The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, August 06, 1908, Image 2
THE FLORENCE POSTOFFICE
MUDDLE.
II. RAGSDALE EXPLAINS THE PART,
PLATED BY HIM AND BT MR. ELLERBE
IN THE MATTER.
(From the Florence Times.)
The following statements were
presented yesterday by H<>u J W
itagsiiaie at 10? campaign uiccum.
explaining his position in the Florence
postoflice wrangle. Mr Ragsdale
received the undivided attention
to the large number of voters present
and was frequeutlv applauded. At
the conclusion of his attack on
Congressman Ellerbe he was given
an ovation. In the course of h's
speech he was frequently interrupted
by applause.
A little more than a year ago, I
think it was in the early part of
1907, Mr C P Berry came to my
office and asked if I would draw a
petition for his appointment as postmaster
at this place to succeed tne
incumbent, J E Wilson, a negro.
I drew the petition and at Mr Berry's
request I signed it. Mr Berry had
not supported me but had worked
and voted for Congressman Ellerbe
and the sole question at that time to
j* be considered was whether my influence
would go for a white man or a
negro. His petition was subsequent,
ly circulated in Florence and signed
by number of prominent citizens
and Mr Berry claimed that Congressman
Ellerbe had pledged him his
eupport and had promised Mr P A
Wilcox of Florence, S C, and Mr
Wm Godbold of Marion, S C, to
give Berry his support. In the
summer of 1907 a "smoker" was
?' ?? VI. EMIavIm* Vvw fVio Rnarfl nf
giveu xui juiiu uc uj lu<_ v.
Trade of Florence and at this
"smoker" Mr Ellerbe pledged himself
io support anyone for postmaster
whom the people of Florence
selected. A number of candidates
were in the held and in order to
centeralize the support of the white
men and Democrats upon one candidate
a mass meeting was called
in January, 1908, at which Mr
Ellerbe was expected to be present.
He did not come and nothing was
done at this meeting. A second
meeting was called for the same
purpose and when I went to this
meeting and learned that Mr Ellerbe
would not be present, I left. I am
informed that Mr J W Stroud was
endorsed at this meeting and two
days afterwards, his son-in-law, Dr
N W Hicks, came to my office and
reouested me to go to a meeting at
his office for the purpose of trying
to secure the appointment of a white
man as postmaster here. I went to
this meeting and found some of the
most prominent business men of
Florence assembled to discuss ways
and means to accomplish the removal
of the negro and the appointment
of a white man. A number of
suggestions were made?to pay Wilson
a sufficient sum of money to
secure his resignation; to tell him
that sentiment was too strong to
allow him to remain in office?to try
-* - 51 ii 1_ n
K) aeai mrougu juuu vx v^?pciD buu
Others. Finally we decided to go
straight to President Roosevelt and
appeal to him as President of all the
people to lay aside all politics and
consider the interest involved. To j
call his attention to the feeling that
existed on account of the retention
of a negro in a position of this kind.
To present for his consideration the
number of business houses in
Florence conducted by whites and
; how few by negroes and appeal to
him to give us his boasted "Square
Deal." A committee consisting of
E D Smith, president of the South
Carolina cottonurowers association,
Rev W B Oliver, pastor of the
Florence Baptist church, and Mr W
R Barringer, firm of Barringer &
Husbands, Insurance, and myself
were appointed to go to Washington
to take up the matter with the
President. An effort was made to
get some member of the committee
to go to Washington to arrange for
the conference with the President
and because no one else would go, I
went. Upon my arrival in Washington,
I called upon Senator Tillman
and made engagement with
him and then tried to make appointment
with Congiessman Ellerbe.
He could not be found at his
hotel, in his office or in the House of
Representatives. I remained in the
capital until the afternoon, lunching
with Congressman Aiken. Senator
Tillman approved of the plan submitted
for the committee to come to
Washington and it was only a desire
to show Congressman Kllerbe every
courtesy th.*t prevented me from
making the appointment and wiring
for the committee. The committee
did not instruct me to go to see Mr
Ellerbe and my only reason for
d >ing so was to show him every
courtesy to which he could possibly
be entitled by reason of his official
position. Abiut seven o'clock that
evening, Mr Ellerbe came to the
Raleigh hotel where I was stopping,
and I then informed him of our
purpose. He dissapproved of our
plan and stated that the President
would construe our position into a
threat and would immediately appoint
Wilson if we went to him.
He said that he could not understand
why Dr Hieks had not fowarded
the charges against Wilson. I told
him Dr Ilicks was dissatisfied with
.Mr Eilerbe's positiou on account of
the correspondence between them.
Mr Ellerbe knew then I was supporting
Mr Stroud and he pledged
me then, without reservation, tr? use
his influence to get Mr Stror onAintflil
niulm'Ufor
I^UllIkVU (,v?vw.??vv.
He objected to the committee,
sisting of Messrs Smith, Oliver
Barringer, coming to Washing
and at his suggestion I wrote folio
ing telegram and submitted it to
him, he going to the telegraph office
in the hotel with me.
(Copy of telegram)
1-16 '08
N W Hicks.
Florence,S C
Rush petition as now prepared aud
signed to Ellerbe. Don't send Committee.
J W Ragsdale.
We then went back to the lobby
and he then suggested that I meet
the Soath Carolina delegation and'
discuss the matter with them,asking
me if I knew them. I told him
I -knew all of them very pleasantly
except Congressman Legare, whom
I had never met and whom I had
endeavored to get to assist me when
I went to Washington in 1904 to
consult with Congressman Scarborough
about our government
building and that Mr Legare did
not even come out in the lobby when
I sent my card in, and for that
reason I did not care to ask anything
at his hands. 1 informed him I
wmilf] he crlarl tn moet anvone whom
" w o ; j
he might iuvite to be present. The
next day I went by appointment to
the Capitol and joined Congressmen
Lever,Findley and Ellerbe in a withdrawing
room,where the question of
the advisability of going to the President
was again discussed. I informed
those present t.iat Senator
Tillman approved of our plan but
Messrs Findley and Lever concurred
in Mr Ellerbe's opinion that it
would be unwise to go to the President.
I explained freely that we
would make our position clear, that
we were doc threatening but
petitioning and Mr Lever said:
"President Roosevelt is 49-lOOths
crazy and you can't deal with him
as you would another man." I then
tuld them frankly that I was afraid
of personal violence and asked if
thay knew of no way to prevent the
appointment. Mr Findley stated
he was afraid nothing could be done
until after the Republican conventions
this summer. I then suggested
that possibly Wilson could be persuaded
to resign and recommend a
cnoAoosnr anrl aalrorl if fViow nnnlfi
have him appointed. Mr Findley
asked me how we would try to get
Wilson to resign and I told him by
getting some one to act as postmaster
and give Wilson the salary; thereby
securing the appointment of three
white men in the office instead of the
three negroes now employed there,
besides the postmaster. I said to
explain my position?suppose I were
appointed?apparently I would be
postmaster while Wilson would
really draw the salary, it being paid
to him privately. I was not in any
sense of the word a candidate for
the office and I am sure no one
present thought that I was. My
effort was directed solely to getting
rid of the negro postmaster and his
negro assistants and in securing f
' white men in their places. Mr I
j Ellerbe raised no objection to my <
!suggestion nor did Mr Lever. Mr 1
| Findlev stated that he was on the *
| postoflice committee and that it was 1
a violation of the law to try to farm 1
i out an office and for that reason he '
i could not agree with the plan. He '
i then suggested that I see Senator 1
; Tillman and request him to hold up =
the appointment if it should be made t
and that when I came home to en- 1
: deavor to get Judge Brawley and Col '
|Jenkins interested in securing ai(
i white man for that office. Mr j1
j Ellerbe in the meantime was to use !'
his efforts to prevent the President |
from reappointing Wilson. We then
separated, as I thought with every,
body in perfect harmony and I knew J
1 nothing of any body having proposed
anything that was "repugnant to
Mr Ellerbe," nor did he once make '
any suggestion of being opposed to
anything except the committee coming
to Washington to see the Presi- '
dent. lie said if we wanted to use \
our judgment rather than his he
would arrange the conference for 1
us. 1 immediately abandoned our 1
plans and so informed those present. 1
Mr Findley and Mr Ellerbe then
went off somewhere and I did not 1
see either of them again until I heaid (
the next week that they had given 1
out the details of what I thought \
1 private conference and I went 1
gm bfcfq^ its publication to '
?nt it. Mr Lever 1
'ch immedi 1
ce, in the
i. . Jictated the!'
- I 1
following lettc. . su mitted it to '
Mr Lever:
(Letter) J
Rev \V B Oliver, ^
Florence, S C. ,
Dear Sir:
I have had a conference with (
Seuator Tillman and another con- |
ference with Messrs Ellerbe ,Findley (
and Lever of the South Carolina j
delegation, in the readvisability of ?
a conference with the President along ,
the lines discu?sed by us iu Florence.
The consensus of opiniou is that it (
would be unwise to hold such a ]
conference with the President at ^
time. I wired Dr Hicks to rush 1
charges as signed to Ellerbe at once j
and not to send the delegation here. ,
Ellerbe has not yet received the j
charges and is anxious to have the ]
petition come foward at once. He j
will use his influence to prevent the (
re-appointment and Senator Tillman ,
is confident that he can hold up the (
appointment until sfter this session ,
of urKioK fimo if Will Ko t
\JL UVUglCOO) ttt* nuivu viatv ?v Hill vv |
mere easy to prevent the appoint- j
ment than it will be just now.
Please say to Dr Hick3 that it is ]
important to get oat petition at t
once and that we deem it best not (
to interview the president now. I j
would prefer that nothing else be ,
given out now. {
Yours truly,
J W Ragsdale.
January 17, 1908. \
In this letter I thought I crave
? ? - o O
all assisting us in our affair credit
for their efforts and criticised no one.
I then went to Senator Tillman
and told him what had occurred.
He sent for Senator Clay of Georgia
and consulted with him about the
yhole situation and Senator Clay
stated that he would talk to the
President about the chances of
removing Wilson. The next day
I met Dr Hicks of Florence on
Pensylvania avenue about 11 o'clock
and learned for the first time that
he had not followed instructions in
every wav and had not sent the
petition and charges to Mr Ellerbe
He said he distrusted Mr Ellerbe
and would not risk the paper in his
hands until he had assured him
either in the presence of witnesses or
in writing that he would work for
Mr Stroud. That his correspondence
with Mr Ellerbe was unsatisfactory
and he had no confidence in him. I
told him that Mr Ellerbe had
promised to support Mr Stroud and
suggested that we go to his hotel,
the Metropolitan, which was near,
to see him. Dr Hicks said he had
already been to his hotel and the
capital and his office and conld not
find him. Just then Senator Clay
came up and I introduced Dr Hicks
to him as the son-in-law of the man
we wanted for postmaster. Senator
Ulay 3aid ",I am just back from the
resident and be has heard of no
lissatisfaction at the postoffice at
Florence. Go see Senator Tillman
md tell him to go at once to I'ostnaster
General Meyer." I asked him
f we had not better get Congressnan
Ellerbe and others and he said,
'Xo leave that to Tillman." It
follows, of course, that a Southern
senator is backed by his whole delegation
when he tries to have a white
nan supplant a negro. We thankei
aim and went to Senator man's
)flice. He communicated^' Post'?
i ir i. ^
n:ister uenerai lucyer wu*. ie iu
the Capitol to a committee meeting
shortly afterward. Senator Tillman,
Dr llicksaud myself met him in the
lobby and presented the charges and
petition and then returned to Senator
Tillman's office. Dr Hicks left
Washington shortly afterward bidling
me good by on the street car.
[ remained in Washingto^'-This
was on Saturday, the lUth ' of
January The appointment v s set
for next day On Toes lav^ e 22d,
Mr Ellerbe sent down a" interview
to the South Carolir * papers in
reply to a publicatio in the News
and Courier.
I called him over (he phone and
informed him that 1 had nothing to
lo with the article and protested
igainst the publicttion of his^uxi^le
3n the grounds that i*"
inexpedient to go to t!
privately, certainly t]y' oie would
defeat anything ' ent hope to
icconiplish. H _*ated that he
would publish the articles. I then
sailed upon Congressman Finley
md went to his room in another
hotel, where I found him and Mr
Ellerbe. I then showed Mr Finley
the letter I had written Mr Oliver
giving them full credit for their
effort to help us and told him that
[ knew nothing of and had nothing
to do with the article published in
the "News and Courier." We tried
to get P H McGowan, author of
the article,over the phoue but failed.
Phat night I saw Mr McGowan
ind he told me that he had told Mr
Ellerbe in McGowan Holmes' presence
that I was not responsible for
bis article ami that he had not
gotten his information from me.
McGowan Holmes corroborated this
n Congressman Lever's presence
ivhen they were in Columbia with
;he funeral party of the late Senator
Latimer. I *came to South Carolina
the next day-^ At the request
)f different members of the comnittee
I held back my answer to the
effort of Mr Ellerbe to injure me
intil after the adjournment of the
3 mate when Wilson cannot be conirmed.
Hon E D Smith and Dr N W
Hicks went to Washington shortly
ifter my return. Any statement
that I sought for myself except with
the committee, a private interview
with the president?that I was a
candidate for postmaster at Florence
?that I made any statement that
justified the aiticlein the "News and
Courier" is absolutely false.
DR HICKS' STATEMENT.
Florence, S C, May 13, 1908.
I have read the above statement
)f Mr J W Ragsdale and noted his
references therein to me. The conversations
alleged to have taken
place in my presence and the statements
credited to me are properly
stated by him and his statement is
mtirely true in so far as my know
ledge goes. I went to wasnmgton
Instead of senbing the petition as
requested by Mr Ragsdale because
Prom correspondence from Mr Ellerbe
and from other information I
relieved him to be pledged to Mr
J P Berry and not keeping faith
ffith us and I was unwilling to
;rust Mr Stroud's petition in his
lands until he had assured me in
vnting or in the presence of wit
lesses that he wouid use his enleavor
to secure Mr Stroud's appointment.
After leturuing to
Florence at the request of Mr Ellerje
1 went with E D Smith to
fVashington after the publication of
VIr Ellerbe's article in the News and
Courier and Mr Ellerbe stated to
ne that Ragsdale requested him to
inpport Mr Stroud at the first iuternew
that was held in Washington
ind that he committed himself
inreservedly to Mr Stroud. From
ny knowledge of all the facts in the
lase, including my correspondence
I
with Mr Ellerbe and the information derived
on my two visits to Washing- I
t.fin T KpIipva ihaf. Mr Raorarlalp was t
ac'ing throughout in good faith and *
endeavoring at all times to secure ^
the appointment of Mr J W Stroud. 1
(Signed) N W Hick's.
a
MR OLIVER'S STATEMENT. ^
On the 14th day of January of j
this year,Dr N W Hicks met me on g
Evans street in Florence, S C, and 0
asked me to come to bis office that j
afternoon to meet and talk with
other citizens of Florence concerning
the post office situation and Mr J VV
Stroud's candidacy for the postmastersliip.
There were a dozen or more gentle- j
men present at this conference at JDr
Hick3's office, all, with the exception
of myself, business men of the
city. Mr W R Barringer was asked ^
to act as chairman and did so. The ,
object of the meeting was stated as ^
being two-fold?primarily, to try to
secure a white postmaster. Second- ^
arily?if any method could be devised
to secure assurance of a white
i
postmaster, to urge the appointment ^
of Mr Stroud, who was the nominee
of a general citizens' mass meeting, j
held some days previous to this con- (
ference. These two propositions
were freely discussed, every man
present taking part in the discus- ^
"Nion?and as the first proposition ^
was logically and by stress of cir- g
cumstanccs the chief topic, it was g
" an nrin/iinal Mn airlornHftn. Y fl?
b"c" yfMVMyv..
rious ideas were advanced, considered
and discarded. Several gentlemen
feared that violence and race
antagonism might result should a
negro be appointed or re-appointed;
but all expressed a desire to avoid
any trouble and a willingness to do
anything reasonable to prevent it.
Finally it was agreed that a committee,
supplementary to the committee
appointed by the above mentioned
mass meeting should be sent
co Washington to lay the situation
before the President?if any interview
could be had with him and to
appeal to his seocefo fairness and of
his power to relieve us, both of existing
unpleasant conditions and of
- * m i
danger of future violence. rnis
committee was instructed to go di- ^
rect to President Roosevelt, if possible,
and it was thought best not to c
annoy our congressman with the
matter as he was already said to be ^
working through routine channels t
in conjuction with the citizens'committee
and, also, as he was understood
to be under certain obligations
that might cause embarrassment ^
The expenses of the committe were
to be borne by the gentlemen taking
part in the conference. I made a ^
motion that Messrs J W Ragsdale,
? D Smith aud W R Barringer J
should be the members of this comc
mittee. These gentlemen were chos- j.
en and my name was added.
It was useless for the committee
a
to go to Washington as a whole t
without knowing when the President
would see us or whether we
e
could obtain audience at all; there- ^
fore we decided to send one mau to
v
arrange for an interview and Mr
Ragsdale was asked to go,the othersf t
holding themselves in readiness to
answer his summons. Before leav- j
ingFlorence on the night of January
16th. he had a conversation with me ?
a
in which he stated that he thought
courtesy demanded recognition of ^
our representative in this matter
and that he would see both Mr Elv
lerbe and Senator Tillman and j
weuld wire or write as soon as any
decision was reached. On the morn- ^
ingof the 18th (Saturday) I receiv- ^
ed a letter from Mr Ragsdale dated
January 17th, stating that he had Q
talked with Congressmen Ellerbe,
Findley and Lever and their judgment
was that an interview with the
President was inexpedient and ask 4
ing me to see Dr Hicks and tell him
to rush the papers he had. I went ^
immediately in search of Dr Hicks
and found that he had received a ^
telegram from Mr Ragsdale on Fn- a
day and in answer thereto had gone|to a
Washington carrying with him Mr f
Stroud's petition and other papers ^
bearing on the case. In a conversa- ^
tion during the next week?after his I
return from Washington?Dr Hicks h
told me that he, in company with *
Senator Tillman and Mr Ragsdale,
met Postmaster General Meyer and
that he 3aw the papers given to Mr 1
/
/
1
Mr Meyer and that he took them
sersonally instead of sending them
o Mr Ellerbe as requested, because
le (Dr Hicks) was not satisfied with
?Ir Ellerbe's non-committal attitude
oward Mr Stroud.
As the committee could not get
in interview with the President we
Iropped out of the affair, after Mr
lagsdale made his report to the
;entlenien of the conference, a day
r two after his return from Washngton.
W B Oliver,
Florence, S C, Mav 12, 1908. ^
senator tillman's letter. ]
Gibraltar, May 25, 1908. 9
Ion J W Ragsdale, 9
Florence, S 0. 9
My Dear Sir: U
Responding to your request, 1 |
>eg to say: When you came to
iVashington last winter to see about
getting a white postmaster at Flor?
~ .. a,1?!aa ->?\,l nooial
iuue yuu ;tsht'u my auviuc auu aooioimce,
which of course I was ready
0 give. After talking over the sitlation,
I told you I did not feel it
vould be unwise to call on thePres- M
dent and in conversation as a prom* fl
nent citizen and business man, one I
/
if a committee from the people,urge fl
1 white mau for the place and to I
ay incidentally that you feared ? H
here might be an outbreak similar I
o the one of Lake City if yogr long H
differing people fouud themselves I
addled with a ne--o again. I said fl
;he results weuld depend on I
he way in which it was done and H
rou said that you would confer with fl
Mr Ellerbe about it. I told you I jM
felt I might be able to keep the ne- fl
^ro from being appointed if the fl
ightsortof protest and statement fl
if facts were made and no one else fl
neddled witn tne matter. m
Dr Hicks came on in the next W
ew days with these papers and I
elephoned to the P 0 Dept to make
in appointment with the P M G
or us, you only to see him. In the
nean time I had gotten Senator
}lay of Ga. to see the President and
ell him in a quiet way what we
eared should a negro be given the
dace again. I found the P M G
?as coming in a little while to the
Capitol to appear before a committee
,nd I arranged to meet him at the .
Senate wing door. We did this I
,nd as I walked through the corri
lor I gave him a brief statement of n
he situation and left the petition B
,nd protest with him. He said he fl
Fould take the matter up at once ? |
,nd let ine know whether be would vl
In onwfhinor mnrp A dftV or tw<> '
IV, ^ J ?
.fterwards there appeared a signed
tatement in the News and Courier
rou some of our congressmen aboutou
and the P 0 Dept and the
hreat to Roosevelt about killing a
legro P M, etc. With this'matter I lave
nothing to do or say. But I '
,m confident I could have secured
, white postmaster if this publicaioD
had not appeared. In none of
ur conversations was your name
ver mentioned as a possible candilate
for this place. Stroud alone
ras considered and no other name
eas mentioned. As soon as I saw
he News and Courier article i gave
ip the case as hopeless because 9
ioosevelts effort's to get negro dele- I
;ate8 for Taft compelled him to re. 9
ppoint Wilson after the so-called 9
hreats to kill appeared m print. a
/lay alone said anything abont that I
o the President and he said there I
ras no explosion, but I know the
fews and Courier was sent to the
Vhite House and in a few daya
Vilson's name came to the Senate.
?hen all I could do was to hold it
ip. I believe this covers the ground
utlined by you.
D T) m.r TW.U
U IV HULMAiX.
Fxcelleit Health Advice.
Mrs M M Davison, of No. 379
rifford Ave., San Jose, Cal., says:
The worth of Electric Bitters as a |
i e * 3_ f ? 1 3..1 A I
;enerai iamny remeay.ior neaaacne;*
liliouaness aod torpor of the liver
nd bowels is so pronounced that I
m prompted to say a word in ltd
avor, for the benefit of those seekng
relief from such afflictions.
?here is more health for the diges-S
ive organs in a bottle of Electric
Jitters than in aDy other remedy I
:now of." Sold under guarantee at
) C Scott's drug store. 50c.
Read the Farmers & Merchants'*
lank's ad. this issue.
y
>'^ 1