The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-08-08
JEFFRIES TELLS TILLMAN
OF HIS PURPOSE
EXPLAINS HIS VIEWS on FIRST
DISTRICT RACE.
Answers Tillman's Letter, Recently
G,gen to Press, Regarding Al
legations Of Corruption.

The State has received for publlca-
ton a letter from R. NJ. Jeferies, edl'
tor of the Walterboro Press and Stan
dard, letter written by him to Sen
ator B. R. Tillman in reply to the lat
tcrs recent communication on the
first district situation, given to the
press Saturday. Mr.. Jefferies explains
that LIS purpose is not to attack any
individual, but to secure reform in tie
primary system. His letter follows
Walterboro, S. c., August 4, 1913.
Hon. B. R. Tillman, Washington, D. c.
Dear Sir: have received your let
ter of the 31st, for which please &C
cept my thanks.
l fear that you have in a measure
misunderstood the meaning of my let
ter, and l am writing this to assure
you that did not intend to attack the
present congressman from this district
in any manner. I. was aware that
YOU had expressed yourself on many
occasions as desiring. better and more
honest system in South Carolina pri-
maries. l knew that you were not III
position to demand an investigation Of
the recent election in the first dis
trict, but 1 thought that the matter
had probably been presented to you
and that you could give me the in
formation which I desired.
Charges Already Made.
The facts were that many charges
had been made in the public prints
concerning the use Of money in the
last eletcion; that an investigation
might be ordered by congress; and
that, at present, the first district was
represented by man against whose
election serious charges had been
made. Therefore, I thought an inves-
tigation by congress or by some legal
ly constituted body was due both the
present congressman and the people
of the district. If the charges we're
untrue, the present congressman
would hardly be satisfied until their
falsity were proved; if the charges
were untrue, the voters of the district
should not be satisfied until they were
proven false, for we desire to bel
proud CT our representative and have
enough self-respect to desire him to
be cleared of all wrongdoing. Yet, Oh
the other hand, it is equally true that
the majority OF the voters of TIE dis
trict do not care to be represented by
a man who is congressman by right
of II oney. Fence, l desired, rot as an
attack upon the congressman, but for
public information to know what is
being done about it. And certainly
although you are not member Of the
house, in view of your recan- state
n.ents concerning purity in elections,
you were The proper person to whom
1 night appeal. In particular. l was
prompted 10 appeal to you because Of
your statement made recently CON-
cerning tie next election foi senator
ano your course of action in case the
senator-elect should owe his eletcion
to the use of money. In the light
of that statement, presumed that
you would be interested in freeing our
and the district as a
whole of any charges of fraud or il
legal use of money. But it now ap-
pears that my presumption was
wrongly taken.
The Two Positions.
If you will permit me to say SO,
ind it hard to reconcile the two quo
sations which follow: The following
was taken from your interview dated
washington, July 49," "If money
buys the next senatorship in South
Carolina, as it may do, and as it is
charged it has done in the recent con-
gressional race in the first district,
will feel compelled to object to the
seating of any man sent here with
! tainted title" Acting upon that
quotation 1 wrote you. The following
S taken from your letter to me: Il
would regret exceedingly if any of the
members from South Carolina should
eel called upon to press for an in-
7estigation of the conditions AMI
charges of bribery which obtained in
he recent primary. There are better
ways to safeguard our primary than
o ventilate that election here. " I re-
9eat 1 can not reconcile the two state
nents, fer what could be gained by