The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-01-24

SdI
Gentlemen:
l have just read Governor Blease's
message sent TO your honorable body
Yesterday, and have been informed that
both houses did me the justice to or
der publication in its Journal to be
suspended until my reply could go
along with it. For this consideration,
please accept my thanks.
What Governor Blease's motives are
Very evident in the message. He de-
sires to continue the bitterness en-
eendered last summer; and wishes to
be revenged on me; but the primary
object he has il view is to keep the
minds of the people stirred up and
not allow the waters to clear sufficient
" to let them see what sort OF man ne
really is. Catiline among the Romans,
and Aaron Burr among the Americans,
are the only other men l have rSad q
who were equal to Blease In bam-
boozling the people, He has persuaded
thousands of good South Carolinlans,
honorable clean patroictic citizens, IN
10 believing that he is their best
friend and that Tillman's mantle has
fallen on his shoulders. He is a past
master in the arts Of a domaSogue.
He knows full we'll that when the an
cry passions of the masses are arous-
ed thev lose their reason. He desires
70 come to the senate, as he boasted
he would do at Richmond in December
last, and feels it obligatory on him to
aggravate conditions in South Carroll
ma as much as possible Whether this
is the right way to electioneer or not
will be shown by the result OF the
next senatorial. primary. If the South
Carolina newspapers do not help nm
by abuse and misrepres entation, he
will never get here.
His charges against me boiled down
are:
1st. With writing "secret letters
stabbing him in the back.
End. Hypocrisy.
3rd. With conspiring with ". Z.
Gonzales.
4th. Jealousy.
5th. Feebleness of mind.
9Th. Having lent myself, which could
only be expected of an imbecile, to
sign my name to an article dictated
by someone else whom he designates
as "a statesman without job" and
This astute big En-
will take these charges up seria-
tim:
If ever a man wanted to be hands
eff in a political contest, was that
man last SUMNER Time and again
was importuned to take hand and
to come out for law and order and
dacency. But steadfastly refused.
received hundreds of letters first and
last urging me with intense earnest
ness to come out and announce my
preference as between the candidates !
who were running for governor. But
4 was unwilling to do so.
After Mr. Sims wrote me and made :
the appeal that l should answer GER
tain inquiries which he propounded in
defense of Tillmanism l wrote him the
letter l did. Immediately phrase a
it was seized on by the newspapers to
proclaim that had come out for Judge
Jones. The headlines mainly were
used to deceive the people and mis-
represent me. I felt called on to take
notice of this and wrote the article of
August y, which Governor Blease
quotes.
Right here I desire to call attention
to the evidence going to show that
Governor Blease and certain of his
friends were in a conspiracy; the
friends to write me pretending to be
my friends, draw me out as to my
attitude towards him, and then show
him the letters Otherwise, how did
he come into possession Of so many Of
my letters marked personal and con-
fdential?" !
I have the original letters at Trenton
to show that perhaps one hundred
mon wrote me along the same lines.
these letters came thick and fast and
my answers were always marked per
sonal." 1t is very evident that Blease |
has seen many Of my letters Which
were marked personal and the recl-
pient asked not to show them to any
one. Thus it can be seen whether they
were secret or not. Some OF those
correspondents who were Blease's