The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-07-17


political situation. Who in the world,
except Mr.. Cooper. would have
thought OF seeking the advice, under
such circumstances, of Crum. When
did Crum OF Denmark ever give any
body arly reason to think that he was
an authority or that his opinion was
valuable and should be followed, or.
was worthy Of consideration, or that
q man like Cooper. with his expe-
rience. needed the advice and cunsel
OF Crum? For the press of this State
to pretend that it believes such an un-
reasonable excuse Is absurd. 1t doesn't
do 1t. Mr.. Cooper had to have some
reason for showing it to Crum and In
my letter Crum was the only man ]
mentioned, so he names him as his
political adviser. How does he ex.
plain the use of the letter at Summer
ton, certainly several days before that
and before the Bamberg meeting?
More than that, Mr.. Crum's own atti-
tude and his action shows that he was
unworthy of advising Mr. Cooper. for
Ii Mr.. Cooper was seeking confiden-
tial advice on a delicate situation, as
he says he was. then his adviser, Mr..
Crum. shows that he was unworthy
to give this advice, for he Immediate
ly. u seems. goes to one Zorn and
publishes this matter. But perhaps
Mr.. Crum will say that Mr.. Zorn was
his political adviser. No. Mr.. Cooper
was caught with the goods and like
every other man charged with an Of
Tense. he makes some kind of an ex-
cuse and the best at hand.
Now again. Mr.. Cooper claims that
this letter which he used was public
property. for the reason that Mr.. Aull
had sent 1t to the newspapers in jan
uary and had released 1t. Does MIR.
Cooper expect the people of South
Carolina to believe that he is so ig-
norant Of the laws OF libel and SIAN
der and Of common decency that they
do not know that a slander is always
a slander. that a libel Is always libel
and that the man who uses it and re-
peats IL assumes responsibility for it?
Does the press expect the people Of
South Carolina to accept any such
explanation? had never heard Of the
letter until this campaign began.
None Of my friends had ever intimat-
ed to me that they had heard of any
such letter as having been written by
Aull. Crum had never heard of it;
Zorn had never heard of it; Mayfiell
had never heard Of 1t; the gentlemen
In SummertOn had never heard of it;
Captain Guess had never heard of it;
and have yet to meet or to hear OF
any one who knew OF this letter ex-
cept Mr.. Cooper and limited number
OF newspaper men who now claim that
they knew about it.
i charged Mr.. Cooper with having
received this letter from Aull MI.
Cooper Indignantly denies it, intimat.
ing that he would not have been so
low and base as to have used O. copy
OF letter take nfrom my files at the
hands of Mr.. Aull. He says that Cor.
mack gave him the letter. I submit
to the fair minded people of South
Carolina that II. A. Cooper received
that letter from Aull just as effective.
ly when he received 1t at the hands
of Cormack as IL il had been mailed
to him and given to him by the Unit.
ed States mail, and Mr.. Cooper knows
IL. 1t emanated from Aull: IL was In
Cooper's hands. and don't care how
many Intermediates there were after
all Is said, IL was received by Cooper
from John X. Aull
Mr.. Cooper denies that ne In secret
ly an ally OF Biease. am the only
man I'm South Carolina who has ever
made a charge against Cole L. Blease
and established that charge beyond a
reasonable doubt. With all the criti-
cism. with all the fault finding against
biease and with all OF the cursing by
some politicians and the press. they
nave never written against him. nor
nave they presented absolute proof Of
''er charges l did it. The press
Knows It, 1t admits IL. Cooper will
not deny II, though he will not admit
u publicly on the stand for political
REASONS After my letter i'm January
10 the Anderson delegation. Blease
and all OF his immediate friends reaI-
lied that they had to DESTROY mo 70
bring me into disrepute or they wore
ALL