The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-07-03

| with the details of the warehouse
business and I had need of him.
In Washington we saw John Ca
pers. What transpired there will be
explained by the following letter
from Mr. Capcrs:
Law Office-Evans Building.
Suite 5O1-4.
Washington, ID. c., June 27, 1918.
Hon. John l.. McLaurin, Bennetts-
vile. s. c.
Dear McLaurin: l was amazed at
your inquiry if you had written me
letter in the fall of 1916, saying
the State could be carried for the Re-
| publican party if an amount equal to
$1,000 to the county could be provid-
ed.
1 do not believe you ever thought
such a thing possible, although you
have had no experience Whatever in
the Republican party.
| l have had very pleasant expert
ence with the party in national af-
fairs for over 20 years and a very sad
and discouraging experience with its
affairs in South Carolina. AS a result
Of which, l know that the State could
not have been carried for the Re-
publican party in 1916 for $4,000 to
! the county, or in fact, for any other
| amount. / do not know the date or
the contents of the copy of a letter Mr.
| Aull is said to have in his possession
| purporting to be a copy of a letter
written to me by you in September or
October, 1916. Nor do 1 know the
date or contents of the orginial Of
which it is alleged he holds a COPY
| do not find any such letter in my
| files, after an exhaustive search, nor
have any recollection of having
received it,
I do remember, however, during the
last week in September, l think it
was, you and Mr. Aull called at nv
office and you introduced him to me
as your secretary. l must hva ebe222
| as your secretary. I must have been
considerably impressed with what he
| told me after you had left the office
especially as you had introduced him
as your secretary and I presumed you
were in sympathy with the statements
he made to me. SO much so. that
bore your return to the office / sent
wire to the then leader of rhe rem
nants of the Republican party i'm
South Carolina asking him to come up
to Washington. I find copy of that
telegram and have it in my hand at
this writing.
When you told me personally. in
our subsequent talk. that you expect
ed to have nothing whatever to do
with an independent movement in
south Carolina, that you were an Off.
;ial of the State Democratic admin
lstration and very warmly in favor of
President Wilson, felt as if I had
lost great deal of valuable time
with Mr.. Aull, in spite of the fact that
his representations of the bitterness
pf the recent Democratic primaries
INA the charges of fraud ut the cleo
ION and the determination of thou
SANDS OF people not to stand by the
primaries indicated encouraging pros
pects for an independent movement
which would become at least the basis
)f the formation of two political
parties in the state.
Your statement, however. that you
would have nothing whatever to do
With it. satisfied me that ! would put
myself i'm a ridiculous attitude if ]
took the matter up at headquarters in
New York without the assistance OF
men Of your reputation, service and
character.
Mr.. dear Mac. | have heard yOui |
'nemes charge YOU with a grcat many |
hinSs but | have never yet heard you
accused Of being an idiot and you
would certainly have placed yourself
IN that class TO contemplate leaving
high state Office in the Democratic
administration of your State, with
bright prospects for governor or for
the senate in the future. by vacatine
he office YOU held, leaving the party
YOU belonged to and in which you had
endered distinguished service, TO lead
r. lend your assistance to n forlOrn
ope of that kind. Those who are