The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-08-23

didates for the regular Democratic
nomination., and pledge themselves tc
support the nomination after it is
made in the primary.
'It is now too late for me to de-
cline in good faith as the Prohibs
have no time to select a man in my
place. To resign and then become q
candidate on my own responsibility
would leave me open to the charge o1
double-dealing and I fear my oppon.
ents would use it On the stump.
"I have sent in by this mail my
pledge, and I hope, sincerely hope, you
will send in yours and be with US al
the meeting at Orangeburg.
yours very truly,
'Joel E. Brunson."
Mr.. FeatherstOtne's Reply.
Mr.. Featherstone replied in few
words: 81 have voted to withdraw the
ticket"
A few days later the withdrawal
was published, and though I had
packed my satchel and left home tc
go by Greenville to see a sick daugh.
ter, then to Orange5urg to the first
meeting of the campaign, T determin-
ed not to participate in the subter-
fuge and canvass the State, but tc
leave my pledge in full force. I did
not 90 to Orangeburg, but here is Mr.
Featherstone's announcement as Civ
en- by the News and Courier June
18, '98: THAT as the candidate sug-
gested by the Prohibition convention
had withdrawn, he had decided to
withdraw his candidacy for the lieu
tenant governorship and to hold aloft
the banner of prohibition at the head
of the column"
However in about two weeks clear
ed the field, withdrew my pledge,
wrote the State chairman a good let
ter and left Featherstotne to work his
way. Not many days elapsed before
a gentleman told me he had seen a
letter written by Mr.. Featherstone on
the paper of Furgerson and Feather
stone, to newspaper man, in which
he said I would be withdrawn and a
more popular man take my place.
asked him for written statement OF
the substance Of the letter and here is
what he wrote:
That Letter.
IF certain strength does not show
up in the up-country before the open
ing Of the campaign-i e. if there was
not a decided favor shown for the pro-
hibition ticket-an effort would be
made to have the ticket withdrawn in
order to allow a stronger man to an
nounce himself for governor, for whom
the prohibitionists could consistently
VOTE"
1t is possible, barely possible, that
the gentleman was in error as to the
contents of the letter, and Mr.. Feath-
erstone did not engineer the with
drawal in order that he might "carry
the banner at the head of the COL
umn." But there is one indisputable
fact. Mr.. Featherstone knew from my
letter above that I would not run if
withdrawn by our executive commit
tee, he voted to withdraw the nomi-
nees, he had several days in which to
remedy the wrong and made no effort
to do So
Mr.. Featherstone will say he voted
to withdraw the ticket to help me.
Bosh! Let him show some way by
which it would help a candidate who
had accepted the prohibition nomina-
ton to withdraw him and declare him
outside of Democratic rank. Did he
expect me to canvass the State for
prohibition votes and at the same time
declare I was not the prohibition can
didate?
In 1905.
''NoW as to what occurred in 1905"
Mr.. Featherstone admits the confer
ence held in the Jerome hotel the first
part of October, 1905, names some OF
those who attended and then gives as
the object of the meeting Ito discuss
the situation in general and to consid-
er the advisability of putting out a
ticket in 1867 He also says that "it
was decided that it would not be wise
to put out a ticket. It was also de-