The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1918-07-05
, I gave Mr.. Cooper a COPY.


my possession Of signed copy of the
Aull letter, which l still hold, were:
During the session Of the last gen
eral assembly the Anderson Tribune
contained the following:
"Asleep at the Switch?
+! Who? All of the newspaper re-
porters Of The State, The News and
Courier and the Charleston American
when the Hon. W. w. Moore and the
would be Hon. Henry T. Thompson
had a fight in the adjutant generals
office, or if not asleep they were too
cowardly to publish the fight. If it
had been fight between some good
men it would have been published in
! big headlines, so why hide it for the
! two quarter backs?
! Parenthetically, | might state that
the causes of the suppression of the
alleged fisticuff were: First it was of
doubtful news value, the publication
of which would have necessitated
statement from the participants; sec
ond, heralding it to the world would
have nenaced aipolicy of state which
was and is Of paramount benefit and
safety to the people Of South Caro-
lima, and perhaps would have opened
an iaterminable controversy Of little
news value of doubtful interest to the
people and of probable embarrass-
ment to the principals; and third,
the matter was thoroughly considered
at a conference between Governor
Manning, the reporters Of the Colum-
bia papers and the correspondents OF
the out-of-town papers, at which it
was deemed wise to let the matter re-
main quiescent. Mr.. Aull, being cog
infant of these facts and knowing
he underlying causes of suppression,
was very indignant at the STORY"
which appeared in The Tribune. He
wrote, refutation Of it, sending the
letter to the editor and publisher OF
The Tribune, furnishing signed copies
of it to F. H. McMaster Of the Colum
bia State, Governor Richard I. Man
ming and me. 1t was released for
immediate publication, but the news
papers for various reasons, decided
not to use it. The letter signed by
Mr.. Aull follows.
Columbia, S. c., January 25, 1918.
; Col. V. B. Cheshire,
Editor Tribune,
anderson, s. C.
"Dear Vic: This letter is for pub
ication only upon the day the 1egis-
lature adjourns, if you will regard
anything in confidence II you do not.
/ personally do not care.
''In your last issue you criticise the
Columbia newspaper men for not
printing a story OF the fisticuff be-
tween Adjutant General Moore and
Colonel Thompson. There was fight,
Where you got the information | do
not know and / do not care. You
have been in the habit of pirating
news. That is neither here nor there.
The story of the fight, which was rot
really much of a news story, anyway,
was not carried by The American
from my bureau because, after due
consideration, I concluded it would
not be to the best interests of the
state of South Carolina along the line
you have been preaching, in view OF
! he negro question.
Second. So far as cowardice is
concerned, / think it would BE better
for YOU to come to Columbia and
make that statement than to promul-
gate it from Anderson. It will; be
properly taken care Of here.
"Third. None Of the newspaper men
. involved is subsidized by a candidate
for governor, as you ere, and none or
them is supported a man, who, in the
ace of his previous record, went to
Washington, after the campaign In
1916. and offered to carry the state
Republican if $1,000 for each county
was put up by the Republican COM
nittee If you want the facts, have
the proof.
Fourth. What the newspaper men 1
of Columbia want to know is why you&
don't have somebody here to handler
the stuff if you want it printed, in-s
stead Of pirating it next day.
Fifth. Another question: Who is
writing your editorials, anyway, and
why don't you write them yourself, II
YOU have either the. ability or the
newspaper acumen?
Respectfully,
(signeO John K Anil"
On the night of January 25, think
it was. in conversation in Columbia
with me and another man of Celuna-
t'a. whose name 90 not care TO
G:valge without his consent. Mr.. Aufi,
in discussing his letter, said that the
man he charged with Offering to 0ear-
ry the state Republican was Former
Senator John L. McLaurin. The oGher
circumstances underlying and hoist
ering his charge against Mr.. Mc<N
Laurfn, if they are 20 be made public,
az narrated to me by Mr.. Aull, will
have to be given out by him. During
tie course of our conversation OF
January 25 Mr.. Aull stated that II
necessary he would give out whatever
proof he had in substantiation OF his
charge. This he reiterated at Aiken
last Wednesday when I told him thar
l had given Mr.. Cooper copy OF his
letter, although he stated he hoped 1t
would not be necessary as ne dld not
cara IN become involved in a cOntro.