The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1918-07-05


wrote the editor of the Anderson Tri-
bune last January, and which, had
Mr.. McLaurin seen, he would prob
ably have kept silent as to letters he
wrote Mr.. Capers, of which I knew
absolutely nothing until the Colum-
bia State reached my home this
morning. I never even knew be-
fore that Senator McLaurin had ever
suggested to anybody here that
money might be secured from Cap
ers in Washington to finance a bolt
from the Democratic party. I never
knew before that Senator McLaurin
had taken me to Washington to get
me into another trap there. I do
know if that was his purpose that
he failed, because after I heard that
conference my resignation as secre-
tary went to Sen. McLaurin the
very day the official auditors finish
ed their check. and however much
Mr.. Capers may address Senator Nc
Laurin as "My, Dear Mac" there is
absolutely no truth in any assertion
by anybody that I took any part in
that conference except as an inno-
cent onlooker, who did not even
know there was going to be a con-
ference, and the records down here
in the State house will show that it
was a very few days afterwards
that I ceased to draw a salary from
the State warehouse system. And
my disapproval of that conference
was the cause of my resignation.
I have never given Mr.. Cooper
any political letter at the request Of
Mr.. Blease or any n else; nor have
1 ever furnished him with any letter
at all in any of his campaigns for
governor. From the inception Of this
campaign, I have e e him only once
or twice, when we have spoken in
passing. He has not mentioned his
race to me, nor have I mentioned
the campaign to him, either directly
or indirectly. 1885, .
It seems to be necessary that I
give a brief recital of the reasons
which actuated me in writing a let
ter to the editor of the Anderson
Tribune in January of this year,
which seems to have aroused the
ire of Mr.. McLaurin, and brought
about the confession as>to how he
was trying to use everybody con-
nected with him, for his own person.
al political ambition. .
During the session of the general
ssseHTf bly, just passed ther-Wasa
fsticuff between a State official and
a military officer, which was really
more amusing than serious. At the
request of Governor Manning, who
urged it as a war measure Of con-
Germ to the State at the particular
time, the newspapers did not pub
lish it, and I agreed not to mention
it because I was appealed = to upon
the proposition that it might inter-
fere with the securing of funds nee
essary to equip the home militia,
which was an organization for the
protection of the homes of the State
during the absence of the National
Guard at the front. Rightly or
wrongly I yielded to the appeal and
said nothing about it. Nobody had
been seriously hurt, anyway. A
bloody nose comprised about the
entire casualty list.
The Anderson Tribunee heard of
the affair and undertook to take the
newspaper correspondents of Colum
bia to task for ~suppressing the news.
I would have paid no attention to
this, except for the fact that I had
been noticing that The Tribune was
publishing a good deal of inspired
stuff, which 1 was convinced was
based upon financial considerations.
l had learned the inside of how its
editor had secured the socalled Cen
dorsement" of Senator McLaurin for
governor by certain members of the
Anderson delegation. Even that did
not affect me, because I didn't are.