The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1911-10-11

whether he did or not, the anti
Blease politicians are trying to make
Senator Tfllman's old friends and
supporters believe he did,
Senator Tillman says that he thinks
it unkind for us to lend ourself to any
suggestion or scheme that will weaken
the confidence in him of any of his old
friends and supporters. Now, we dis
claim any intention of doing anything
of the kind. Indeed, so far from lend
ing ourself to any such suggestion or
political scheme, in conversation with
parties who suspected that Senator
Tillman had lent himself to the plot
and scheme now backing candidate
Jones. and SO accused him. we stoutly
denied it. But the suspicion seemed
to be general that an uneQuivocal de-
nial from Senator Tillman was due his
old friends and supporters, and to that
extent the object of our editorial has
been accomplished. He says:
The subject of Jones candidacy
was not discussed during my visit to
Richards" etc.
And further
81 do not expect to take sides in the
governors race next year"
Having so emphatically made denial
the public will acquit the Senator of
never for minute suspected that
Senator Tillman was a party to the
plot, and SO expressed ourself to ev-
eryone with whom we discussed the
matter And in this connection, it
seems to us that Senator Tillmans
umbrage ought not to be against us,
but rather against those old-time anti
Tillman papers VINO sought to create
the impression that he was favorable
to and aiding in the scheme to have
Jones supplant Blease as governor
and this, too, right on the heels of the
Senator's visit to Mr.. Richards
Senator Tillman seems to labor un-
der the impression that somebody or
other had suggested the scheme" to
us and that we were lending ourself
to such suggestion. In harboring such
suspician, Senator, you are as "un-
kind" to me as you accuse me of be-
ing "unkind" to you. During all the
years that | have written and fought
for you, l always wrote and spoke my
own convictions, not somebody elSe'S,
and if | have matched a mares nest"
II. exposing that Jones-Richards
scheme" | was only following a pol
icy which l Loyalty practiced in your
behalf ever since you have been in
public life-a mares nest" policy that
you have never heretofore found fault
with, and whether or not they were
mares nests" you have only to ask
| your political enemies who read the
Laurensville Herald when it was your
staunchest champion.
But the burden of Senator Tillman's S
letter. however, doesn't seem to be
so much vindication Of himself from
such an assassn's blow" as it is an
effort to clear Mr.. Richards political
skirts. Granting all Senator Tillman
says as to his having no connection
| with any plot against BleaSe. nor even
discussed Jones candidacy, that does
| not clear Richards and Jones from the
| political conspiracy with which we
connected them. The worry fact that
Richards has known all along" that
Senator Tillmans candidacy for the
| Senate depended entirely on the CON
dition of the Senator's health was the
moving spirit that promoted Jones
visit and his and Richards political
/ frame-up. Possibly the fact dawned
upon them that Senator Tillman might
not altogether approve of The State
and News and Courier, and other old
line anti-Tillman papers taking Chief
| Justice Jones up, and, in effect if not
| in so many words. telling those of
| their own political faith that they must
| stay out OF the race-nor would a Pro-
| hibition candidate even be tolerated.
! Such apprehension on their part Sen
I atOr, would have been perfectly ma
tural, since they knew so we'll that
you approved of the "Colleton Plan"
and that plan. YOU know. was devised
to prevent just such a political con-
dition as now cOnfronts us. and which
Is sought to be used to the political
undoing of Governor Bleasc, the peo-
| pies governor, and to which YOU gave
your moral and political influence TO
prevent just such an unfair condition
from being used against John Evans,
in the Primary of 1894. But for the
Colleton Plan. you know, the Conscr-
vatives would have negativcd the votes
of the Reformers i'm that Primary and
it was considered good politics" then
to adopt it. But now, when the same
political tactics which made necessary
the Colleton Plan are reSOrted to bv
Blease's enemies. and ] sound the
alarm. it is 'unkind" i'm me, and | am
accused of striking "an assassin s
blow" Yet, in such political eXtrem-
ty, Senator Tillman calmly informs
us that he is hands off Now then. if
conditions are such as we have stated.
that Mr.. Jones is the candidate of
the newspaper ring and that of the
Prohibitionists. Senator Tillman ought
not to stand for it-even to the eX-
tent of being hands off
Senator Tillman seems to have mis-
understood our meaning, in saying
that he will "never have anything to do
with that Gonzales crowd or any en-
lssary that they will send" to him.
| We never for a minute dreamed that
| the Senator would hob-Dpb with cuCb