The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-08-06
GONZALES on JIM TlLLMAN.

An Editorial Statement EPartly
Personal, Partly Public
In the Yorkrille Enquirer of July
80 we find full report of the cam
paign speeches in that town on Fri
day last. This report covers in detail
the utteranes of James III. Tillman,
candidate for governor, Of which we
had not before been cognizant.
= We regret the expediency OF noticing
anything this blackguatd may say
about the editor Of The State, and
shall pass over in silence the nasty ex-
pressions with which he has endeavor-
ed to parry the plain facts of his pub
lie record published In this newspa-
per; but on public as well as private
grounds we cannot permit him to go
through South Carolina trying to
build up a badly needed reputation for
courage by spreading hagrant false
hoods about the editor Of this newspa-
per.
We quote two paragraphs from The
Enquirer's report: z.z
s.I do not propose to be drawn into
any hatched-up difficulty by Ransy
snifies whose Headquarters are in
Columbia. He attempts to put others
in position to do things which he
himself is not man enough to do. <
But this Cuban pony knows me-.
He has not forgotten certain circEm-
stance in 1890, when because Senator
Tillman's hands were tied ] extended
to him cordial invitation to go to
Georgia with me. The invitation was
declined with thanks
The cunning of the fellow is shown
by his attempt to make it appear that
in 1890 he challenged the editor Of
The State to go to Georgia to fight a
duel g because Senator Tillman's hands
were tied, sthus commending himself to
the admiration and gratitude of his
uncle's old adherents. Nothing could
be farther from the truth. We present
below brief statement of facts cover
ing this incident and two subsequent
ones.
In the fall of 1890 scurrilous letter
directed against Mr.. n. G. Gonzales
appeared in the Winnsboro
News and Herald. It styl-
ed him, as we remember
it, "treacherous Spaniard, - and
abused him under cover of nom de
plume. Mr.. Gonzales wrote the editor
of the paper asking the name of his
correspondent. The reply was that the
correspondent would not allow his
name to be given to Mr.. Gonzales.
Some time subsequently Mr.. Gonzales
was informed through reliable chan
nels that James III. Tillman, then edit
ing a little paper in that town, was
his anonymous assailant.
The election passed, and at the an
nual meeting of the South Carolina
club, which gives the annual State
ball, the name Of James II. Tillman
was proposed for membership. Mr..
Gonzales, being present at the meet
ing as a member, told some of his
friends of the Winnsboro incident.
They agreed in the opinion that man
who was cowardly enough to anony-
mously SANDER an opponent and then
refuse to let that opponent know mis-
name was not a ft person to be sdmit-
ted into social organization of gen
tlemen. They so informed che mem
Der who had presented Tillman's
name. and notified him that if this
candidate were pressed upon the club
he would be rejected, there being pres
ent more than the number r''required for
rejection. Upon this the name Of
James 81. Tillman was withdrawn.
Not long afterwards Mr.. George S.
Legare, now a candidate for congress
in the Charleston district, then recent
II student in the ''Sonth Carolina col
lege, called on Mr.. Gonzales one day
and informed him that James 81. Till
man felt aggrieved at the action taken
ed satisfaction, and that ne was com
missioned to inquire whether If Till
man should send a challenge to fight q
duel Mr.. Gonzales would accept it.
Mr.. Gonzales told him to tell Tillman
that if he wished to know whether he
would accept a challenge or not he
could send him one. Mr.. Legare de-
parted; but not another word did Mr..
Gonzales ever hear of the matter.
We have never since that time ex-
changed dozen words with Mr..
Legare, bnt we cheerfully refer any
inquirers to him with full confidence
that he will reply that he bore an in
quiry, rot challenge.
The next occasion was in the spring
of 1893, when Mr.. Gonzales was in
Washington and the matter of his ap-
pointnent to the consul generalship at
Rio de Janeiro was pending James
II. Tillman was at the time the Wash
ington correspondent of the ColLn bia
Evening Journal. One day The Jcu--
nal printed a special dispatch FROM
Tillman making the statement on al
legged information that IN view of Sena-
tor Irby's opposition to his conirma-
tion Mr.. Gonzales was trying to have
that nomination withheld until after
the adjournment of the senate.
The statement was maliciOnuS in