University of South Carolina Libraries
WRITES OF APPOINTMENT. Puts No Faith in Possibility of White Republican Party ii^ State. X . -. "" " . . The following statement is made public by William J. Thurmond: April 22, 1915 I qualified as United States attorney for the western district of South Carolina, and was reappointed by President Wilson twice to that office, but my tenure / ended the 4th instant, when my Republican successor pualified for that position. My sincere appreciation is hereby / extended for the courtesies shown me by those with whom 1 have been associated while in office, especially to the agents of the different departments and the lawyers of the district. It lg more tnan pieasing 10 me iv be able to say that my relations with all court officials, prohibition agents, and the lawyers who have had business in the court, are generally cordial. As I retire to private life, I will make a few observations: President Wilson sent my name to the senate for reappointment on January 28, 1920, and, if I had been confirmed in due course, I would have held the position until January, 1924, but Senator Dial opposed my reappointment, which opposition resulted in ousting me at this time for a Republican. The Republican attorney general has announced his policy to be that he will not interfere with officers | who have been confirmed until they fS ; have served their regular term. 1A brief history of the fight made by Senator Dial against me, as I am informed, is substantially as, follows: He endeavored to prevent the attorney general from sending my name to the senate, when he learned that it was the purpose of President Wilson to reappoint me, but was notified by the attorney general that my record as district attorney was excellent and that my name would be sent to the senate for confirmation. Senator Dial then went to the White House, after my nomination had been made and sent to the senate, and urged the president to withdraw my , nomination on the ground that it was embarrassing to him, Dial. However, the president, after investigation, declined to comply with his request. Later the senator had. a conference with the attorney general and insisted that my name be recalled from the senate, giving as his reason, that I had voted for Tillman against him in 1912, and the attorney general stated to him in reply that my name would not be withdrawn from the senate and it was up to him to have in rejected by the senate, if he could. 1 IrnAn? fViof V* n Iocuaiui JLfiai nuc? luat uu wuiu not do this, and saw that his onlyhope was to have my name pigeonholed in the committee, and with this intention he went to Senator x Overman, the ranking Democrat of that committee, and urged him to hold up the confirmation of my appointment on the ground that I was 'objectionable to him, and senatorial courtesy prompted Senator Overman to hold my nomination in the committee; and since the expiration of my term in February, 1920, I have discharged the duties of the office under the law which provides that I should do so until my successor is appointed, and qualifies. When Senator Dial was at Edgefield in the campaign of 1918 he dined with me in my home and he and his friends made the impression on me and mv friends that all would be well with me, if he was elected. Senator Dial recommended in 1920, the appointment of Thomas P. Cothran for the position I held, but Mr. Cothran did not care for the place (he aspired to the district judgeship) and after Senator Dial had nominated him, Mr. Cothran, with 50 odd other members of the Greenville bar, rec' ommended my reappointment and many business men assured him of the satisfaction I had given in the discharge of the duties of the office, yet his hatred for Senator Tillman and his friends prompted him to ignore all recommendations in my behalf, resulting in supplanting me with a Republican. In the summer of 1920, before congress adjourned, the opinion was pretty general that a Republican would be -elected president at the November election, and if so, that inasmuch as the Democrats in a similar situation in 1913, had refused to confirm Republicans nominated by Presih, dent Taft, the Republicans would refuse at the December session of congress, to confirm any of the appointments of President Wilson: and notwithstanding this knowledge on his part and the fact that he knew that he could not displace me with any friend of his under the Wilson ad* - ministration, he pursued a course that he had good reason to belive would give the result that he finally secured, to-wit: the appointment of a Republican to succeed me. On December 12, 1920, Senator Dial gave to the press a statement in explanation for the reasons for blocking my confirmation, and among other things said: "He appreciated very much the assistance Mr. Thurmond had rendered him in the last campaign. and yet at the same time he was under prior obligations to friends who had aided him on former occasions And the newspaper article concluded, "Senator Dial announced that he would ask the 'senate to confirm the nomination of Mr. Thurmond and hoped the matter would be disposed of at an early day." But this interview was a tissue of deception and insincerity, for he knew then that his time for helping me had passed. My nomination was held in the committee for months, but my Republican successor's nomination was confirmed within a few days after it was made. I made no effort, directly or indirectly, to obtain the assistance of Joe Tolbert, the Republican referee, for he owed me nothing and the Republican party owed me nothing, and I would not be put in the attitude of owing them anything. "Never would I crook the pregnant hinges of the knee that thrift may follow fawning." In the interview given by Senator Dial in December, 1920, he stated that his first information ^as erroneous as to Mr. Thurmond's position as to the question or opening ine nsis for the entry of new candidates in the senatorial race, after the death of Senator Tillman. This statement is positively untrue, for he had the facts as to my attitude as to that situation when the executive committee passed on the question and discussed it fully with me while he was at Edgefield during the campaign. I leave Senator Dial, the greatest political accident.the state ever had. to revel in his own littleness, bitterness and arrogance. In my opinion, the much discussed effort to organize a new Republican party in this state, to be composed entirely of white people, will meet an ignominous failure, as it should (10. dUIllC (,'nuUl^C x i caiutui >i ii son for the deflation of commodities at the end of his last term. This criticism is not justified, for President Wilson did not deflate, the federal reserve board did that. President Wilson stood by the south dur^ ing his whole administration and hereafter the pages reciting his' achievements will be regarded the brightest in American history. It must be admitted that the deflation policy of the federal reserve | board has come, nigh bankrupting1 | the whole country and especially the i south. The fact is, many good men i have been ruined ana can never come back in a business way, while others will be able in time to retrieve their lost fortunes. During the initiation of this deflation policy and for the remainder of the Wilson adminstration, President Wilson was a very sick man, and I believe his son-inlaw, Mr. McAdoo, a great financier, expressed President Wilson's views when he took sharp issue with the federal reserve board. What comfort can those Democrats, estranged from the Democratic party because of the deflation policy of the federal reserve board, get from the Republi can party, which has continued tne deflation policy, and President Harding has $ven retained in office the Democratic governor of tie federal reserve board, and it is understood that President Harding sympathized with the action of that board? We all know that the tremendous increase in taxation and other public demands and the high cost of living necessitate a reasonable price for labor and commodities?both inflation and deflation should /be within reasonable limits. I think the time has come for a campaign for a reduction of taxes, both state and federal. White supremacy should be paramount with us. Nothing could be more abhorrent than a return to conditions in 1876. As a 14 year old 1 T -i ^ 1 J Doy 1 was ai LUtJ presiucunai cicutiwii at Shaw and McKie's mill precinct. There was six or seven negroes to one white man. I had been taught to handle a long pistol for the occasion, and the boys of my age and all white men of the neighborhood, young and old, were at that precinct determined to carry the election for white supremacy. One hundred "and fifty yards away, in open view of the precinct and its surroundings, was a company of federal soldiers with their guns stacked and part of the time they were formed in line, and I have a vivid recollection of a federal officer, who, when he approached the ballot box at the request of either side, n-/Mi 1 ri ocjv "Vr\ti nonnlp nn that side '? VU1U PU,' . 4. VU v? ? - ? stand back" (referring to the white people), and "You people on this side stand back," (referring to the ne-j groes). T believe that the negroes j should be fairly and justly treated, but the Caucasian race discovered, conquered and brought civilization to this country, and I don't think any other race should be permitted to participate in the politics of this country. The nineteenth amendment to the constitution of the United States gives INFANT PRODIGIES. Only Years Can Decide Wonder Children's Fate. What becomes of all the child prodigies? There is hardly a neighborhood?one might ajmost say hard! ly a family?that does not have at [ least one of these infant wonders. A j large percentage of them are musical j and the fond parents are assured by i fmshinsr visitors and teachers with O O tuition fees in mind that there is no limit to the possibilities for such genius if given proper opportunities to develop. What has become of some child prodigies in music is told by Oscar Thompson in a recent number of Musical America. Mr. Thompson's reminiscences are called forth by the appearance in concert in New York within a fortnight of two "wonder children, of the piano, Maria Antonio. 9 years old, and Jerome Rappaport. a year younger. Maria hails from Brazil, where the government, it is said, is interested in her musical education. Jerome is a New York boy. "Only the years can decide," says Mr. Thompson, "what will come to either of these astonishing young pianists?whether they will dro-p from sight like Ernest von Lengyel, who at 11 was one of the sensations of Europe, and who died in Berlin in 1915 almost forgotten, or whether they will ripen into world greatness as Josef Hofmann and a few other T>T>rvr1icricic Viqvo rlnnp " Hofmann, by the way, is perhaps the best known modern example of a "gifted" child who grew to greatness. He played in public at six and made a concert tour of Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and France when he was nine years old. Among other famous pianists whose fame began in childhood are: Lepold Godowskv, who made his debut in IS79, when he was nine years old. He first toured America when he was 14. Of his teachers. Saint Saens began study of the piano when less than three, and is said to have played well at five. Rosenthal played in public when he was ten, although his real debut did not come until four years later. Liszt began his studies at six, and was heard in public at nine. Chopin played a concerto in public at nine. At 10 he was recognized as one of the foremost pianists of his day. It is said that Bethoven could play the clavichord well at eight, and all the world knows the story of the appearance of Mozart and his sister, when the boy was but six. Among the violinists, many prodigies have grown to be giants of the bow. Fritz Kreisler was a conservatory student at seven and by the time he first toured the United States, at 14, he had become a sensation. Elman, Heifetz and Seidel all are examples of boy virtuosi who have mounted to the highest rungs of violinistic artistry. Kubelik made his debut when he was 18. Albert Spalding's debut in Paris came when he was 17. Joachim began his study at 'five and first appeared in public when he was seven, attaining genuine artistic success when he was 12. Sarasate played before Queen Isabella when he was ten.' Paganini appeared in public at 11, but began composition even earlier, writing a sonata for violin, his biographies tell us, when he had just passed his eighth year. Handicapped. Johnny?"The camel can go eight days without water." Freddy?"So I could I if ma would let me."?Harper's Bazar. The Easy Way. Stranger?"I suppose this 'new highway built right in front of your house has benefited you a lot." Lazy Farmer?"Wall, in a way, yes. In the old days#Martha had to fricasee her own chickens. Now the automobilies do it for her. the federal government greater jurisdiction than it ever had before over elections for federal officers. If many of our white people should go into the Republican party and we should have two strong white parties in the south, undoubtedly the negro would be pulled in as a balance of power between the contending white factions, and the conditions of 1876 would repeat themselves, and I don't desire to see IS76 or the Phoenix riot repeat themselves. In fact, I think they would be far worse, because we would have Tvhito moil against whitp mpn As Ions as we have the negro menace, the white people can not afford to divide. It is not my intention to reenter politics, hut T shall give my time to the practice of rffv profession and to my farming interests, and with ! this in view. I rejoin the ranks of our private citizens and will cooperate with them in whatever is best to promote the welfare of South Carolina and the country at large. J. WILLIAM THURMOXD, Edgefield. Fiiythind fi ?nothim THAT'S CAMEL Why, just bi It's the best p cigarettes fres! Heavy paper o and the revenui age and keep il And note thi Camel package improve the sir that must com j Camels wonc merit alone. Because, mi p. N taste and fragi blended. Men refreshing mil ^^^^^^^^^^^^^retty aftertaste I 30x3/i^l I The Fastest In An T6e increasing popular demand for tl period of years has given us big volume, tire with a capacity of 16,000 tires and 20,000 On May 2, we dropped our price to I benefits of this big sales volume and this 1: standard for years?four plies long staple non-skid tread. The greatest value ever oi Our Cord 1 Firestone Cord tires are made ezclusi gum-dipping each ply of cord gives thickc with extra thickness where wear is most se car against slipping and adds many extra i Firestone Cord tires are sold tire history: 30x3H? $24.50; There are Firestone Dealer jf dH HO JO HBHAg^ THOMAS SERVICE ST or QUALlTyl ' 1 for show j OUR IDEA in making S?the Quality Cigarette. iy Camels and look at the package! acking science has devised to keep v h and full flavored for your taste. utside?secure foil wrapping inside f 5 stamp over the end to Sfeal the pack- ^ t air-tight. s! There's nothing flashy about the i. No extra wrappings that do not ? Loke. Not a cent of needless expense e out of the quality of the tobacco. * lerf ul and exclusive Quality wins on sn smoke Camels who want the ranee of the finest tobaccos, expertly smoke Camels for Camels smooth, dness and their freedom from cigai \ i j - * - -C i.1 ? made tor men wno mm* ior mem / r STANDARD NON-SKID Selling Tire lerica tie Firestone Standard 30x3 ^ inch tire over Our Plant No. 2 devoted wholly to this size i tubes per day cuts costs on every operation. fl3.95 passing on to the car owner the full | abor-saving plant. This tire has been our i fabric?extra gum between plies?heavy f ered car owners. Insist on Firestone. rire Values velv in Plant No. 1. Our process of doable ;r insulation. The massive non-skid tread, vere, gives real effectiveness in holding the niles of service. at the lowest prices in cord 32x4, $46.30; 34x4^, $54.90. s Everywhere to Serve You ATION, Bamberg, S. C. / \\M