Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1903-12-23

~otvitu~ Hudhc III washington are
hot stuff thess days. Capers has
created one sensation aud the Lever
Dantzler contest creates another,
wbichtaken together puts the Wood
inquiry aud The Panama question 10
the shade.
The caprre matter is disgusting
and issrss retted by all The South Ca
rolina colony at the capital. The
cause of offepse was the dinner given
by friends of Senator Hanna, at
which Judson Lyons, the negro poll
tician from Georgia, sat at table and
Capers with him. Jadge Robinson,
of North Carolina, refused to attend
and cit with neg-o, saying that he
had gone there gentleman and ex-
peoted to return one. Strange TO
say the North Carolina Judge has
won more admiration, even from the
Republicans, who do not, entertain
the same views as himself, than
Capers has.
In the contest from the Seventh
South Carolina Congressional Dis
triet it looks very much as if the
negro element in the doubtful States
are going TO bring such pressure TO
bear on Congress that the committee
will turn down Mr., Lever for the
negro Dantzler. The case is simply
a threshing over of old straw, the
constitutional righ: of the election
laws. 1t is too near the election
times for the Republican party to
get very far away from the negro
constituency.
DID oAPERs TAKE DINNER WITH THE
NEGRoP
Washington, December 17.--Tele-
grams received here from various
points in South Carolina indicate
that the Palmetto State is seething
with anxiety to know the real an,
swer to the question "Did Captain
John G. Capers attend the Republi-
can National Committee banquet at
which Judson Lyons, the negro;mem-
Der from Georgia, was one of the
guests p''
The action of Judge Robinson, of
North Carolina, in refusing to dine
with the negro committeeman, re-
suited in many inquiries in different
Southern States as to the action of
their respective committee members.
This is particularly true of South
Carolina, for Capt. Capers, who is a
recent Office holding convert to Re-
publicanism, has posed as lily white
of lily whites.
Capt. Capers is son Of the ven
cradle Episcopalian Bishop of South
Carolina, who was gallant General
in the Confederate army. No family
in the State stands higher socially.
During the sessions of the National
Committee Capt. Capers, who is.
United States District Attorney, and
was recently named a member of the
committee, was very severe in his
criticism of Deas, negro leader of
his State, and he had much to say
about building up a white party
there. Then came the Arlington
dinner, at which the members of the
committee spent a delightfulevening
in social intercourse. Judge Robin
son, of North Carolina, would not
go, expressing !shis reason with char
acterlstic terseness. He proposed to
remain a gentleman, he said.
The absence of no other commit
teeman was noticed, but it is reported
here that Capt. Capers, since his re-
turn to South Carolina, has denied
that he was there, saying he was in
Baltimore that night. Perhaps
Capt. Capers has treacherous men,
ory. 1t may or may not be chronic.
Certainly either his memory or that
of a number of members of the
committee is at fault. One eminent
member of the committee told me
to-day that Capers was certainly
there and he thought he made short
speech. Another member told me
he talked with Capers during the
banquet and that the South Caro-
linian gave no evidence of desire
to desert the festal board. Senator
Hanna's secretary, Elmer Dover,
who knows public men as well if
not better than any other man in
public life, assures me that Capt.
Capers was at the banquet and re-
mained there to the end, manifesting
much interest in the speech of Com
mitteeman Dimmick, of Alabama,
who took occasion TO discuss the
Southern situation at length.
South Carolina Democrats here
say that this little episode simply
sustains their contention that the
Rep lean party is negro party,
and that social equality must follow
political equality. Capt. Capers
wants to be Judge of the Federal
Cnnrt in casn q South Garol;na n;a