The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1914-08-21
ION The DEFENSIVE
BEFORE THE VOTERS
JAMES BAKER MAKES BRIEF RE-
PL YTO AIKEN.
viii Refrain Discussing Personal AZ
fairs-WOuld Divert Attention
From Issue.
United State Senate,
Office of the Secretary.
James M. Baker, Secretary.

4
Office of the Secretary.
James M. Baker, Secretary.
Washington, D. c., Aug. 19, 1914.
Editor The Herald and News.
Dear Sir: Mr.. Aiken's labored re-
ply to my article of August Sth calls
| for a brief answer. All the assertions
made in his article about me personal
ly and my personal affairs were
ought out here in the senate secre-
tarys:lip contest. They were brought
to the attention of Senator Tillman
by other senators-Mr. Aiken never
mentioned item to the senator himself
and Senator Tillman investigated
them to his entire satisfaction before
my name was presented to the caucus.
| placed before the Democratic eau
Gus sworn statements from the re-
cords to answer Mr.. Aiken's charges,
and my election followed, which was
complete answer to every one of them.
His venomous abuse l will treat with
contempt. He is on tae defensive be-
fore the voters, and not l. His fight
gainst me, based on malice and false
hood, was made and lost Let him
now defend his own record.
Mr. Aiken denies, in his article, that
he made tie MARITIME statement. Why
is it that he called upon Senator Mar
tine of New Jersey last Friday after
>on in the room of the senate COM
mittee on post Offices and post roads,
and appealed to the senator to give
him letter denying the statement he
made about me in the secretarysnip
contest? Senator MARITIME refused to
give him any such letter, as ! had
previously read the statement to the
senator as published, and on this point
submit the following affidavit:
CITY or washington,
District OF Columbia.
Personally appeared before me
Thomas w. Keller, who, being duly
sworn, says:
That he has read the letter Of James
M. Baker, dated August 8, 1914, and
published in The Herald and News,
of NewDerry, S. c., on August II,
1914; at Mr. Aiken not only made
the statement to Sena - MARITIME,
that Baker went through bankruptcy
proceedings in the courts down South
and swindled his creditors out of
everythin';. he owed them,' but to 9TH
er senators, who made inquiry of him
about the truth of Mr.. Aiken's state
ment
,Thoms W. Keller,
Assistant Doorkeeper United States
Senate.
Sworn to before. me, this the 18th
day of August, 1914.
R. B. Nixon,
(SeaD J Notary Public.
My commission expires December
18th, 1915.
Ttere is ample data on Mr.. Aiken's
personal and private record, but l
have refrained from discussing his
personal affairs, as it would tend to
divert the attention of the voters from
the issue, namely: his public record,
which is a proper subject for discus
sion, and he cannot escape answering
for mis- incompetency and neglect OF
public duty.
The letter that he secured from
the members of the ways and means
comittee of the SIND congress, and
published by him, shows tcat he de-
clined the craftsmanship o. the COM
mittee on the District of Columbia,
which honor ne was entitled to. l so
stated in my letter. The date of this
'arter which was Anril "a 1913 shows
that it was secured by him for the
purpose of whitewashing his record.
He said, in his speech at Newberry,
that he voted for the Pure Food bill
when it came back to the house from
the senate. After l proved from tn0
record that he did moi vote for II,
hy now says that ne was absent.
.,tr. Aiken also charged me with
r. :oting the record inaccurately. Here
is the statement OF an officer Of the
government, who has no interest in
these controversies, that the record is
correct as published by me in The
CONTINUED ON PAGE ~