The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1918-02-08

of fractional Politics. I have been a
Refromer since 1885 not for Office
but from principle.
I endeavored to so word my letter
as to not offend your sensibihties
and there is nothing in it to warrant
the cheap insults which you have
thrown at me. I declined to sup
port Governor Blease because I did
not believe with his attitude to-
wards President Wilson that he
could properly represent South Car
olina in this crisis. 1 declined to
support Senator Tillman because Of
his physical condition.
What Principle of Reform Do |
+., Violate2
Is the promotion of one mans
political ambition the. cardinal prin-
ciple of the Reform? This is what
your letter means and, it is because
good men like you have allowed
yourselves to be hoodwinked and de-
ceived that the Reform element in
this State is discredited and shorn
of power. + am trying to save it
from utter destruction. I helped it
to success in 1899. Who did more
to keep you out Of the ditch in 1915?
1 am trying to keep you from going
in again and I might even 60 in the
ditch with you as I did then, were
there not other issues Of grave i'm
port. Il ~ .%as
I fear that you do not realize the
seriousness of this situation. We are
just getting into this war and we
will suffer as other nations are suf
fering before it is through. The Ger
man army in this country is our
deadliest menace. Million of dollars
were sent here to hire newspaper
editors and public man. Eight mil
lion dollars were traced to one Ger
man Afent for distribution, it is
known where some of this money
went. The result is shown in the
systematic spread of German Pro-
paganda. They have burned up mil
lion of dollars Of property; they
have used poison in water and food
and all the time are sowing the
seeds of dissension. This war can
only be won by self sacrifice and
unity of action. If the confidence
Of the country in President Wilson
could be destroyed we would be an
easy prey to Germany. I have stud
led this subject carefully and if we
do not conquer Germany in Europe
we will have her to fight in this
country. The same causes now op-
Grating here overthrew Russia, and
but for drastic action would have
destroyed England the first year of
the war. In France former "Prime
Minister" has been proven to- have
been in the pay of Germany: I am
not making charges against anyone.
in South Carolina at this time. l
think our real trouble is more lack
of understanding than of disIoyalty.
Germany would have been defeated
before this if it had not been for
her spy system. If Russia had fought
OF six months longer the war would
have been over, but German agents
undermineded the, confidence of the
people and gave the Kaiser a new
lease of life. The same thing hap
pened in Italy, her troops 1rater-
nized with the Germans instead of
fighting them and now italian wo-
men are being dragged into the
trenches and outraged where their
screams can reach their helpless
brothers in the italian trenches.
Their only hope is for the German
army here with poison sedition and
fire to undermine the support of
President Wilson. I tell you plain
ly that if LaFollette distates a sue
cessor to his recently deceased col
league and we elect from Democr"-
tic South Carolina man bitterly
hostile to President Wilson, it Will
bo n,,Unrf111 lever in Germany to