Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-08-11
"Thos. F. McDo
YorKVllle, -. e., aug. 8.
Mr., McDoW's Statement.

Mr. A. E. Hutchinson is reported by
The Yorkvllle Enquirer to have said at
Ogden last Wednesday, that 'Thos r.
Mellow and ]. Steele Brice of York
Vile are the political bosses of the
county. What they say goes. These
men make out a ticket to suit them
selves, draw the candidates to suit
them, present the tickets to you voters
and you will have to swallow It.
There was a conference held in my
office on the 31st Of July. 1t was COM
posed of intelligent honorable and rep
resentative men from practically every
section of the county. The door of my
office was unlocked and the windows
open. So far as l am concerned any
member of that conference is at liber-
ty to tell any one, who may be interest :
ed in knowing. all that was said and
done by myself.
Before this conference was called,
Mr.. w. B. Riddle had announced him
self as a candidate for the house, and
before the conference met / was in
formed that Mr.. T. F. Leslie had
come to Yorkville for the purpose or
entering the race for the house. Mr..
Cherry was not in Yorkville and, so
far as | know, was not aware OF the
fact that a conference had been called
or was being held. DR.. Saye and DR..
J. l.. Spratt were members Of the con-
ference, and were requested, by whom
do not remember, to announce them
selves as candidates for the Legislature,
and after much persuasion consented
to do so, and filed their pledges Later
DR.. Spratt, for reasons satisfactory to
himself, withdrew.
II bore Mr.. Hutchinson not the slight
est i'll will. and If he will ascertain the
real facts as to what was done ana
said at that conference he will or ought
to be ashamed Of the idle and foolish
vaporings to which he is reported to
have given utterance at Ogden. as
they are without foundation In fact,
and untrue, except as herein above
stated
IN my opinion, after the recent
county convention, in which Mr..
Hutchison was for a time such a con-
spicuous figure, ii would have been
impossible for his most malignant
enemy to have done him any political
injury.
IF Mr. Hutchinson is possessed Of
even ordinary intelligence he knows,
or ought to know, that men have the
legal and moral right to hold politi-
cal caucus: that the practice Of hold
ing caucuses has obtained in both the
county anu Sldle IL pellOu VI dl
least twenty-five years. If he has read
the newspapers this year he is aware
of the fact that both Blease and anti
Blease men have held caucus after
caucus, and with the exception Of Mr..
Hutchinson, have heard Of no one TAX
ing offenSe at a party of gentlemen
meeting in a private office and agree
ing to support or oppose any candidate
for any office.
"As to my being a boss | confess
that l never thought of myself in this
role until two years ago, when Mr..
Hutchinson called on Mr. Brice and my
self in Yorkville, and consulted us as
to the advisability Of his making the
race for the legislature, assuring us at
the time that he was an anti -Blease
man. | note in the Herald's report of
Mr. Hutchison's speech at McConnells-
vile, that he is not now the candidate
of any faction or set of men, / think
the result Of the approaching primary
will most probably confirm the severe
accuracy of this statement.
AS to the editorial in the York
News, Mr.. Brice wrote it, but ! ap-
prove and endorse it.
"Thos. f. Mellow.
August Sth. 1914"
Mr. Mellow has not as yet furnished
the Herald with the above article as
stated in his letter to Mr.. Hutchinson.
Mr. HutchiSon when asked If he had
any statement to make in regard to the
above, said that it looked to him like a
case of hit dog hollering'' and that
he had no further comment at this