The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-05-11
Hospital Bond Tickets

There have been different reports
with reference to the error in the
hospital bond tickets, as to who was
responsible. Any honest confession is
good for the soul. l want to set at
rest all reports. No one is responsible
for it except myself, no stenographer,
printer or anyone else. l made the
error in my own handwriting. Mr.. w.
w. Cotton of the Progress press tele-
phoned me to prepare the tickets, be-
cause / was county attorney. l did
it, and tried to do it right, but in pre-
pairing the ticket, l made an error,
and no one else made it. When Mr..
Cotton first asked me to prepare the
tickets, l was extremely busy and
asked him to go ahead and have them
printed, but he insisted that fix the
take.
The first time the error was called
to my attention was by Mr.. Tom
Estes last Monday morning, over the
telephone, when he wanted to know
how long before I would come up to
my office, and told him in about half
an hour. as it was very early in the
morning. He told me of the error,
and at first l was so certain l was
right until 1 told him l thought the
tickets were alright, but when he told
me of the error and said he thought it
best to have some more printed, told
him to go ahead so that the error
could be corrected.
Some have suggested that l fixed
the tickets enormously so that it
would bring a law suit and | could
thereby make some money. If they
would take the second thought they
would realize that l am on a small
salary as county attorney, and do
not get any more for trying a dozen
cases than / do for trying one case
for the county, they would readily
see that it would mean more work to
ME. What had to do with reference
to preparing any of the papers for the
hospital bond election was strictly as
county attorney, working under the
direction of the county authorities.
1t has been stated Mr.. Cotton called
my attention to the error. This is a
mistake. Mr.. Tom Estes was the first
man that called my attention to the
| error.
Some have stated that it was q
scheme on my part to put the bond
Is incorrect for the reason that per-
sonally voted against the bonds for
the hospital, and when anyone asked
me of my position on the matter, I
have SO stated it. /, have been very
busy and have taken very little time
to discuss the matter.
las Some have, blamed major. permit
ting the bill to 60 through the house
Of representatives. NV reason for this
action is that representatives of about
one third of the taxable property of
the county came before Senator Dun
can, Mr.. Kennedy and myself and ask
ed for an election on this question, and
we thought that this minority had a
right to have the matter submitted to
the people and let them pass on the
stitutional right to petition the legis-
lature and let the matter be submit
ted to the people and let them pass
their constitutional right to petition
the legislature and let the matter
be submitted to the people, and not
the hospital. Mr.. Duncan is not to
be censored any more so than Mr..
Kennedy and myself for the question
being submitted to the people; how
ever. as have stated before, l exer-
cised my right as a citizen to vote
against the bond issue.
Some have suggested as lawyer
/ was trying to work scheme in or
der to deceive the people. If any per-
son would take the second thought
u, they would realize that as county at
torney, Mr.. Askew would not permit
me to do this, and why should under
take to deceive the people on matter
to which I was personally opposed?
Could hope to continue as county
attorney, knowingly doing such a
thing? / leave it to the fair-minded
people as to whether in my al years
that my life with it's errors and many
things that I would like to recall, in
the main, has it been such, as a man,
that have done things Of this kind
As a lawyer have been guilty of
things of this character? A man who
has been honored by being three times
elected to the legislature, have l done
things of this kind?
Jno. X. Hamblm.