The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1905-11-29
The Lexington Dispatch.
Wednesday, November 29. 1905.
An Open Letter.
MI. L. j. Langford.
Lexington, S. G..


Dear Sir: Your open letter shows that
three things are before you: First, your
oath; second. the law; third, 1877 names.
In the presence of these you ask for truth.
Well, if you 60 with me. will try to find
the truth in the matter" for you. will
not trouble you much about your oath or
the law. but just 60 after the truth for you.
In public meeting held in the court
house some time ago it was decided to
petition you to order an election to decide
whether the dispensary, which is costing
the county $4,000 year to run, should be
removed. In that meeting the Lumber Of
qualified voters in the county was estimat-
Cd by ex.Senator Sharpe at somewhere be-
tween IS and 81 hundred. No one de-
INJURED at his estimate. Petitions were
prepared and put in the hands cf canvass.
ers asking for the names of qualhed voters.
l.2l7 names was the result OF this canvass.
You counted these names in your Office
and gave written voucher that they were
correct. You and others went and exam
ined the registration books and found that
6 1888 certificates had been issued during
the life of those books. 1t was shown to
you there that as many as four Of these
certificates had been given to one man.
This by reason of the fact of change Of
residence, loss of certificates and obtaining
renewals while the formation OF new pre-
cints give many double and more entries,
and removals from the county and deaths
would take off many o, the certificates It
WAS shown to you that the precinct book
the county, giving 40 ces tiicates with 81
loen hxp1 1nofh a oh
that this ratio applied to all the precinct
books would put the number of qualified
voters within short distance ofex-Senator
Sharpe's estimate.
You saw all of this, but by reason of GER
tain notices which lou said had been serv-
ed on you, second canvass was under
taken. The final result of this canvass has
never been known as lot of the petitions
have not been received In those that
were received 100 additional names were
given you in your Office and You marke1
them correct. You admitted that one had
BEEN received by you at your b me- This
has not been added. One was evidently
mailed to you at Lexington from Irene
only distance OF about three miles, and
you say you never not got it. You told me
repeatedly that you were sati;fed that we
had the required number and that the dis
p nsary would be voted out; but you told
me of David's conduct at the death of his
son. What q spectacle! Mourning the
loss Of curse! Your choice. not mine
Just short while before I had to leave
Lexington you said you had agreed to hear
arguments on both sides in your Office at
9:l5 on .ha morning. told you that We
would no; attend for such purpose. That
the petitic-s were all that you needed from
rs to guide you in your actions, and that
if you did no act you would lose a fine
opportunity of doing good al saw it.
The registration books are by law kept
in the Clerks Office as you know. I did
not regard your scheme safe for the petit
ioners, whose interest was there to pro-
tect. It had the smell of an ancient royal
chamber, where the voice of free people
could be easily stifed- Yoa asked Judge
Gage for an opinion a. to your duty in the
matter. Did he tell you to regard every
certificate shown to have teen issued on
the registration books as representing
separate persons when you know that many
persons IN the county are holding or have
held two, three and more Of those certif-
Gates? Did he tell you that it was no bus
mess of yours to see whether these peti-
tioners were qualified voters? Did he tell
you to withhold your knowledge of the
registration of the county and throw sus-
picion on every man who signed the petit
tions as you have done i'll your letter? Did
he tell You to say that no showing had
been made to prove that the petitioners
wsre qualified voters when you know that
you have said you were satisfied that We
had the required number of names? No,
verify no. He gave you no such advice
and you know it. What have written
herein is not n .w to you, but anyone who
may read your letter might suppose that
you know nothing about these matters, as
you utterly failed to point them out. I
recognize another hand with you under
whose touch you are as plastic as the clay
in the potter's hands. As you wanted
period of mourning like David, will give
you till Thursday, December 7th, wien I
will meet you at the Clerks Office ID. W
at 10 o'clock a. m. and we will 60 over the
registration books again. During this
period of lamentation will beg one favor
Of you. 1t is this: That yon do not allow
yoar royal bighness to shut off any petit
tioners who may come in during this SOL
emn period OF grief. The l.3l7 petitioners
now before you regret to see you in sack
cloth and ashes, mourning the anticipated
loss of curse. But be it so
Your obediert servant,