The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1903-10-16
/ ON / THE STAND
James b. Eillman Gives His Version
Of the D fioulty ISL s;

James H. = y 1iiman d1ves HIS Version
of the D fioulty ,.i5
RETwEHNs II HIM AND GONZALES.
He Tells Of His Various. ..Transac-
tions With Mr. N. G.. Com
zales lin Public and
.sis{F Private Life
james 81. Tillman took the stand
In bis, own behalf on Thursday after.
noon. SAfter saying that he was a
son OF the, late George d. Tillman,
was born and raised in EdgeHeld coun-
.ty, and had Studied at various schools,
said: ,;s :. ..il J, =,
I had occasion to 60 to WinhHS;boro
to read law In the Office Of my
brother-in-law, Judge o.. w. Bu-
'Ghapan. He was not q judge ut that
Gmei i.being u member Of the house of
representatives. While there 1 had
occasion to have written an article
concerning N. G. Gonzales. Mr.. Con-
zales at that time was the Columbia
correspondent OF the News and
Courier. He. had misrepresented a
speech which Captain Tillman, now
Senator Tillman, made before the
March convention, and to0k occasion
to correct it. l signed the monde
plume Fair Play" tY the article
Mr.. Gonzales wrote to the editor
Of the Winnsboro paper demanding
the name Of the writer of the article.
I did not care, to get into a newspaper
controversy and ,ItEy friends. advised
me not to give my name. But, when
MIR. Gonzales wrote a bitter article in
reply to mfne,. 1 did give him my
name and published it In the News
and Herald. 1t was absolutely In
correct to say would not give my
name.
I had many transactions with N.
G.. Gonzales. l do not recall what
was the next, but when my uncle was
made governor in 1890, l was invited
to attend the state ball. 1 found it
would be necessary for me to join the
South Carolina club. I got the en-
dorsement, voluntarily, Of former
AolCpdld3 vi uuu
General Bonham. Late in the after
noon some OF my friends came to me
and told me that N. G. Gonzales had
drummed up enough of his friends,
under the rules of the club, to black
ball me. My friends then withdrew
my name. 1t was never formally pre-
sented to the club. I was about
tWenty-one years of age at this time
and had never held any public posi-
tion Or even aspired to one.
Ih consequence Of the South Caro-
lima club affair, / sent Mr.. Gonzales a
message by George S. Legare, who is
now a congressman from the First
district. l did not want to. violate
the laws of my. state by sending 10
Echalleng ys;aec ogdi ing the. q, iss,s and
Mr.. Legars Simply extended TO Mr..
Gonzales an invitation to meet me
over in Georgia.
Mr.. Legare carried only verbad
message, and when he returned after
seeing Mr.. Gonzales, he told me Con
zales wanted -ma to reduce my invita-
tion in writing, which refused tn
do, because l thought it was trick
set to place my uncle, then governor,
In an awkward position. 1 declined
to reduce the challenge to writing, as
it would then have been violation
Of the laws of Suuth Carolina. went
to Gorgiai- but Mr.. Gonzales did not
come. After remaining there several
days l wrote him d Letter in which l
told. him the least he could do was tu
pay my hotel bill, while was waiting
on him.
at this time do not think Mr..
Gonzales was connected with any
newspaper. | think Mr.. Tigh or
some one had succeeded him as cores
pondent of the News and Courier.
Shortly after this the Enoree mat
ter was published in the Columbia
Evening Journal and other newspa pers
by Mr.. Gonzales.
This was just about the time OF
the establishment vi thc State news
paper. II
The next clash when 1 was in the
newspaper business. For consid-
erable period was at Washington for
the Augusta Chronicle and Columbia
journal, and afterwards for the At
lanta Constitution.
arrived there shortly after cleo
tion Of President Cleveland for the
second time to cover South Carolina
and Georgia news, praticulary with
reference to the distribution Of nat.
ronage for those states and to ascer-
tain the different aspirants for posi-
tiuns.
II wrote on the current news of the
day from the best information / could
obtain, as all newspaper men do, ex-
cept in South Carolina. --->.
Mr.. Gonzales, as I rccollect it, was
an application for the position former
ly held by General Kennedy as consul
general to China. 1t has been said he
wanted to go to Rio Janeiro, but my
impression now is that it was Shang-
hal, China. l wrote he would nots be
appointed. The statement was writ
ten on the best authority obtainable
as q news paper correspondent"
The Metropolitan Hotel in Wash
ington is headquarters for Southern
people in Washington and three
fourths Of those stop there and hang
around the lobbies. 1t was where /
always went to get Southern news.
When Mr.. Gonzales came on to Wash
ington he asked about the article and
why should the statement have been
printed as sent out by him."
lie said he told Mr.. Gonzales that
n n frixn 40 t,,YN