The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-09-24

edy-to have the negro made the bal
ance of power between two contend
ing factions in South Carolina. The
young men know nothing of the dire
full struggle South Carolinians had
to throw off the carpet-bag rule in
1876; and 1 feel it would be criminal
in me not to warn them against bring
ing about condition which will in
evitably restore the negro as a factor"
The correspondence follows:
Greenwood, S. c., Sept. IA, 1912.
Hon. B. R. Tillman,
Trenton, S. c.
Dear Sir: Yours containing copy of
letter addressed to Hon J. G. Evans re-
ceived and carefully noted. I am sur
prised and shocked at the gratuitous
insult which you tender this commit
tee. Speaking for myself 1 wish to
say to you very positively that your
insinuations and charges are absolute
ly without foundation. l do not care
to engage in any controversy with you,
but l wish to advise you as plainly as
l can that l do not propose to rest un-
der your imputations. did not seek
appointment on this committee, in
fact, l tried in every possible way to
be excused from accepting the position,
knowing that it would require great
deal of my time, and fully realizing
that it would be a very unpleasant
position at best to fill. The chairman
declined to excuse me and l accepted
the position stating at the time that
it would be my purpose to discharge
my duties without fear or favor, and
without regard to party politics. What
is my duty 1 will myself determine
from the evidence presented, and
without regard as to whether it meets
the approval of Office seekers and poll
ticians. If I must be damned" as
you suggest, 1 prefer to feel that 1t is
in the discharge of a duty rather than
the Sinking of one.
If I mistake not yours was among
the first kilograms calling attention to
the extraordinary vote polled, and ad-
vised that the committee Investigate
it and advising that they go slowly and
carefully. When you sent this tele-
gram did You mean for the committee
to take you at your word and lnvestl-
gate OR were you, to quote your ex-
preston, ''tinkering and fooliAg'' wlrn
the committee? Do you think it was
our duty to have met in Columbia
without making any effort to obtain
information upon which to act intel
ligently, declare to the people that we
had investigated, and make finding
one way or the other? If we had
acted in this way we would certainly
have well deserved the condemnation
of every good citizen in South Caro-
lima, and I assume that you, among
others, would have been very justly
harsh in your criticism of such con-
duct. 1t would have been far better
to have refused to Investigate ana
declare the results, rather than adopt
such a course. You must know that
to make an investigation OF matter
of this kind requires time. 1t seems
to me that the Importance Of an in
vestigation, in view of the charges
so widely made, ought to be admitted
by everyone, and was insisted upon
by you. Any one with any reason
at all knows that to gather any re-
liable information upeA which to base
a conclusion requires time and work,
and can not be done over night, as
you would seem to indicate in your
letter.
| have done everything that can
so far and am doing everything IN my
power to expedite this hearing. l
agree that the committee meeting on
September IL should not have De6n
called off, In fact, wrote Mr. Stew
snson to this effect on September lO,
before the blease contingent of the
committee expressed any opinion upon
it at all, and told him then that l
was not in favor Of partial committee
meetings, and did not approve OF his
actions in this respect. 1t seems, now
ever, that he thought the prerogatlVe
rested with the chairman Of the COM
mittee to outline plan OF action by
which information could be obtained
upon which it should act later; ana
devised and directed the whole commit
tee to take up and follow it, Not de-
string to impede the work, but beng
anxious that it should be pressed to
the quickest possible termination, l
acted upon the plan outlined by Mr.
Stevenson, although l did not approve
of his undertaking to outline 1t hlG-
self. l thought, however, that mas
much as the plan outlined was fair,
whether it was the best plan or not,
that all of us should undertake to
carry it out with the greatest posi-
BILE speed and obtain such information
IS we could, and bring it before the
committee for action, and declare
some result .therefrom. If that plan
or any other plan reveals the true
facts, do not see how anybody can
question the integrity OF the commit
tee in undertaking to carry 1t out and
cooperation by the whole committee
in the nlan suggested would certainly
have re~Ged e expedite tie hearing
rather -hao 3a'ov i