The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-10-14
c.. New No

IN the News and Herald. 1t was alb
solutely incorrect to say that I would
not give my name. had so many trans
actions with N. G. Gonzales that do
not recollect what was the next one,
but when my uncle was elected Gov
ernor in 1890 I was invited to attend
the State ball. Before doing SO I
found it was necessary for me to join
the South Carolina Club. I got the
endorsement, voluntarily, of former
Governor Sheppard: of Edgefeld and
Gen. Bcnham. Late in the afternoon
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. It was never formally pre-
sented to the club. [ was about q
years of age at this time and had
never held any public position or even
aspired to one.
In consequence of the South Caro-
| lima Club affair, [ sent Mr.. Gonzales.
a message by MI. George S. Legare,
who is now a Congressman from the
1st district. I did not want to violate
the laws of my State by sending a
challenge, according to the Code, and
Mr.. Legare simply extended to Mr..
Gonzales an invitation to meet me-
over in Georgia.
"Mr. Legare carried only a verbal
message, and when he returned after
seeing Mr.. Gonzales he told me that
Gonzales wanted me to reduce my in
vitation to writing, which I refused
to Go, because I thought it was trap
set to place my uncle, then Governor,
in an awkward position. I declined
to reduce the challenge to writing, as
it would have been a violation of the
laws of South Carolina. l went to
Georgia, but Mr.. Gonzales did not
come. After remaining there several
days, I wrote him letter. l told him
the least he could do was to pay my
hotel bill while waiting on him. At
this time I do not think M. Gonzales
was connected with any paper. I
think Mr.. Tighe or someone had sue
ceeded him as correspondent of The
News and Courier. Shortly after this
the entire matter was published in the
Columbia Evening journal and other
newspapers by Mr.. Gonzales. This
was Just about the time o. the estab-
lishment of the State newspaper.
"The next clash was: / was in the
newspaper business for a considerable
period and was sent to Washington by
the Augusta Chronicle and Columbia
Journal, and afterward the Atlanta
Constitution. I arrived there shortly
after the election of President CIeye
land for the second time, to cover
South Carolina and Georgia news,
particularly with reference to the dis
tribution of patronage for those
States, together with the different as
pirants for positions. / wrote on the
current news of the day from the best
information I could obtain, and as all
newspaper men do, except in South
Carolina. MI Gonzales, as [ recol-
lect it, was an applicant for the posi-
tion formerly held by Gen. Kennedy,
as consul general to China. 1t has
been said that he wanted to go to Rio
Janeiro, but my impression now IS
that it was Shanghai, Chira. l wrote
he would not be appointed. The state
ment was written on the best anthocis
ty obtainable as a newspaper eeasses-
pondent. The Metropolitan Hotel, in
Washington, is headquarters fer SonsfE-
| ern people in Washington, and three
| fourths of them 60 there and hang
around the lobbies. There was whsae
I always went to get Southern news.
When Mr.. Gonzales came on to Wash
ington be asked about the article and
why such a statement as had been
printed was sent out by me, told
:. hn s,,fo h. n
been given upon the best advices that
[ could obtain as newspaper uan,
and it afterwards proved correct, a1d
!: that I simply sent ont what news !
could get.
81 walked up to the cigar stand one
day, after | had written that Gonzales
would not be appointd, anu bought
some cigars. There was crowd stand
ing around and after buying them
turned and passed them around. did
not know Mr.. Gonzalse was there and
saw at once had made mistake in
offering him any. remained in Wash
ington until 1894, when | returned and
began the practice of law with Coz
Croft. When the Spanish American
war commenced [ offered my services
to the Government, and I was appoint
ed lieutenant colonel of the 1st South
Carolina volunteers, without any ap-
plication on my part. 1t was rendered
me. After the regiment was organ
lied in Columbia We were sent to
Chickamauga Park, and then to Jack
sonville, Fla. We thought Brooks's
army corps, in which we were first
put, would lot get into the fighting,
and through some influence at Wash
ington were transferred to Gen. Fitz-
hugh Lees army corps, which, we un-
derstood, was going to be sent to take
Havana.
after the war with Spain was end
ed | felt it was unjust to the privates
of my regiment, who had volunteered
to 60 to the front, and who had giren
up lucrative positions to accept the
| Governments pay of s13, or SIG. 80 a
month, to keep them longer in the
service. Many of them were married
men and had left their families. di6
not care to take them over to Cuba to
ma Eo r0aSc thorpb %bop