenkins sword, it was impossible to Sc
cure the list. Those who are known
do not care to be quoted in connection
with the matter. 1t may be stated,
however, that none haveyet been found
who are willing to say that they au-
thorized Col. Tillman to send the tele-
gram.
PRESIDENT WIRES HIS APPRECIATION.
The State, 2nd.
There were two new matters in
the Jenkins -Tillman-R Roosevelt incident
yesterday. The most important per-
haps was the receipt of the following
telegram in the afternoon by the gov
ernor:
White House,
Washington D. c., March 1, 1902.
To Gov. M. B. McSweeney, Columbia,
S. @.
Pray accept my heartfelt thanks for
your courteous telegram, which I ap-
preciate. Theodore Roosevelt.
During the forenoon the news reached
the city that Maj. Micah Jenkins had
declined to accept the sword under the
circumstances. This created 20 sur
prise here, for such action on the part
of the gallant soldier had been expected
by his friends. His action is exactly
what was expected of him.
The sword is in Columbia still at the
Carolina National bank. Thus far it IS
impossible to obtain the complete list
of the subscribers, but The State has it
on reliable authority that Senator Till
man, Col. Jones, Col. Tillman, Col.
Frost and Representative J. E. Jarni-
gan were among them. The sword it
is said cost between $65 and $o5, and
upon it are engraved expressions OF
the president in regard to Micah Jen-
kins.
All deplore the incident which has
made it impossible for Maj. Jenkins to
accept the sword.
Yesterday the governor made public
the following statement:
II notice in the statement sent out by
Lieutenant Governor Tilltnan from
Edgefeld the following paragraph:
However, Governor McSweeney,
who has given an interview in connec-
tion with this matter, was asked to
contribute and declined, upon the
ground, as I recall, that he had con-
tributed to so many charities and other
public matters that be was financially
unable to do so, and I feel from expe-
rience that he was honest in his state
ment.'
"This is mistake Lieut. Gov. Till
man did not ask me for any contribu-
tion for the Jenkins sword fund, nor
was I asked by any one else to contri-
| butte to that fund"