The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1905-11-01
LAURENS, S. c., Nov. l., 1905.
"GRAFT" AND RESPONSIBILITY.
The Anderson Mail saws:

Manning Times of last week, in de-
ploring the existence of so much graft
and dishonesty among the county Off
GERS of this state, admits that there
was no such condition of affairs under
the old regime in spite of the SANDER
Gus charges made by Ben Tillman to
the contrary. Tillman knew, when he
made those charges, that there was no
truth in them, but his followers be-
lieved in every word he said. Many of
them are fast finding out that Tillman
has deceived them and he is going to
feel the weight of their displeasure in
the not distant future"
This is very mean and wholly UNI
called for.
While the existence of graft must be
admitted and it is to be deplored, there
is no reason or justification of charging
it up to fractional politics. Would The
News charge Senator Tillman with be-
ing to blame for the failure Of tine in
dependent Oil company, or the Whaley
mills in Columbia, or the Duncan smash
in Union?
The thing to do is to get after the
grafters and punish them, swiftly and
severely, without regard to the political
faction to which they may happen to
belong.
One might say, if there was a DISPOSE
ton to be as mean as the Darlington
News, hat all this stealing in high
places did not develop until after Sena-
tor Tillman and his followers began to
let the "old regime" get back into of
flee. That would be inexcusable, but
not more so than the break which the
Darlington paper makes"
Now let us see. If a manufacturing
company loses heavily the president
cannot entirely escape responsibility
ven though he be innocent. If a rail
road company fails the president loses
his job. In 1890 Capt. B. r. Tillman
took over the general management of
the politics of South Carolina. For a
long time he was and ever yet he is the
"Boss." If the president of a bank is
to be blamed when frauds and corrup-
ton creep in and honeycomb his subor-
dinates, why not the managing director
of the politics of a State? In other
words, the Anderson Mail by it's own
illustration has brought the most dam
ming and convincing charges against
Senator Tillman, that is unless it de-
mics that he became a leader and re-
presented a new condition of affairs in
this State.
Moreover it is ridiculous for the Mail
to contend that this stealing began af-
ter the old "Antis" were again per-
mitted to hold office. The man accused
of the bond fraud in the State Treasu-
rer's office was placed there seven or
eight years ago. The thievery in the
Dispensary began Immediately after
that institutions establishment. The
disclosures of graft" are recent-not
the graft itself. We do not charge
that Senator Tillman is responsible for
the grating" in the State but we
challenge the Mail or any other w
paper to disprove the fact that with
the beginning of the Tillman "bossism"
a great multiplication of thievery in
the State sprang up. If the "'old
regime" meaning the Anti Tillmanite
IS a factor, is controlling the State,
and graft is common, it shall be
driven out of power.
Moreover, the Mail must remember
that nine-tenths of the stock in trade
of b. r. Tillman in 1890 consisted of
ISLANDERS and libels against other men
whom he accused by innuendo and di-
rect indictment of dishonesty. Capt. |
Tillman raised the cry of "Stop thiefp'
and nc thieves were found. Ever since
then, grafters have been as common in
South Carolina as the leaves in Valam- |
brosa.
Again, when Senator Tillman impu-
IDENTIFY confessed that he accepted whiss
key samples, when he confessed that
he accepted presents from the South
Carolina P%enitentiary, and when, going
back on his pro~testations. he accepted
free railway passes, a thing which he
had denounced as a symptom of cor
ruption, he deliberately taught that
these practices were not hurtful. Posi-
bly, a great and strong man such as is
the Senator can indulge in small sins,
but such indulgence by weak and puny
persons is the first step towards COM
plete ~depravity.
Of course we do not expect this to
convince the dyed-in-the wool friends
of the Senator. This editorial is not
addressed to them. When a man be-
comes the slave of a habit it is danger
Gus to separate him from it,. Opium in
ebriates sometimes die for the want of
opium. Many people have the Tillman
habit, and we do not grudge them the
pleasure of enjoying it for the remain
der of their natural lives. Neverthe-
less, even these people in their lucid in
t~ervals, when they take time to think,
know in their inmost souls that the
present degradation of public sentiment
in South Carolina has been brought
about by the example and the teachings
of B. r. Tillman-a degradation which
was repeatedly, accurately and in de-
tail described in advance in the Anti
Tillman press and by Anti-Tillman
stump speakers in 1890 and in 1892.
However, it is too much to ask any
follower of Senator Tillman to openly
admit that he was made a fool of by
the Senator and therefore we do not
ask it. The only object in writing this
is to keep the record straight.
T. No. i