The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1914-07-24
GIBSON MAKES STATENENT
>ay> W. P. Pollock Has Ni>repre>ent-
cd lin in Speeches.

y
written a few days earlier had | not
been absent rom ONE Ny attention
has been directed to a vile malicious,
premeditated and untruthfuI attack
made on me last week by Mr.. W p.
Pollock at the al-rial campaign
meetings held in Greenwood and New
berry. in this State As you saw lit
to publish and give circulation to
these misrepresentation trust that
you possess sufficient degree Of
fairness to publish this reply, giving
the same conspicuous prominence to
this that you seemed pleased to give
Mr.. Il locks wilful misrepresenta-
ton. Why should be dragged into
this senatorial campaign? | am not
a candidate for any office, and mad
concluded not to actively become con-
nected with politics, but it seems that
it will be necessary for me to enter
tie race for the house Of representa-
tives in order II vindicate my record
and refute purposely concocted false
hoods directed at me, with the inten-
ton to damage and blacken my record
and character. Why DID CIR. Pollock
make those statements about me in
the upcountry Where am not so we'll
known. and where Go"ernor Blease
is p pular and his supporters are
numerous? 1t was done for the spe-
cifc purpose Of injuring Governor
B,ease. attempting TO create the i'm
preston that | had in 1880 made the
race for the house Of representatives
on a Republican ticket and that had
affiliated with negroes, and that Gov
ernor Blease, knowing this, had .ap
pointed me a member Of his military
staff with the rank Uf colonel
Now it will become necessary for
me to review the incidents OF that
campaign, "a years ago, when only
two members of that ticket are living,
Judge C. P. Townsend and myself. In
1876 1 returned home form Trinity
College, North Carolina, wnere I had
been for three years. | was not 20
years of age; our country and State
were dominated by Republicans and
negro office-lolders. True to the prin-
ciples which my ancestors had always
advocated, for their loyalty and de-
votion to Democracy and white su-
premacy have never been questioned,
/ then, before my majority, did as
much in 1876 to REDEEM my county
and State from negroism and alien
tyranny as any young man in Marlboro
county | put on my Wade Hampton
red shirt, and for two months prev
ious TO tie election rode on horseback
day and night, being ass ciated with
Messrs W. d. Moore. J. +. Davis, the
brakes, Rogers and many others, who
were as true and loyal as any citizens
o: this State On the day of election
in 1876, vita my red shirt on, with
two large pistols in my belt. l. in
company with w. D. Moore, came to
Bennettsrille before daylight under
the direction # Col. c. S. Mccall, vot-
ed handful o. Hampton tickets in tie
Bennettsville box We then rode to
Brightsville, 10 miles. where We again
voted, returned to Bennettsville, re-
ported to Col. C. S. Mccall and in the
afternoon went t. Admasville, eight
miles, where | again voted, and W. D.
Moore and l returned to Bennettsville
at midnight and participated in the
jGblliation and glorifcation of our vic
tory for white supremacy. In 1878
did tne same kind o. work for De-
mocracy that l had done in 1876 I
was one OF the managers OF election
at Adamsville and placed red shirts
on negores and had them vote the
Wade Hampton ticket.
In 1880 l was still a young man;
some of the best citizens of Marlboro
county advised me to connect myself
With a white Independent Democratic
ticket and promised tIeir support
1t may have been an unwise step, but
was honest and sincere We had
our own white Democratic ticket
printed on white paper; this ticket
contained the Democratic electors for
Hancock and English, who were the
candidates that year for president and
vice president, also contained the
State Demo cratic ticket and our IN
dependent Democratic county ticket.
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