Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-02-18
Miseellansons 8eadine.
APPLET DEFIES THEM.
Clarendon Senator Rubs 1t Into Thin
Skinned Colleagues.

Skinned Colleagues.
Senator Applet in Manning Times.
| The bill to tax liquor drummers lies
away down on the Calendar and un-
less there is some one who will take an
active interest in it's passage in the
lower house, it will remain unconsider-
ed. If it can be reached it will be en-
lacted into law; there is some opposi-
ton to 1t however as is the case with
lall general bills especially anything af-
fecting the liquor interests. The mo-
ment there Is bill introduced touching
the whisky element, it stirs up an op-
position which often results In bitter
ness, In my last issue l gave 1t as my
opinion that this bill would be fought
in the house, and stated there were Ill
quor drummers in Columbia, and they
had friends in the legislature;" this
was repIoduced in some other newspa-
pers. A member Of the general assem-
bly, asked me If did not regard q
statement Of that character q reflection
upon the members or course, did
mot. 1t would have to be a very thin
hided member with a ghost Of wrong
doing haunting him to feel that such
q statement Is n reflection upon him,
when in his own conscience he knows
he is guiltless. Everything said ad-
versely to liquor interests seems to be
an irritant, to some 1t seems to touch
them in a tender spot and they get up
and denounce it as Infamous" as out
rageous' and insulting" with hair
standing on ends. unless they happen
to be bald headed, they vehemently de-
clare with manifest emotion "it warnt
me-" they then proceed to grow elo-
quent and punctuate their remarks with
very bold (?) propositions, intending
their language to be taken by the public
as whitening; but the scorching words
are always prefaced with, in effect, IF
I am meant" or IF any man imputes to
me wrong motives for voting as l did
on that measure, or charges me with
being recreant to my duty to the state
etc., or II scorn, I put the foot Of my
uttermost contempt upon any charge
from any source that I have ever
swerved in the rightful discharge Of my
public duty, as it Is given to me to see
the right" 1t sounds warm, there ap-
pears to be an atmosphere charged with
sulphur, but when one to whom this
rush Of hot air Is hurled at, is not pos
ing for effect and will not permit him.
self to forget that he is not bully,
but an officer Of the state charged with
certain sworn duties. he can very
gracefully maintain his self-respect by
letting pass unnoticed these if-but-im-
pugn- my motives declarations, even
emphasized as they may be with trem-
uous voice and Redeemed face. "1f' is
condition, and amounts to nothing
whatever. If l were to say in the sem
ate chamber, somebody has stolen my
pocket book" would regard it unnec-
essary for a man not having stolen
my pocket book, and not having any
knowledge of who did steal 1t, to get up
and vehemently declare II did not steal
the senator's pocket book, but If any
man means to impugn my character,
that man hath not a fig leaf to cover
his naked indecency and it would be
base fattery 10 call him dog"
/ make these observations because on
last Friday there was precipitated in
the senate an unexpected episode
which 1 am sure has not added much
glory to the regulations of some MEM
bers who felt 1t incumbent upon them
selves to resent an article published in
the Manning Times written by myself,
and which was based upon reliable in
formation, that is, I so regard It, and
what it has developed, the public can
Judge whether or not there was any
justification for the information given
to me, and which as a newspaper man
I furnished the public. The article In
lestion was published in these COL
umns, and reproduced in other newspa-
pers, before there was, what has be-
come known as the "Otts resolution,
which sought to endorse the state COM
mission and interpret the law regarding
its powers enacted by the former ses-
sion OF the legislature. and which was
intended for use at a hearing before
Judge Pritchard, but carried with 1t no
appropriation or anything else. There
was a difference of opinion as to the
propriety of the resolution. l had my
own doubts about it, but inasmuch as
they were introduced l voted for them;
others voted against them, which rhey
had a right to do, and still not De
averse to other light throwing PROPOSE
tions relating to the liquor scandals.
The offending article was entirely tor-
eign to the OTIS resolutions, had aoso-
lutely nothing to with them, near or re-
mote: ii only dealt with future leglsla-
ton looking to an appropriation to de-
flay the expenses of prosecuting lur-
ther Investigations. / was not only IN
formed there was probability or some
LAWYERS who are members of the gen.
eral assembly that are retained by
W nlSKN concerns NIlO lldNC Sie'i'4''' S>'
who are also retained by parties
charged with graft, using their inhu-
ence to defeat an appropriation to fur
ther prosecute the claims and cases.
but that evidence has been obtained OF
such efforts having already been made
There is, in my opinion, considerable
difference between a lawyer not
member of the general assembly, and
one who is. The member of the general
assembly is a state officer, sworn to up
hold the laws of the state and IL does
seem to me his position would be in
consistent were he to be retained 10
defend public officers charged with
crime against the state, and especially
wrong did he in his capacity as legis-
lator endeavor to prevent Investigations
or prosecutions in which his clients are
interested. This is the way 1t looks 10
me, but from some of the speeches
made upon the floor Of the senate, my
views are not concurred in by some OF
the members-a very small minority