The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-06-29
Mr.. SMOAK REPLIES
TO THE LAST ARTICLE OF MIR.
j. 8. WANNAMAKER.

He Attributes Some of the Latter's
Statements About Himself to q
Weak Memory.
Editor Calhoun Advance:
The devious and desperate efforts
made in your last issue by the cote
rie of bond promoters ougn, to con-
vince the public that Mr.. ]. S. Wan
namaker, DR.. w. T. C. Bates and
some others have decided that A
X Smoak must be crushed, or the
thirty thousand dollar bond issue
is dead There must be something
in my position, or there would not
be the avalanche of abuse on the man
who Mr.. TIannamaker essays to
brush aside in his first unwarrant-
ed attack, by characterizing his state
ment as paper pellets" These pei
let's must be extremely painful to
the methods of number of persons,
if We can judge by the faces they
are making, and the howl they are
raising.
He gives column Of praise and
fiattery to me, for valuable services
rendered the county, during the
memorable period preceding its for
nation. So much the greater reason
that I should speak out now, and
indicate danger.
I joined in making certain promis-
es to the people, and when I see
indications of shifting and shirk-
ing obligations, and unfair pressure
being brought to bear upon the peo-
pie by having a circuit judge throw
the weight of his official influence in
the scales in favor of certain purely
local issues, it was my duty to pro-
test. We were willing to trust the
people then-let us now have faith
to believe that they are public spir-
tied enough to decide this court
hquse proposition intelligently,
without the prompted advice Of a
circuit judge.
Mr.. Wannamaker would have the
public to believe that he did not have
the remotest idea who Citizen" was
until Monday evening. MT. NJ. D..
Keller says. "in discussing the ar
ticle with Mr. Wannamaker Satur-
day night. May 2sth, 1909, I urged
him to reply to the article signed
Citizen for the commissioners. .
That proves that he had not written
the article up to that time.
On Saturday morning, May 29th,
one of the most truthful and reliable
men in st. Matthews came to me and
said that he and several other gentle
men, including Mr.. ]. S. Wannamak-
er, were discussing the probability of
my being the author, and he wished
to ask me the. direct question. I un-
hesitatingly gave an affirmative reply,
assuming all responsibility, and he
conveyed. the information to Mr..
Wannamaker.
have an affidavit from this gen.
tleman stating the fact, and intended
publishing it, but at his request, for
sufficient reason withdrew it, with
the distinct understanding that l am
at liberty, to show it to any person
desiring to have the proof of my
statement in regard to Mr.. Wanna
makers knowledge of authorship.
Come and see it, gentlemen.
There is Y question of reraclty
between Mr.. Wannamaker and the
writer. I charged him with having
an exceeding poor memory, and out
OF his own mouth he stands condemn
ed. Granting he forgot that he was
told on Saturday that l was the
author. he says. II found out on Mon.
day (through DR.. Bates) that Mr..
Smoak was the author" and went
to the Advance Office early Tuesday
morning and added. II intend my
reply to be only logical, humorous,
and pleasant and not in the remotest
degree personal It takes a greater
stretch of the imagination than l
am capable of exerting to detect any
logic, humor and pleasantly" be-
tween this statement, and the thrice
repeated solemn assertion in his let.
:er, Il have no idea who Citizeu
is. 1t would have been so mum
easier and direct to have added, Il
have found oIt ths author" and he
would not then have been liable 10
the somewhat pronounced criticism
he received.
1t was generally kIowa on Satur-
day that was the author of the arti-
Gle, and as Mfr. Wannamaker is not
slow in obtaining the latest and most
accurate information of all kinds, 1t
is rather peculiar that he has to
rely upon the hearsay evidence Of
dame rumor, when / personally told
Messrs o. NJ. Dantzler, o. II. Vein
ges, NJ. d. Keller, r. D. thinner
man, H. A. Rayser, w. w. Wanna
maker. and number of others, that
! was the author, and that no one
knew it had been written until it
appeared in print.
But ] will attribute II all TO a weak
Lat Il u,it h u q