The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1904-02-24
TILLMAN HITS BACK.
The Senator Defends Himself from
Newspaper Criticism.
PRAISES GOVERNOR HEYWARD.

PRAISES GOVERNOR EEYWARD.
He Claims That What He Said
on the Homicide Subject
Was the Correct View
to Take.
We clip the following letter from
the Greenville News Of last Wednes-
day:
Not long since l met correspond
euL in the corridors Of the capitol
who sends Washington news to sew
eral South Carolina papers, and I
hurriedly made some criticism upon
the injury to South Carolina result
ing from erroneous and false state
ments sent out by South Carolina
correspondents and editors in their
papers about crimes in our State. l
did not take the trouble to elaborate
or do more than call attention to the
fact, and the resulting damage to the
States good name. Strange to say,
the worst criminals have not received
or copied the interview, and noEe mat
l have seen have denied the chA!:. or
ATTEMPTED to reply, except The TWO
Greenville papers.
l have just read the editorial,
Senator Tillman'S SOlicitude," in
the Mountaineer O. the 18th, and an
editorial of similar import from The
Greenville News, copied in The State.
The animus of both the Mountain
eer and The Greenville News is Of
long standing and easily understood
by those who are posted on South
Carolina politics, bnt that is not a
matter Of moment. beg to make
a few comments on these two edi-
torials for the benefit Of your readers.
You say: This is new role for
the virile senator, as he has been
going about the country for several
years advertising the lawlessness Of
which he approves, and from his seat
10 the Senate he has bOasted OF what
he would do in certain circumstances
to wreak vengeance upon criminals. "
Once for all, let me say l have time
and again announced my willingness
to head lynching party to string up
any man who would rape woman.
l did this first in the campaign when
I was running for the Senate In 1894.
I have never seen reason to change
that opinion and l never expect to
change it, and l feel that in making
that declaration L voice the senti-
ment of e-tenths of the white peo-
ple of South Carolina, and l doubt
now whether the editor Of either the
Mountaineer or Greenville News will
over his own signature, dare take is
sue with the sentiment. Again the
Mountaineer says: His violent and
turbulent disposition in and out or
office is by no means a9 example TO
be commended at home or abroad,
and his denunciation OF the neWspa-
pers for exposing the criminal record
of the State comes with i'll grace
from a man who has never lifted a
finger to stay the tide of crime and
lawessness which has grown at a
fearful rate since he entered upon
public life and became q controlling
factor in the political life Of the
State.
l call attention right here to the
fact that in my interview | lnention-
ed no names either Of mon or o.
papers, singled out nobody Tor crltl-
cism. and only denounced a senselesS
slandcr Of our State and It's people
by it's own citizens. But, let me call
the attention OF your readers to some
facts.
In my inaugura! address as COVER
nor made the strongest possible plea
to the white people Of the State lor
law and order, and | eXerted myself
to The utmost as executive 10 protect
persons charged with crime from
lynclling, and as for the charge that
the tide of crime and laWlessncSS has
grown, ] desire TO say that may be
attributed much more justly to the
educating Influences OF those papers
which have counscllcd diSoOedi'nce 10
the law. notably The dispenSary la",
and have encouraged IN every way It's
notification. The grand jnricS IN cor
Tain counties under these Influences
have Systematically broken t""lr oAlnS
and purgcd themselves. ann II IS HUE
short Of infamous iUr those VINO are
guilty Of thus attempting ~ override
the viii of the majoriLy u charge the
resulting decentralization to mc. Tile
Nouhtainccr says that | do not m
weigh against the criminals or cehS"rc
their actions but am inrcnSch 1T the
facts being given t. III. world. ms
is lust where the trouble lies. 1hc
facts have not been given to the
world. Every homide mentioned IN th!
attorney generals report necccsSltaCed
a technical indictment ter murder,
hut that was no warrant tor u" news
papers to herald it t" -" world tnat
a2O murders" had been committed III
South Carolina in tho lest y"ar. II
was no warrant for the S!andor that
the iuries tailed to DO their duty IN
nearly every instance and that crlml-
nails were rarely punished. Grant that
there is decentralization in the State.