The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, March 03, 1920, Image 12
MR. GRAY REPLH
Editor Laurens Advertiser :
II ily letter to yo1 fromt Columbia,
under date of Jan. 27th, 1920. I did not
have ally s ir1 to be either Itikinid
01r uniijus-.t to any oil'. Not' do I have
aniy such desire now. I sII)1iply "felt
moved" ( ) to make a few statemeiits
itlat seeied to nie as very iuch in or
der, and 1) to as;k a few questions
that seilled to me as heinig equally as
much ill order. And as to the "state
mlents", they are nmatter.; of record,
Snid sto i for iteinsevi s. As fotti the
"'iIlestioIIs." I was sipl1y "seek ing
light and llore light." This quest or
the ''trut I and not Ihi ng.: Imt I tt, ruth1t
et.neernding county mtes e~in
ine or divinw, for pearls; froml a strain!
ed ship. and h t assIurd it ll!"Jit bk
viltually as dangerous111.
Inl you 11. or f"ch. 1\' . 1 92)0, patge
-1. coIumn 2. th ele is ain art 'icle uieI I
the IadiIig of "Ie ply Io .\lr. Gray",
and sig lied by "Otticers". I simply
,iubmit" that." tlhi:s i"rep iyi". .ig ut
a c' " Miing"' atu "disclssing " ' of, le
7r( I'sonailly, and do ; not ill n ati se
whatever. g iveo aINy light onl couty N
affair's. I Illight he as (roolod as a
snake, or tiieaiier thali the1' devil, hut a
disculssionl of lily buin less methods,
hlowever. readable, does, not anlswer
til' lain tit1t 1stion as to where all this
tax m1iolney is going.
As rot mliyself al ily businiess
iiitthiods, I have no objection to 'Of
ticeris" or anybody 1lse airing thi'tn inl
alny way, or anywhere. o1 at any ilin.
And while I have iot objection to their
"clissing" ol "dis('ulssiig" Ie to their
learts' coliti t, t1iilI I hope they will
Show an1 equal willingness"' 10 "(10m1e
foIwa Itd and itake corrc( I and
straighltforward( ant il state ients''
of the colilyt imatt'r. .\nd I hopev
that they elln Set' that giving ilforilla
Hlo re'gardiig 111 own%%i acts does n1ot.
give' any information at all riegatrdinig
their own acts. I have nothing to
conceval. iare they? We differed wvidt
ly with II- delegatioll regariding road
tax matter and regarding their iiremov
Ing certain11 constitutional limnitations
()n property tax miatters, bilt it is to
their c(edil that iih ir o licial record
is opel to inspection.
In this connection let e give yonl
copies of letters, under date of Feb.
21. 1920, which speak for themselves,
as follows:
('opy of mlly letter to Air. TIloilpsol.)
Woodruff, S. C.,
Feb. 21, 1020.
Ali. J. Waddy Thomil1psonl, Esq.,
Auditor of 'JInnenIs f'omity,
1Laurensl,. S. C.
Al3 Dear .\Itr. Thompson:
li the iss of The Iaurens Adver
0I
Spring I
II\ .
Women selectin~
will find in our n
good form and<
satisfies the die
And our attracti'
str ate the econo
here. Oxfords an<
in a complete vari
models.
Price $7.04
mter
Cash D
S TO "OFFICERS" p
U.ser, undel' (late of Fei. 18th, 1920,
there appears an article in Col1mn 2,
page 1, nder tile title o "Rejply to
.\lr. G:ay," and signied by "Ollicers",
On lines t. 7 and 8 of paragraph ;1
apter.- the following (u11 estion-state- i
mnent:
"lIe who assesses his own property
i) tile name of his tenants?"
I wotild ak you ollicially as Auditor
of the coulity to be good enough to ad
vise tilt fully as to eail and ev ery
transactiol of ininie, of any nature, on
which Sl(h a statetent could be based,
, ji1ig me the t dates, nantis of " t
ants" affected, and tile full statenent
a)d de(ription of anly or1 all properly
C('I'rn ed, as shown by ofileial re
turins on tile there inl yottr own otlice,
thal were ev r Imade by ie.
I have no record w hateve'r, nor
I now ledge, nor recollection, of any
h1ing of the kind. at any tilne.
I am ndling this request for "mnore
concret evidence of above queris," 1'
to ym04 persoially, not knowing wlIo
Olicers'' i, and am seniding this rt
ilIvest 1by special delivery this (lay, al l(
:n ,Iiclosin,g ierewiti for your re- e
ly all 'lvelope already stamped and
kddirv,;.;vd to mne at Woodruff, S. C., and
which envelope for your reply also has a
I special delivery stat oin it, and 1 I
wo11 he very, very iiuch obliged for 1
it prompt reply.
(ood luck to you , and kindest per
sonal regards, and hope you are Well.
Very truly yours,
J. P. GRAY. i
Stamped envielope enclosed herewith
as stated. 0I
W(opy of reply by .\lr. Thom psonl, 0,
written on bottom of original of above,
letter, andt] rel urned to mlle, which I i
n1ow have vhere). t
"I have had or (lid have a few years
%t4 14n111' 'Parties oi your place with k
propertiy, imutles, cows, wagons, ec. o
asSVsesd to them, and they claimecd 1.
tha-t the114 property belonged to yol. e
Now .\Ir. (;ray, inl the( first place yout
should not have jumped on Laurens t'
'ounty olicers. Now there parties
claimed that you returned property in
their namlle that belonged to you, b
"Yours t1r111y,
I Si:.ned ) ".). W. Thompson.
"laurens, S. C., 2-21-21)."
In connection herewith, allow mite to .
state that oii last .\londay hiorning, .
Feb. 23rd, 1920, while on the C., N. & f'
L. passenger train from -laurens to 1
Columbia, I showed the above lettrs 'i
to .ludge R1. C. Watts, wlo was also l
aboard. I asked him to re0111 theiii and
toll mle how mnuch "Concrete evidencev"
it furnished. Hie read them and( hand- si
ed theIiIl back and stated very quietly:
f(
Ii
V
ili
eI
It
Spring Footwear
odels the correct
~uiet elegance that
~crimmnatmng taste. I
ie values demon
my of purchasing
I Pumps are ready.
ety of the newest I
) to $13.85
aOmpany
tment Store
It proves nothing at ill." Certainly.
,f course not. And I hereby and
oreon, brand It as flatly false.
If I have at any time Conspired to
etraud the county or state, then I
creby declare myself ready to ap
ear at any titne before the laurens
ounty grnld jury. But why have
Ollicers" kept their mouiths shut allI
lcs'e long years, and winked at my
oings, if I act(I vrookedly? That
ov's not speak Well of them as of
ei's. does it? But whether I am
uilly or not guillty, then 'why, oh wlhy'!
o they "belch It up" Just now? It
'ould seem fron above letter that
Mr. Graiy, youK should not have
1 m1ped on Laurens couity oilleers."
ait persiaded to feel, from above
-tter, that If I had kept lily mouith
bu1t1. tihen)) "Olflle's" would have kept
teir m11th11tsi1 shiat too! Thi-s heals
obtail. :11d you kn11ow what he did!
Iu'ralh for the Pourlthi of .1i1y, and
r. cir, yes, aml hurrahl for Christ
Vs too! Oh, Joys! Oh, boys! Holly!
o to it!
I iigit ask again for full informna
n a:: to the affalrs of tte, county.
it kitully let m11e say that a statement
11h affir wouild h- vorthless un
'F it his lore facts than th ese ref
rNIt'11C'en to tle "rIpresentative frot
;paritanhurg."'
Now. to go back to these letters
.inn. I have Fold milles, etc. to folks
ving on iny farm. So have other peo
le. Certainly. And of course the
iircliaser is due to pay the tax. When
r. Chiklress or Mr. Counts or ..\lr.
Icks sells mules, et(., to a party. art
iey expected to retiril that property
I their own iamiles? Vhen lMr.
ranks selIs wagons, tc., does any
vie ever expect Iin to return i it In his
wi name? \Yhien tie aurens Trust
u., for instance, sells real estate, are
ley reulired or even expeed(C to re
1-tn the proptoly inl their OWn naimle?
ertainlly not. Ehvein a fool 'would
now better. And of course 1, or any
ther person whoimsoever, do the
ime thIng. Certainly. Is that crook
I? Not at all.
As to the .\agistrate in Yoings
mwisiplt, when .\I. "Zanders" 'Aher
'om1bie died, several men, including
the represenlative from Spartan
urg," thought his brother, Mr. Jot
hercrolibie, the best man that Could
[% gotten for tile unexpired teril.
his also followed "precedeit" of giv
ig this honio]. to soie imember of tile
inity of the deceased, as Was asked
>r. in the cise of late Sheriff Owings.
it Mr. Abererombie refused it. Is it.
'eason to try to get the bestl men
lissible?I
As to the change iln the board 4'f as
sors for Youngs townshipi, I wol id
iply ask how iany iten are satis
ed with lipresent assessments and i
loth;d of making assessimeits? If
)llicers" will refer to tihe' slatement
led with1 the delegation, it will be
iund that several of thie 1Most
itOUghit 1uen in that townshlip asked
>r a change, and tihat "the representa
v* flont Spartanhurg" was not the
uly cie who hadil "views" on the
tatter.
Now, as to aittemtinlg tCo deprive the
dlear lttCor 11nan" Ci CCI dtionai~itIliCd
atages. A\sk thle goodt people of
afontI Stai ti school disltrict andi
K. "Gr ay s' Chtol house"I'' schlCt) tiIs
'let if I didt not advoc'atCe incre'asedl
'Ix for thetse scholsl. stating that
bouigh I dlid not live t here miysCIlf antd
onuiuntlt'ity wioutIC ldCnt he stentding
13' o)wn child thieriC,5 still it woultd helip
tomebodtty's child. As to the "C(ent ral"'
cihoot li stric t I told th le trusitetCes and~
lie (outyi0 Sup~ er'int endenit of HdCICa -
ion1 that it aw niC reaisont to CCoIleet
adt niot spenil tiht Ithey alIready had
it hiand. Isay So) now. I loweverT, in
lie et't1ion, the paitr'ons dClttided' what
hey wanted, and ats a goodl delncriC)at
feII in line. AndI I suspectt that I
are paidl miy taxes ablouit as willinglyv
5 myt3 crit ics.
As for my rintiiIg for ('ongrelss,
hliri remnarks are of course pureii I' sa-I
asmi. It Is noC trioubhe for' met to see~
hat "Oticeers" would gIve mue the devil
o0in t antd coing in any cainsptaign.
itnh by thel wity, "to change thle subh
et't'' ani Cdtt speak of the magnihheent
y'stemii of pu li it thihways in 12aurtenst
Clunity, have y'ou heard or the parity'
t hose auitonmoile stuck In Ithe mud1(
.1il nghit it a mutd hole In the "'bIg
Coad" bet weeni I ,anfordC Stattionl andit
:noree a few ilghits ago?
"FinallIy brethri en,"' w hilie I would
ikeC to knowv where my) mioney goes,
till I am persutadedl to feel thatI "Of
leers" 'eirtainly3 wIll not1 wIllIngly Itell
asedl oni letletr by couirt house officIal,
ndt petIt Ion signedco by atlmost3 all of
lie courlt hlotust' ollices, now ont tIle
n theit G.overnor'~s offlt'e askin lg hIm to
I heireby miake gratefuil askntowledtge
iunt of the hI idness of TheC Ad ver't I -
In printing I heie letters.
Yoodrutff, R. C(.,
.\i'rch I st, - 1920.
Pilen Cured In 6 to 14 D~ays
a ceoeIio', liidt, IIleeding orlProtrudingt Piles,
aiaOntly rouoves ICchhg Pitomi and you can eot
wt rLIet herifn e,. tt.e n~. pl.cI1.- n..- tY- c
The logical truck for the farmer. Four
wheel drive, with power on all four
wheels.
The Winther "Farm 3pecial" is built
particularly for farm work. One and a
half ton capacity and will carry more.
Built by men who know farm work and
farm requirements. It does not get stuck,
but goes.
One truck on hand. Carload coming.
Ask for demonstration.
F. A. FULLER
STUDEBAKER AGENT
Buy Your Mules and Horses fromUs
We Can Save You Money
on Every Purchase
Come and see our Mules and Horses
even if you do not care to buy. We are
glad to show them, because we know they
are right.
Hackney Wagons
Get our prices on Wagons before you
buy. We handle the best on the market.
Good stock now on hand.
Ware Shoals Live Stock Company
L. 0. McNINCH, Manager