The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1902-09-04
Beilinger and Croft.

advertising and paid for as such. The
editor of this paper does not endorse and
is not responsible for it.-ED. HERALD.
(From the Barnwell Sentinel)
Under the caption of "The Barnwell
Sentinel and Mr.. Bellinger," there ap-
pears in The Journal and Review, a pa
per published at Aiken, on the Goth. inst,
an editorial purporting to be a reply to
our editorial comments on the Congress
sional race IN the Second District, which,
however, replied to nothing we had stat
ed, either by way of denial or explana
ton. On the contrary, the editorial was
intended purely as an unfair attack on
General Betlinger on the eve Of the first
primary, at time when it was impossible
for us to reach the public with reply be-
fore the day of the election. This purpose
was in evident and striking contrast with
our own issue of August Goth, which con-
tanned no comments on the candidates for
Congress; lest there would be no oppor-
tunity for a reply to the comments before
the election. This purpose of the Journ-
al and Review is made plain, as well as
the fact that the article was written
by another than the editor of the paper,
by the coincidence that portion of the
same article appeared ialso in the issue of
the Barnwell People of the same date as
communication signed "a friend of Col.
Croft" On our calling for the name of
the author the editor of The People in
formed US that his correspondent was
John G. Hutson, a local Aiken politician,
an intimate associate of COL Croft in all
Of his varied political adventures. This
method of attack by an anonymous COM
munication in the last issue of paper to
which no reply could be made before the
election may seem as legitimate and hon
orable to politicians of their school as
did their support of Sampson Pope, the
Independent Republican, (who has left
South Carolina in disgrace,) in order to
defeat the regular Democratic nominee
for Governor and the regular Democratic
nominee for the United States Senator, B.
r. Tillman, in the year 1894. But such
methods of political warfare will be
frowDed down with contempt by the fair
minded, loyal Democratic voters of the
Second District.
1t is q matter of record that no man
who was special champion of the Pope
Independent Movement has been elected
to any place of trust in their part of the
State; and what seems to have aroused the
ire of Col. Croft's friend was statement
by US "That one of the candidates for
Congress had supported the Pope 1nde-
pendent Movement" The truth Of
our very serious charge was openly ad-
mitted by COL Croft at the meeting held
at Barnwell few weeks ago, as appears
by the following affidavit Of Mr.. o. Fl.
Best:
State of South Carolina, Barnwell County.
Personally appeared o. H. Best, who,
being duly sworn says: 81 am a native
of South Carolina, and of the county of
Barnwell, where l have lived for almost
fifty years; that at the campaign meeting
held at Barnwell on July 22nd, 1902, the
candidates for Congress appeared and
addressed the people; that during Col.
Croft's speech I asked him publicly and
before the entire people the following
question: Col Croft, did you vote for
Sampson Pope when he ran rs an lnde::
pendent Republican against the regular
nominee of the Democratic party?' He
answered, yes, I voted for Pope"
O.. BEST.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this
3Oth day of August, 1902.
RI. ST. w. G. SIMMS,
Clerk of Court.
State of South Carolina, Barnwell County.
| hereby certify that | am sheriff Of
Barnwell county and that o. H. Best is
an honorable man, and that he has been
and is now a special deputy in my office.
FRANK H. CREECH,
Sheriff of Barnwell County.
State of South Carolina, Barnwell County.
l hereby certify that have read the
above affidavit of Mr.. 0. H. Best, as well
as the certificate of Sheriff Creech, and
hereby endorse the same z. D. FREE,
Treasurer of Barnwell County.
We conceive it to be the highest duty
of newspaper to fully inform the public
of all facts in the political records of all
candidates offering themselves for public
office which will enable the people to de-
termine their qualifications, fitness and
claims for politica! preferment. We did
not go, therefore, "out of our way to in
lure Col. Croft" when we brought the at
tention of the public to this material fact
in his political record.
The issueis now presented to the Demo
cratic voters of the Second Congressional
District, whether they shall choose as their
nominee for Congress General Bellinger,
a tried and loyal Democrat, or Col. Croft,
the admittedsupportcr and political friend
of Sampson Pope, who has never even re-
pented or asked forgiveness of the people
be has wronged and outraged by his un-
holy alliance with the negroes and disloy-
atty to the Democratic party in 1894.
That grand old Democrat, Wade Hamp-
ton, whose memory will long be cherished,
said, "an Independent is worse than q
Radical" We feel satisfied that vast
majority of the Democratic voters of the
Second Congressional District think the
same way, and that Col. Croft will meet
the fate on September he has called
down on his own head-an ignominious
defeat!