The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-06-12
SOME PLAIN TALK
MR.. A. X. sMoAK REPLIES TO MIR.
j. S. WANNAA1AKER
And Incidentally Tells How Coun-
try People Were Fooled Into Fot-
ing for Calhoun County.

try People Were Fooled Into Fot-
ing for Calhoun County.
Editor Calhoun Advance:
Thoroughly alarmed and demoral-
ized by the stunning blow admins
tered his beloved bond issue in your
paper of the 9th ult., Mr.. u.
Shottowe Wannamaker, the cham
pion bond promoter, has afflicted the
public with three columns of literary
hash-a heterogeneous mass OF po-
etic and scriptural quotations, SO
illugically arranged, and foreign to
the subject that 1t can scarcely be
termed good nonsense.
The bitter bristles with pointed
personalities, and its eel like contor-
tions are intended to attract atten-
ton from my article, as there was no
efforts or replying to my argument
which were clear cut and well de-
fined.
Why he should indulge in such
merciless and unreasonable criticism,
/ am unable to understand. l spoke
kindly of him, and the nature of his
reply Is neither creditable to his
head or his heart. He says his arti-
Gle was not intended to be personal,
but humorous This reminds me
of an amateur artist who drew pic
ture and wrote under it, This is a
horse
l will not be betrayed into SINH
lar reply, and propose to hold my
friend strictly to the issues discussed
in my former article, which he has
so carefully avoided. 1t might in
deed "amuse" the public by the ap-
plication Of caustic, but am not
fighting for victory and "amuse-
ment," but in the interest of truth,
and every reader realizes that ridi-
cule Is not argument, nor personali-
ties logic. l shall state facts plain
! ly, but only in the interest of truth.
Neither did / enter this contro-
versy with the intention of being
switched off into a discussion of the
relative merits Of the English poets.
The voters and taxpayers of Calhoun
county are now concerned about the
| proposed bond deal, not about poetry,
and when that question is settled, if
Mr.. Wannamaker desires to have a
pleasant comparison Of the respective
merits Of our favorite authors, and
by mental attrition remove the cob
webs from his poetic brain, will not
object to the diversion, but for the
present, will hold him strictly to the
subject under cVnqideration. The
taxpayers of Calhoun county have
read of old, that There is a time
and place for everything under heav-
en-" except a time to attempt willful-
ly to deceive the people. They also
know that a metrical composition
will not furnish apparel for the
body, but that money taken from
their pockets by exhorbitant taxation
for the erection of an extravagant
court house will, and that the full
-four barrel, and not Shakespeare
and Tennyson can be relied on to sup
ply the family demands.
The people of our county are not
devoid of devotional spirit, and in
its proper time would be delighted
to aid in carrying out the beautiful
sentiment SO glibly quoted from Ten
nyson-"Ring in the Christ" (the
right, that is to be-" but just at
present they are more properly con-
cerned about ringing out the false"
your, thirty thousand dollar bond
issue, which Is the most effective way
OF Ringing in the true, the Christ
that Is to be-"
Mr.. Wannamaker hastens to the
defense of Judge Watts, raises tenn
pest in teapot. and even lugs in
Judges Aldrich and Dantzler, whose
names were not mentioned. He says
these noble and highly honored men
have been assailed by Citizen. l
deny the charge. refer to my article
and be convinced. did say that
Judge Watts was probably inveigled
into SO doing. And now for the
proof, DR.. W. T. C. Bates confesses
to having requested the Judge to
mention the matter, and it Is prob
able that his kindly feeling for DR..
Bates, and at least one other gentle
man who approached him, got the
better of his judgment, and prompt
ed the break. The Judge was eX-
cusable. as he was ignorant Of local
conditions. pledges and differences.
and those who interviewed, did not
see fit to enlighten him on these
points.
Mr. Wannamaker's Incorporate
zeal without knowledge. has placed
him in an awkward position. wrote
Judge Watts Immediately after the
paper appeared, and enclosed my
article. He did not think as Mr..
Wannamaker, that it was an unpar-
donable sin for me to criticise the
bond promoters and a Judge, but TO
the contrary admits its correctness.
Says he, 1T was several days after
opening court before I learned there
was any division among the people
over il. then learned the town