Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-09-24
Miseellaneuus gsading.
SOME MORE LETTERS.
Correspondents Between Senator Til
man and Han a, ~ sAra an Dork

II
of South Carolina for twenty-five
years, and elected to the highest offices
in their gift. I see my handiwork, ir
| giving them the primary election, going
to wreck; and feel that 1t is my duty
to the people, who have trusted me
so long, to speak now in this crisis
and try to save the state from trag-
edy-to have the negro made the
balance Of power between two con-
| tending factions in South Carolina
| The younger men know nothing OF
the direful struggle South Carolinians
had to throw Off the carpet-bag rule
in 1876; and feel it would be crimi-
nal in me not to warn them against
bringing about condition which will
inevitably restore the negro as a fac
tor"
The correspondence follows:
Mr.. Parks Letter.
Greenwood, s. c., Sept. IA, 1912.
Hon. B. R. Tillman,
Trenton, s. C.
Dear Sir:
Yours containing copy Of letter ad-
dressed to Hon. ]. G. Evans received
and carefully noted. I am surprised
and shocked at the gratuitous insult
which you tender this committee.
Speaking for myself wish to say to
you very positively that your insinua-
tions and charges are absolutely with
out foundation. I do not care to en-
gage in any controversy with you, but
I wish to advise you as plainly as
can that do not propose to rest under
your imputations. did not seek ap-
pointment on this committee, in fact,
I tried in every possible way to be
excused from accepting the position,
knowing that 1t would require great
deal of my time, and fully realizing
that it would be very unpleasant
position at best to fill. The chairman
declined to excuse me and I accepted
the position stating at the time that
1t would be my purpose to discharge
my duties without fear or favor, and
without regard to party politics. What
is my duty I will myself determine
from the evidence presented, and
without regard as to whether 1t meets
the approval Of Office seekers and poll
ticians. If I must be damned" as
you suggest, prefer to feel that 1t Is
in the discharge Of a duty rather than
the -shirking. of one. 4-' .-.--
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 investi-
gate or were you, to quote your ex-
preston, "tinkering and fooling" with
the committee? Do you think 1t 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 a finding
ed in this way we would certainly
have we'll 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 It would have been far better
to have refused to investigate and
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 upon which to base
conclusion requires time and work,
and can not be done over night, rs
you would seem to indicate in your
letter.
I have done everything that I can
so far and am doing everything in my
power to expedite this hearing.
agree that the committee meeting on
September 11th should not have been
called off. In fact, I wrote Mr.. Stew
enson to this effect on September 10th,
before the Blease contingent Of the
committee expressed any opinion upon
1t at all, and told him then that /
was not in favor Of partial committee
meetings, and did not approve OF
his actions in this respect. It seems,
however, that he thought the prerosa-
tive rested with the chairman Of the
committee to outline plan Of action
by which information could be OBJ
tained upon which 1t should act later;
and devised and directed the whole
committee to take up and follow 1t.
Not desiring to impede the work, but
being anxious that it should be press
ed to the quickest possible termina-
tion, I acted upon the plan outlined
by Mr.. Stevenson. although I did not
approve Of his undertaking to outline
it himself. I thought, however, that
inasmuch 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 possi-
BILE speed and obtain such information
as 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, I do not see how anybody can
question the integrity Of the commit
Tee in undertaking to carry it out, ano
cooperation by the whole committee
in the plan suggested would certainly
have tended to expedite the hearing
rather than delay 1t.
You state in your letter that the
people of South Carolina will not
stand for counting Blease out with
out justification. 1 wish to say to you
that the committee, in my opinion
would not stand for such a course. I
believe the committee is composed of
men of character and integrity and
feel that any action taken by them
will be fair and honorable. If you