Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-07-05

Serving as Secretary in the Ca
paeity Of Spy
; Here Is the reply of John X. Aul
10 Senator McLaurin. omitted from
the last issue of The Enquirer he
cause Of space limitations:
To the Editor of The State:
The address TO the people Of Soutf
Carolina by former Senator John L
McLaurin which you publish in youl
issue this morning, seems to be in
spired by letter written by me last
January, which evidently Mr.. McLau-
rim has not yet even seen, and | ask
that you permit me to make reply tC
the portions of his effusion which
make charges against me. and thai
you do me the fairness to give 1t as
prominent place in your paper as you
have given Mr.. McLaurin's address.
| In the first place, l desire to say
that Mr.. McLaurin gives some facts
which are absolutely news to me. and
which l had never even dreamed Of
He says that he Frequently called
John Aull to take dictation for let
terB on this subject addressed to
Capers," referring to securing money
for bolt from the Democratic party
in order to lead Blease into q trap
Mr.. McLaurin states that | wrote the
letters and retained carbon copies. but
that as soon as was out Of sight he
destroyed the originals.
This Is the first time I have ever
even heard Of his writing any such
letters to Mr.. Capers. He seems to
thihk that | hnve copy OF some such
letter that he wrote to John G. Capers
in washington. knew absolutely
nothing Of any such letter or letters,
and have never said or written that
/ did, and I have no letter purporting
to be copy OF my such letter. What
made Mr.. McLaurin think / was
charging him with this is more than
I can understand. He may have Civ
en- me idictation for letters to Capers,
but I have no recollection of any let
ter to 'Capers of any special signi-
ficance, and during my course with
the state warehouse system, as secre-
tary 10 Senator McLaurin, never
tried to secure copies of any of his
letters and never mentioned to a living
soul aay letter that he had ever writ
ten TO anybody.
Fam sorry that Mr.. McLaurin felt
that he was using me while l was his
secretary as a tool to lead Blease into
a tfaps3k that was his game he failed.
becafs3none Of Mr.. McLaurin's let
ktJkN2 " evet mentioned by me to
tH9 1k4se Of anybody else: and The
Capers correspondence need give him
no further concern, so far as an
affected, because I can assure him
that have no copy OF any of it, mol
any recollection Of any Of 1t. His let.
ter In the Columbia State this morn.
ing is the first ever heard Of 1t.
was present In the Evans building
in Washington, at a conference he hat
with John G. Capers, In which I tool
absolutely no part: and how little thai
conference met with my approval Is
shown by the fact that Immediately
upon my return from Washington
severed my connection with the state
warehouse system on the very day thai
| was given q balance sheet upon m!
books by State Auditor Widman w
Bradley and Mr.. Walton, special nc.
countant, who were checking up tn,
system by appointment OF Governor
Manning. upon request Of Senator
McIaurin, who had asked the COVER.
nor to have the entire records check.
ed up by official accountants. follow.
ing some statement which the COVER.
nor had made In the public prints iI
regard to the management of the
system,
Mr.. Capers may save himself thu
trouble Of searching any files In ar
| effort to find any letter copy o.
which 1 may have.
Mr.. McLaurin says that In order t.
win the support Of the Blease faction
to his warehouse measure during tn,
extra session Of 1914 he agreed tc
make me his secretary. His letter II
this mornings State Is the first haC
ever heard of that. Governor Bleas,
called the extra session mainly for thu
purpose OF getting a warehouse meas
ure through. When It came to him h,
promptly signed 1t. Later Senator Nc.
Laurin came to me and offered me tn,
position of his secretary. l told hin
! was inclined to accept 1t, but woult
first have to consult Governor Blease
under whom I then held the position
Of secretary to the governor. Mex
day Mr.. McLaurin came into Governor
| I'lease's private Office and mentioned
the matter to him. In my presence.
knew from the conversation that en-.
sued that that was the first time Mr.
Blease ever knew of 1t. accepted tho
position, and for two years. until
resigned following the Washington
trip. gave Mr.. McLaurin as loya
and conscientious service as I was ca.
pable OF II was being used as too
to lead Blease into a trap knew
nothing Of It: and II had had any
such idea that Senator McLaurir
would use the state warehouse system
for any such purpose I never would
have accepted a position under him
in the first instance.
The letter which Mr.. AcLaurin says
somebody has told him has been seen
in the possession OF Mr.. Cooper. and
which he charges that gave Mr.
Cooper at the request Of former Gov
ernor Blease. is a letter wrote the
editor of the Anderson Tribune last
January. and which, had Mr.. McLau-
rim seen. he would probably have kept
silent as to letters he wrote Mr.. Ca
pers. Of which I knew absolutely
nothing until the Columbia State
II