Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-01-17
.UNFAIRNESS OF THE PRESS,
Governor Sends a Message on Last
Summers Politics.
TILLMAN LETTER INCIDENT REVIEWED

TILLMAN letter INCIDENT REVEIWE
Statement to tho General Assembl,
Intended to Uphold Recommendation
for the Passage of an Act to Max
II Misdemeanor for a Newspape
to Misquote or Misrepresent a Can
didate.
MESSAGE.
, State Of South Carolina, Executive
Department
Gentlemen of the General Assembly:
In my annual message, submitted Il
your bodies on January 14th, l called
your attention to the urgent need o.
some restriction upon the newspapers
and newspaper editors and reporters
in South Carolina, in order that per.
sonal regulations, and even the gooG
name of South Carolina, may be prop.
erly safeguarded from unwarranteG
villification, and in order to avert the
danger of newspaper domination OF
our politics and policies in the future
Ia domination which, after having
continued for several years, was only
thrown off recently. l desire, in this
connection, following the line taken In
the previous message to which l have
called your attention, to present fol
your earnest consideration some facts
which have come under my personal
knowledge and observation during the
recent state campaign. These facts are
not given to you because they were
| connected with a campaign in which
was interested, but because they mir
ror clearly a cankerous spot in our
body polite for which only you have
and can apply the remedy. 1t will be
necessary, in order that the true situ-
alton and true conditions may be
brought to light. that the conduct OF
no less a parsonage than the senior
senator from South Carolina be review
ed, to some extent. If that conduct be
what his friends and supporters would
never have suspected or expected OF
him, shall regret that it has been ne
cessary to shatter an idol. But what
l shall say Of him shall be only incl
dental to the main subject which
want to impress, and the history of
his conduct, as 1t shall be necessary to
| give It to you for this purpose, has
been recorded in letters and kilograms
| signed by himself, which are now In
my possession.
| In order that the matter may be more
clearly understood, shall take up the
| events in somewhat chronological or
der. In 80 doing, it may be that the
main points may follow some not so
important, but feel that you will thus
be put more clearly In possession of
the entire situation.
| On October IA, 1911, during my first
year as governor, but even then while
l was the center of a severe political
storm and the object Of vituperation
and abuse such as few men have ever
had to Withstand, or could have with
stood, and shortly after ex-Chief JUS
tice Ira B. Jones announced his candi-
dacy for governor against me, l ad-
dressed a letter to Senator B. r. TILL
man, at Trenton, in which l told him
that he was so used ito being lied on
by the newspapers" and had seen so
much Of 1t on me, that feel that 1t Is
absolutely useless for me to write you
In regard to the many malicious lies
that are now being circulated" did,
however, go on to call his attention to
lSome misstatements which had ap-
peared in the public prints, In regard
to him and myself, in connection with
each other, and went on to say:
"Of course, 1 would be glad to have
your vote and influence in my race Tor
governor; but, to be frank, / do not
believe that it Is absolutely necessary
to my success, because / have not yet
reached the point where / believe that
any one man can dictate to the people
Of South Carolina as to who they should
or should not have in office, and have
too high an opinion of you to believe
that you would attempt to do so; and,
from information received from all
parts of the state, am satisfied that
will be reelected, regardless OF VINO
may oppose me-
| In reply to that letter, l received a
letter from Senator Tillman, under
date of October Is, 1911-the very day
after my letter was written. This let
ter l have on file in my office, and the
whole of 1t may be read by any one OF
you who may be so much interested. l
desire for present purposes, to quote a
few sentences. Senator Tillman said:
| Il have yours of the 14th instant and
am glad to get it, for though the lies
| that have been numerously circulated
lately have not made any impression
on me, 1t is pleasant to have your re-
newed assurances Of friendship and
good will. They are certainly trying 10
play a subtle game"
And further, II do not know who
persuaded Jones to enter the race, and
have not seen him at all this summer.
One thing you may rely upon: II l de-
eide to have anything to do with the
governors race, you will be the first
man I will tell. - / agree with
you that the people of this state would
resent. as they have always done, any
appearance of dictation from any
man."
| The state campaign came on. Charges
! flew thick and fast. Tillman wrote
what came to be known as the Sims
,etter, and it was published, with glar-
ing headlines-headlines so distorted
that even Tillman could not stano
them. Even Tillman began to protest
In a letter, under date of August IL
1912, even Tillman said
| Il am sick and disgusted at the un-
fairness and dishonesty-especlally IN
their headlines,-with which certain
newspapers have used my letter to Mr..
Sims and tried to give 1t a construc-
ton it does not bear and which was
never intended" =
| It was about this time, however, In
face of former statements that ne
would be hands off" and In. contra
diction Of later statements py wire
| to me. that Tillman began to write
secret letters throughout South caro-
lima, stabbing me in the back. Under
| date of August 16, 1912, he wrote one
| of his supporters. at Newberry, at
tacking me, saying: Il do not want
YOU to publish this letter. but you can
read 1t to any discreet friends ina.
YOU can trust. l warn you, now that
| if the people of South Carolina re-
elect please governor. they Will rue II
| as they live" On August l1th ne
| wrote a letter to Enoree-a letter OF
| the same general tenor-closing by
| saving: This letter is not for pub,
lication. but for your own use ana
such of your friends as you choose 70
show it, or press on all who READ IT,
or hear you read 1t, that 1t Is not 10
be made public" He was still saying
however, that he was hands on as
witness, a letter of the day before
dated August 16, 1912. written TO q
gentleman at Townville: Il nave
done my best to remain hands on.
as between the two candidates Tor
| governor. and shall continue to do so
/ am not responsible because the
newspapers are deceiving the peo-
pie by putting lies in the headlines.
| In the same letter Tillman again
| reiterated his views that he did not