The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-07-23

der and Burns TO get from honest peo-
pie their money. / tell you frankly
that l make these demands, so that II
they do publish this, and publish it
prominently and without charge, that
I shall have accomplished one purpose
at last-and that is to teach these edi-
tors one small lesson in the ethics OF
Journalism.
In Conclusion.
A number of my friends have told
me that they do not see how can en-
dure, and for several years past have
endured, the outrageous and unwar-
ranted attacks that have been made
on me, attacks, which are always, and
have been always, unsupported by
proof Surely no man in recent years
has been so unjustly assailed as have
been. I admit that it has been fight
with myself to undergo all this per-
secution with calmness and patience.
But have realized that Whom the
gods would destroy, they first make
mad" And I have ever had within
me the consciousness that my heart
has been set on doing good for my
people, that my soul has been free,
that the God Of justice is with me and
that my people are giving me their
confidence.
And, I am constantly reminded that
those men who stand up for the rights
of the people are always assailed on
every hand. History-the history
not only of our own State, but of the
nation-records this. Thomas Jeffer-
son, the author of the Declaration Of
American independence, Christian
man that he was, was charged with
being an infdel. Andrew Jackson,
| born in South Carolina, man of the
common people, had brought against
him the foul charge of adultery.s John
c.. Calhoun; another of your distin-
guished sons, had laid against him by
his enemies the gross charge of inn
morality. When every effort to black
en- the name of Abraham Lincoln had
failed the political buzzards endeavor-
ed to cast reflection upon the virtue of
his mother. You white-haired men of
'76 will recall how the scalawags and
carpet-baggers constantly spoke SLAM
der against the name of your beloved
Hampton. It is fresh in your minds
how Benjamin R. Tillman was charg-
ed by a. few unprincipled men with
being a tax-dodger and CRATER. But
what has been the result in all the
instances referred to? The one man
now living, whom 1 have referred to,
sits in the highest councils of your ma
ton, while those who attempted to
besmirch his reputation are living all
most in obscruity. Those great men,
now dead, whose names I have mem
toned, have their names written on
the brightest pages OF. their countryis
history; the names of their slanderers
are forgotten! But in their lives, I
have learned a lesson-and that is
this, that with all their greatness and
goodness, they could not escape the
scorpion tongue of SANDER and the vile
pen of calumny. And since they had
to undergo, for the sake of their peo-
pie and their peoples causes, these
tests of manhood-how may I, so
weak when compared to them in abil-7
ity, even if as bold as they in the de-
fense. of the libe les of my people, es-
cape? l can not expect it-for my
character and reputation-ah, my life,i
too, perhaps-stand in the way of the
rule of the selfish interests! I must
be sacrificed by these interests because
stand for your freedom and inde-
pendence-and the desire is not only
to rid South Carolina Of my political
influence, but, in getting rid of me-.
to send warning to others, even some
of your sons of the future, that they
must bow to the wills and caprices Of
those who oppose the desires of that
class of men who seek to oppress the.
people. ~--~~-. >aA
But naught that can be said, or done,
so long as 1 shall live, will prevent me.
from going on in the fight have been
making for your rights--and I believe
that in this battle, I have the hopes,
the assistance and the prayers of a:
| great majority of the white men and
women of South Carolina.