The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-10-14
ON THE STAND
James 81. Tillman Gives His VERSION
of the D ficulty
HIM AND GONZALES

BETWEEN HIM AND GONZALES
He T.us of His Various Transac
tions With Mr.. n. G. Con-
zales in Public and
Private Life
James II. Tillman took the stand
in his own behalf on Thursday after
noon. After saying that be was q
son of the late George D. Tillman
was r.,rn aud raised in Edgefeld coun.
ty. and had studied at various schools,
said:
Il had occasion to so to Winnsborc
to read law in the office Of my
brother-in-law, Judge O. W. Bu,
chanan. He was not a judge at that
time, being a member Of the house OF
representatives. While there I 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
speech which Captain Tillman, now
Senator Tillman, made before the
March convention, and I took occasion
to correct it. l signed the monde
plume Fair Play" to the article
written.
Mr.. Gonzales wrote to the editor
of the Winnsboro paper demanding
the name OF the writer of the article.
l did not care to get into newspaper
controversy and ny friends advised
me not to give my name. But, when
Mr.. Gonzales wrote bitter article in
reply to mine, 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.
Il had many transactions with n.
G. Gonzales. / do not recall what
was the next, but when 10y uncle was
made governor in 1890, | was invited
to attend Che state ball. found it
would Be necessary for me to join the
South Carolina club. I got the en-
dorsement. voluntarily. OF former
Governor Shepard. of Edge6eld, and
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 bad never held any public posi-
tion or even aSpired to one.
In consequence Of the South Caro-
lima club affair, I sent Mr.. Gonzales a
message by George S. Legare, who is
now a congressman from the First
district. I did not want to violate
the laws Of my state by sending
challenge according to the code, anG
Mr.. Legare simply extended to Mr..
Gonzales an invitation to meet me
over in Georgia.
Mr.. Legare carried only yerbad
message, and when he returned after
seeing Mr.. Gonzales, he told me Gou-
zales wanted me to reduce my invita-
tion in writing, which I refused tn
do. because l thought it was trick
set to place my uncle, then governor,
ia an awkward position. / declined
to reduce the challenge to writing, as
it would then have been a violation
of the laws Of South Carolina. | went
to Gorgia, but Mr.. Gonzales did not
come. After remaining there several
days | wrote him letter in which l,
told him the least he could do was Il,
pay my hotel bill, while was waiting
on him.
AT this time do not think Mr.
Gonzales was connected with any
newspaper. l think MIR. Tigh or
some one had succeeded him as cores
pondent of the News and Courier.
Shortly after this the Enuree mat
ter was published in the Columbia
Evening Journal and other newspapers
by Mr.. Gonzales.
This was just about the time of
the establishment Of the State news
paper.
The next clash when / was in the
newspaper business. For consid-
erable period 1 was at Washington for
the Augusta Chronicle and Columbia
Journal, and afterwards for the At
lanta Constitution.
Il arrived there shortly after cleo
tion Of President Cleveland for the
second time to cover South Carolina
and Georgia news, praticuiary with
reference to the distribution OF pat
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 I could
obtain, as all newspaper men do, ex-
cept in South Carolina.
Mr.. Gonzales, as I recollect it, was
an application for the position former
ly held by General Kennedy as consul
general to China. 1t has been said be
wanted 10 60 10 ElO Janello, ouG Auy
impression now is that it was Shang-
hal, China. l wrote he would not be
appointed. The statement was writ
ten on the best authority obtainable
as uews 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. It was where l
always went to get Southern news.
When Mr.. Gonzales came on to Wash
ington be asked about the article and
why should the statement have been
printed as sent out by bim."
He said he told Mr.. Gonzales that
be had given the information upon
the best advise he obtained as news
paper man, and that it afterwards
proved correct and that he simply sent