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

the charge which was preferred
against him.
AS to the matter of having my
name and McLaurin's names placed
on the electoral ticket, I have never
heard of that before, and as a mat
ter of fact, Duncan Adams was moi
the Republican State chairman, as
everybody with any sense knows
but Joe Tolbert of N~inety-Six hello
then and holds now, that position.
AS to Mr.. McLaurin's persona.
opinion of me, that is quite laugh
able, after his very devoted service
and expenditure of time and money
trying to put me in the governors
office for a third term. If / was
such a very bad man as he says he
knew 1 was, why should he attempt
to foster me once again upon the
people Of the State?
Of course everybody knows and
has been knowing for many months
past that I was not supporting and
would not support John L. McLau-
rim for governor. That is what
makes him mad and what mixes him,
in his desperation, attempt to drag
me into his class of political desert
ers.
Referring to what he says about
his warehouse commissionership,
surely the man must be out Of his
mind or have taken something which
caused him to, have Authorizations.
Some of my friends talked to me in
reference to running for warehouse
commissioner after the position was
established, and I said that. under
no conditions or circumstances could
I accept it. And Claud N. Sapp,
then a member of the legislature
from Lancaster County, almost spon
taneously, you might say, just at the
last moment, arose in his seat and
nominated Mr.. McLaurin for this
position. It came to him without
any solicitation on his part, so far
as 1 am informed, and I think he
was about as much surprised when
Mr.. Sapp nominated him as anybod.
| else was, and I addressed a COM
munication to the legislature, in
which I said:
81 congratulate you upon the pas
sage of the acreage bill and the
warehouse bill, and upon your elect
ing as manager of the warehouse
system, the logical man for the
place-he who understands it best
and who, if it can be made a sue
cess, surely is the one to have the
credit"
Therefore, the public can readily
see that there was absolutely no
deal with McLaurin to make Aull
his secretary; but on the contrary,
after his election, he came into my
office with Mr.. iAull and said he
didn't see how he could run the bust
ness unless I would. let him have
Aull to help him. I remember the
conversation distinctly. And 1 said
to Mr.. Aull, "John, I don't like to
give you up; my business is in such
shape now, winding up the affairs OF
the office; but I don't want to de-
prive you Of a good position, be-
cause I will have nothing to offer
you after / leave the governors Of
fee, and while I do so with much re-
luctance, l am willing for you to &C
cept the position" And I turned
Immediately to w. F. Blackburn,
who was in the room, and said,
"Frank, 1 will appoint you private
secretary, and I guess we can get
along" Mr.. Blackburn replied that
we could, because "John would be
handy if we needed him on any
special matters"
I regret to have taken this much
of your space; in fact, 1 thought
just as good idea as any was not to
pay any attention to. this mans
rawlings and Authorizations, but for
fear my silence might be misunder-
stood, I would be glad if you would
| olive this article the same promi-