The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1912-09-04
GOVERNOR COLE [. BLfASE REPLIES
TO LETTER OF SENATOR B. R. TILLMAN
Hon. B, r. Tillman, Trenton, S. c.

oii' iouE lclleT. III tT.S morn
lng's News and Courier and the Colum-
oia State, has been carefully read, and it
but adds to the effects which have al
ready been made by the newspapers and
Others to discredt the people of South
Carolina by charging them with dis
honesty and injuring them by holding
them up to the world that her govern
ment is selfish and corrupt. However, ]
snail say nothing harsh in reply thereto
The newspapers have abused me most
Wilfully and maliciously, and after my
Inauguration, they had bill introduced
h'ch gave to them unlimited power in
their abuse of candidates for public Of
hceS. vetoed that bill and succeeded
in having it rejected Since then, no
act of mine has met with the approval
OF the editors, but, on the contrary.
every suggestion Of mine-w whether it be
for the best interests of the State or
not-has been fought and sneered at
The result has been that great injury
has been done to the State by newspa.
pers, the people inside of the State
Knowing that the newspapers were pub
fishing what was untrue and that they
were unfair, have been made stronger to
me.
During this campaign | have been
most maliciously lied on. My speeches
have been msConstrued, distorted and
parts of sentences which | used have
been published which have made it ap.
pear that said things which | did not
say-for instances; ITO hell with the
constitution" was used by me in this
way-JoneS said that the separate coach
bill was unconstitutional. ! said that if
there was anything in the constitution
Carolina TO associate with negro men,
then to hell with the constitution, and
every white man in South Carolina,
whose mind is not diseased, will thor
oughly agree with me in this statement.
said, at another time, that il was
defeated for reelection by the old Has
kellite crowd that l would make them
sweat political blood l meant that
when SAID it and | mean it now not
by pardoning criminals, which you seem
to have dreamed with your eyes open or
by any other malodmnistration of the
office Of governor, but strictly in politi-
cal way.
Now, you see, SIR if these two SEN
fences had been published in full none
would have had right to have com
planned.
The last session Of the legislature
fought me bitterly and unjustly-Jone
having been brought out for governor, re-
NAMED in Columbia practically during
the entire session and directed its affairs
for selfish interest, and not for the best
interest of the people.
When the campaign first opened. he
and his friends pitched it not on meas
ureS or principles, but on me and my
personal character Jones charged me
and my friends with being anarchists
and charged me with being a crook by
protecting criminals and otherwise |,
too, made many speeches before the
opening of the campaign. but never re.
ferred to Mr.. Jones at all. AT Sumter.
in my opening speech did not He fol-
lowed, and his haranRue was bitter
against me, and from that day until the
close of the campaign he never presented
a single reason why he should be gov
ernor Of South Carolina, but took up his
time abusing me and my friends and
tryinp 10 pXDlain tho mise ra ble rpcord
he made as legislator and judge.
AT Bishopville exposed his record,
and, after that speech was read by the
people of South Carolina, Jones might
as well retired from the race, for he
never had a look-in from that time on
| conducted my campaign on high
plane, but having been most severely
criticised, lied on and abused | struck
back and in no uncertain terms.
When the Augusta sluSh came for.
ward and the John Grace filth was poured
forth, when dirty and filthy circulars,
unsigned, were slipped under the doors
of the people at night and broadcasted
throughout the State, when the ministers
and preachers were praying against me,
and when the newspapers, every issue
were heralding slanders, vituperation
and abuse against me, | continued to
hold my temper, did not get mad-as
they hoped | would do-and even when
Jones insulled me, had too much re-
Spect for his gray hairs and old age to
oil 4. ..aI.