The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1912-06-12
PROUD OF LINEAGE.
capt. Gonzales Makes Reply to Sena-
tor Johnson, Of Fairfield, vino Wrote
Abusive Letter.

| hpuSifc LtStCT.
Columbia, S. c., May 3O.-The fol-
lowing communication by Cant VIM
q. Gonzales appeared in The Ncws
and Herald Of Winnsboro today in an
swer to statement issued in that pa
per by w. j. Johnson, member of the
senate from Fairfield county:
Vim. L. Gonzales Replies to w. J.
Johnson.
Editor The Nows and Herald:
Some time ago you published a card
from w. j. Johnson, senator from
Fairfield county, in which he asserted
that The State had refused to print
an article wherein me proved it's editor
"a liar" You published 1t for him.
Mr.. Editor, you were imposed upon.
w. j. Johnson did send card to The
State to which publicity was not given.
because The State Is under no obliga-
ton to open its columns to articles
containing offensive personalities, or
bordering on blackguardlsm. But no
right was denied him. as the one point
Johnson made calling for correction by
The State was given conspicuous cor
rection on the editorial page.
In the card you printed, w. j. john
son refers to me as "the Shilling Gu
BAN His purpose Is to prejudice the
ignorant and to create resentment
N hn I'll,
ward public questions affecting South
Carolina, by implying that the paper
is owned and edited by foreigners. ="
And so doing he knowingly, malicious
ly' grossly and absurdly falsifed, as
others of his stripe have disseminated
falschood with similar intent for
months and years.
| have never before made reference
to lineage; it is rarely done with good
taste | neither lean upon nor ad-
mlre those who go for support or
shelter to family trees No favors
have been asked by us of South Caro-
lima on account of family history, mil
itary service, or otherwise None will
be. But since falsehood has been told
by the senator from Fairfield county.
II Is the right Of the people Of that
county to know the truth.
While Cuba has contributed men to
the world whose names would honor
the roll of patriots Of any country I
am South Carolinian; a South Caro-
linian by right Of $50 years residence
OF my people; bound to its soil and to
the loftiest sentiments of the state bv
their honorable part in every epoch of
colonial and state history, including
the signing of the Declaration of In
dependence. Lands coming to them
as grants from the Lords Proprietors
are theirs today. My great-grand
father, William Elliott, whose name
was given to me. was. according to
OIDannells standard work, History of
cotton, the grower of the first sue
cessful crop of cotton in South Caro-
lima in 1890 A hundred years pre-
Vious to 1890 that cotton-g growers
great-grandfather was planting in
South Carolina, and a little later was
"a member of the colonial assembly"
Fifty-odd years ago when my father.
then long a citizen Of the United
States. Landowner and Shareholder in
South Carolina, and carrying scars of
battle in the glorious cause of liberty.
volunteered for South Carolina's war
against the United States, there was
no cry of "Cuban!" When he. with
others of the staff was publicly
thanked by General Bcauregard for
service at the reduction Of Fort Sum
ter none cried Cuban" When he
was chief of artillery for South Caro-
lima, Georgia and Florida, and built
forts and personally got cannon to
mount in them to protect our long
coast line from the encmy's menacing
fleets, the only cry | find recorded in
the press of that day in regard to him
was one of thankfulness that the en-
ergy and skill of a. j. Gonzales were
standing between the people OF the in
terror and the would-be invaders.
When he, half century ago, was. by
appointment, the personal representa-
tive of the governor of South Caro-
lima in military affairs on the coast Of
this state, it was not as Cuban"
When A. j. Gonzales surrendered at
Greensboro three weeks after Appo-
mattoX-as colonel of artillery Con-
Fedcrate States Army. chief of artil-