Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-08-29
CORRUPTION IN ELECTIONS
John P. Grace Makes Attack on Sen
atOf TlIman.
CONTROVERSY over Case OF WRALEF

Letters that Make the Fur Fly, an
Information Which 10 Calculated I
Give tho People Of South Carolina
Something to think about.
/ In his weekly paper, Common
Sense" Mayor John P. Grace o
Charleston, makes a savage attack ol
Senator Tillman because Of the latter
failure to act in the case of Whaley
who, Mr.. Grace alleges, was elected t
congress by corrupt means. The at
tacks opens with the publication of {
series Of letters that have passed be.
tween Grace and Tillman, the first two
of which are as follows:
Letter from Mayor Grace.
Honorable b. r. Tillman, United State,
Senator, Washington, d. c.
Dear Senator Tillman: noticed
what you said the other day In the pa.
per about the possibility Of Blease's
election to the senate by fraud and
corruption and of the fight that you
would make against him in Washing
ton. The News and Courier had q
little editorial on the subject, OF
course commendatory, not because II
hates corruption, but because 1t hates
Blease. Other South Carolina papers,
for the same reason, took the same
view. An old time Tillmanite and
general admirer Of yours came in to
say that he had read some of the press
approval Of your sentiments, which he
Intended sending to you, but at the
same time he would ask you why you
did not jump into the fight against
Whaley on the same grounds. I have
no doubt he expressed an almost uni
versal question which the people are
asking in their minds about you.
They realize the Inconsistency of your
position, and your fame as senator
and your power as counsellor next
summer in the fight against Blease
will depend upon the genuineness of
your stand against corruption and per-
jury as illustrated in the Whaley case.
If Washington Is the place to fight
Blease, why not fight Whaley there !?
/, When I was in Washington recent
ly, you treated me cordially; altogeth-
er in such a way as almost to disarm
me from persisting in bringing this
Whaley matter to a direct issue be-
tween US. You would talk to me
about everything else, and you per-
mitted me to talk to you about great
many things; but you would hardly
come to the point, man to man, on the
Whaley question. You talked about
affidavits, testimony, etc., and told me
that you would prepare an affidavit
which II would sign you would use
as the basis of fight against Whaley
and that you would send it to me. I
told you that would sign 1t II could.
But I have not seen it. Weeks and
are passing. My patience is
being taxed. I am honest about 1t and
in dead earnest about 1t. The case
against Whaley is overwhelming. I
cannot believe that you hate fraud and
as much as you have said
you do; because I have presented to
you, and am ready to present to con-
gress, the clearest possible case Of it;
and you only generalize and tempor-
lie.
Nobody can deny that my fight
against Bleaseism has not only been
but has been pushed
to the point of personal danger and
even the risk of my life, as all South
Carolina knows. All reports to the
contrary Notwithstanding, you know
that I look upon Bleaseism as the
curse Of South Carolina. II
yearn to have it blotted out. But II
am beginning to have doubts. For
twenty years the people have confer
red upon you their every power. You
have enjoyed fullness Of leadership
which carries with it the obligation of
You cannot be afraid to
fight Whaley because 1t will involve
the exposure of some Of your lifelong
allies in this congressional district, and
at the same time command any re-
spectacle attention from the people of
South Carolina, Blease can only be
beaten by a combination of men who
are not afraid to fight anybody's cor
ruption and. however, much they may
differ on all things else, will agree
that any man that South Carolina
sends to represent her in either branch |
Of congress must have title to that |
office as pure as Calhoun. You will be |
The means Of electing Blease and all |
hat he represents and everybody on
MS ticket (and ! say this with a great |
many things in mind) now that the
ssue >is made, unless you come out |
ike a man and say that If Whaley |
perjury it shall be made |
he means Of unseating him. Nobody |
puts any store in your idea against |
washing our linen in public" at
east nobody but those few who wish |
Whaley to keep his seat. Even most
If those who voted for Whaley now
want the facts to come out The idea
If South Carolina not washing her
inen in public-South Carolina, whose
politics Is a "hissing and a byword!"
do you recall using these words last
'ummer?) There is hardly serious
comic paper that doesn't gibe at South
rharolina every day and hold her UP to
he scorn Of the universe because of
her civic deprayity. Why shouldn't
hey. when the senior senator from
state temporizes over the
of man who hrazenly
bought her people like cattle and then
oerjured his way into congress? Our
state with a glorious history behind
ler has fallen upon evil times. She
low has the proud distinction Of lead
ng the sisterhood Of states in lynch
ng and illiteracy, and her governor,
Who says, "to hell with the Canstitu-
ion," boasts that he Is needed in WASH
ngton, because she has nobedy there
q represent" her; and he looks to