The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-10-11
Ben HANDS OFF
S.n,tor TiIlnan Replies to Accusation
That He Is Pc ing
AGAINST GOV. B!EASE

Son Of Late Col. T. 3. Crews Charges
That TiIlman Has Joined Hands
With Richards and lr;. Is. Jones to
Work Defeat of Blease in Race For
Governor.
Senator Tillman has been accused
OF entering into a conspiracy With
divers persons to defeat Blease for
Governor next year. The charges
came from ". T. Crews. son OF one
Of Senator Tillnan's most ardent
supporters during his loag life, the
ate Col. Thomas B. Crews, Of Lau-
reps. ". T. Crews, or as he is more
widely known, Bose" Crews, is edit
ing a newspaper in Greenwood, the
first issue of which appeared on Sep
tember %.
tOllOWluS IuS -1A--Ao AAAN
and a few other matters. appears an
editorial entitled, The Plot Against
Blease'' and it is in this article that
the editor charges Senator Tlllman
with conspiring and plotting with
John G. Richards and Ira B. Jones to
defeat B!ease for a second term as
Governor.
Senator Tillman, who has made
public statement to the effect that ne
will be hands-off in the Governors
race, was naturally little wounded
by the article, especially since it was
from the pen of one SO closely relat-
ed to the Senator's sraunch support
er in the days OF the.90s. Consequent
". Senator Tillman replied to the
editorial in a letter to Bose cop
les Of which were distributed for
publication. The letter from Senator
Tillman is as follows:
Trenton, S. c., Sept. 25, 1911.
Mr.. W. T. Crews, Greenwood. IS. c.
Dear Bose: This morning mail
brings me the first number OF your
new paper, The News Scimlter. was
very much surprised to find that you
had hatched mares nest out OF my
recent visit to John G. Richards at
Liberty Hill, and have been none TOO
tender of his feelings, and have dealt
very unjustly with him. Although 1t
is perhaps not worth while, / take
the trouble to write you this letter
which you are at liberty to publish
Your father was my stauch friend
all of his life and it will not add TO
my peace of mind or contentment TO
feel before I die that his son IS not
the same loyal friend that Tom Crews
was. I know your paper Will clrcu-
late, ii it circulates at all, among the
pronounced Tillmanites Of the State
because the Laurensville Herald with
which you have been connected was
always one of the blue hens chick
ems and outspoken as regard TIL
manism.
think it unkind, therefore, to
lend yourself to any suggestion or
scheme which will weaken the conn
dence in me Of any friend OF mine.
You know, if you know anythlnf,
that I have nothing to do and never
will have anything to do with that
Gonzales crowd, or any em!ssary that
they will send to me. I may be
fool and not recognize such emlssary,
but l think I have sense enough to
know an ambassador or agent OF that
bunch of politicians should one ap-
proach me.
Your editorial. The Plot Against
Blease," is so unjust to Richards and
to me and so calculated to mlslead
that ! write this in order to set you
straight. In the first place, Richards
is not the anti-rubber politician and
hypocrite you insinuate he is, but an
honorable and high-toned man, and
should have been elected governor
last year, if character and ability to
serve the people creditably had been
considered by the voters. The SUD-
iect Of Jones candidacy was not dis
cussed during my visit to Richards
and his announcement was a surprise
to me.
Richards has known all along that
my candidacy for the senate depend
ed entirely on the condition OF my
health, and even if I am in bed un-
less wholly paTalyzed, l expect 10 al
low the people of South Carolina
who want to do so to have the oppoT-
tunity to vote for me. am ANXIOUS
to see whether or not they appreciate
my earnest and honest efforts to serve
them these twenty-one years. SO any
hint or suspicion that can be used
in the way you suggest in the ed!torl-
al is an insult and outrage to me
and am shocked to have such an as
sassin' blow come from Tow crews
son. If am reelected will not re-
sign but dit in harness.
You of all men are the last one
to ins;nuate that am so coWarolS
and so easily wrapped around peo-
pies fingers that l would JOIN any
such combination. l am astonlsneo
at you and of course you know am
very much hurt I do not expect 70
take sides in the governors race next
wear. /: is none Of my business.
ANYWAY. and my policy as puoHc
man has always been that Of Jeffer-
son, Teach the people and trust the
people" Both of the candidates tnus
far announced are old Tillman1tes
and the people must judge Tor them
selves which one Of them is best en-
titled to their confidence.
Very resoectfullv,