Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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GRACE ATTACKS TILLMAN TILLMAN TAKES WATER - AFRAID TO EXPOSE WHALEY? PITCHFORK NOT WORKING. (From Common Sense, the Charles? ton Week I n > It la time the i?enplo should know about the status of the Whaley mat? ter In Washington. The following correspondence will throw u strong light upon it. it begins rather in the middle of the rssc; f? r before th?MM letters were written (somewhat of a ? >nndentlal character In parts) and a great deal of verhul communica? tion, was had between Senator Till man and Mr. Grace This may all ? ?mis out later, and it will come out If Henator Tlilman can be induced to remove from his letters the seal at confidence. The whole correspond? ence wl',1 show (hat the senator gt first promised 'o press the Whaley mattet In the house, and then, as his friend Captsm Martin became cer? tainly invoiced in the mess of cor? ruption br.cked out. However, none of the following part of the corre? spondence is confidential; so it is published, arid from It the public can form their own conclusions. Can anybody now Meine Mr. Oracc if he goee over the h*ad of the South Car? olina delegation in bringing the mat? ter to the attention of congress? Charleston. S. C, July 25. lilt, Honorable B. R. Tlilman. United States Senator. Washington. D. C. I>ear Senator Tillman: I noticed what you said *he other day in the paper about the possibility of Rlease's election to the senate by fraud and corruption and of the tight that you would make against him in Washing? ton. The News and Courier had a little editorial on the subject, of course commendatory, not because it hates corruption, but because it hates Hlease other South Carolina papers, for the same reason, took the same' view. An old time Tillmanite gggj general admirer of yours came in to say that he had read some of the press, approvals of your sentiments, which he Intended sending you. but at the same time he would ask you why you did not Jump into the light against Whaley on the same grounds. I have no doubt he expressed an almost uni? versal question which the people are asking In their minds abou* you. They i realise the Inconsistency of your posi-' tlon, and your fame as a senator und your power aa a counsellor next sum? mer in the fight against Blease will depend upon the genuineness of yourj stand against corruption and perjury aa Illustrated in the Whaley case. V Washington Is the place to light Rlease. why not tight Whaley there? When I was In Washington recently, you treated me cordially, ultogetlu r In su^h a way as almost to disarm HM from, persisting in bringing this Whalgjy matter to a direct issue bc fweesjius You would talk to me about evervfhlng else, and you permitted inc to tsMt to you about a great many thing*; but you would hardly come to thsj point, man to man, on the Whajgy question. You talked about affidavit*. Iggvmony. etc., and told me thut you would prepare an affidavit whlcg^lf T would sign you wou'd use aa th# basis of a light against Whaley and Qsat you would send it to me. I told you that I would sign it If I could. But I have not seen it. Weeks and months are passing. My patience is being taxed. I am honest about it and In dead earnest about it. The case against Whaley is overwhelming. I cannot believe that you hate fraud, and corruption as much as you have said you do; he uuse 1 hu\e presented to you, and am reads to present to ? nngress. the < b arest possible case of it; and yoU only generalize and temporise. Nobody can den\ that my light against Hleaseism has not onlv been uncompromising, but has been pushed to the point of personal danger and even the risk of mv hte. as all South Carolina knows. All reports to the < ontrary notwdthstandmg. >ou know that I look upon Itleaseism as the ? rownlng curse of South Carolina I yearn to have it blotted out. Bttt I am beginning to have doubts For twenty years the people ha\e con? ferred upon pail their every power You have enjoyed a fullness of lead? ership which ? irnes Mfltl M the obliga? tion of fearlessness Yon . .?nnot be afraid to tight Whaley be. ause it will Involve the exposure of SOSnS of your lifelong alhes In |gdg <-ongressloiial district, and at the same time < om - msnd any respe. table attention from the people of Soith Carolina. I1 ? ? i an only be hea en by a combination of men who ar ? not afraid to tight en\bo,|\ s i or-.ption and. however mu?h the' rna\ differ OS all thing else. Will agree that an\ not. that South Carolina semis le represent her In either brun? h "f < ongress must have a title to that office as pure as Calhoitn's. Von will be the means of electing Pipage and .ill thai lie repn sents aiid everybody on hll Uokef (and I nay this with i great many things in mind) now that the issue is mad*, un? ion you come out like a man and nay ! that if Whaley committed perjury it i shall be made the means of unseatitiK ! bim. Nobody put? unv store in your idea against "wushlng our linen in nobile?*' at least nobody but those few who wish Whaley to keep his seat. ' Kven most of those who voted for Whaley now want the facts to come out. The idea of South Carolina not wishing to wash her linen in public? South Carolina, whose politics is a "hissing and a byword!" (Do you re? call using these words last Hummer?) There is hardly a serious or comic paper that doesn't gibe at South Caro Una every day and hold her up to the sco;n of the universe because of her civ c depravity. Why shouldn't they, when the senior senator from Cal hotin's State temporizes over the un- { seating of a man who brazenly bought J her people like cattle and then per? jured his way into congress? Our state with a glorious history behind her has fallen upon evil times. She now has the proud distinction of lead- j ing the sisterhood of States in lynch? ing and illiteracy, and her governor, who says "to hell With the constitu? tion," boasts that he is needed In Washington, because sin has nobody there to "represent" her; and he looks to a constituency made up of such cornvtlonlsts as Hen Storthart and hin very dear friend, and your very dear friend, Captain Martin, to send him there. Unless you at once take a genuine part in bringing Whaley to Justice, 1 will be compelled to be? lieve that your talk about Hlea.se and corruption is but "tinkling cymbals and sounding brass," and so will the people of South Carolina; and thus believing, they will elect Hlease and he will be your colleague in the sen? ate. And if you live long enough, some other Hlease will defeat you, he cause yob have been "weighed In the balance and found wanting." It is not a case of washing our linen In public anyhow. The public is ulreudy scundulized at South Carolina, i und knows exactly what kind of linen nhe wears. Was there ever a mass of ! corruption equaling the last days of j plie dispensary? It's rottenness, as advertised to the world, waft unexam? pled; but was anybody puntahed? Not i imly did the world read of those in Farnies and thieveries, but It read also i that out of tho whole mess the only une man who was convicted was pat doned! Also the horrors of bist sum? mer, when our sad situation was dlctagraphed to the universe; and all the guilty parties were not only not punished but elected! She has shown, therefore, that she is too rotten to right her own wrongs. Bvon the criminals of pant times have been "turned loose" from the penitentiary on the Open theory that they are no worse than most of the Judges who sentenced and the Juries who con? victed them. Her courts have failed; her election* have failed; and our | chief executive, with serene con- J tempt for law and order, has not only j pardoned the most hardened criminals but when another Jurisdiction has sent! lu re to take one of them away to he dealt with according to law, he per- \ mits the criminal to "escape" from the capital while the federal author? ities are waiting in the ante room. I say the only thing left to do is to go to Washington and wash, if you will have it, our very dirty linen, and lei the world know that there Is one laun? dry left where the stain of perjury , an be Waahed even out of the linen of I South Carolina. And it is going to be (fa>ic! Hut this is the last time that lj am going to ask you to help me do it. 1 In view of what you said from the be- j ginning. I think you have coat me a great deal of unnecessary money and much loss of time, and thereby per? haps prejudiced the case; for which 1 think you should be truly sorry. In? stead of telltnf tne, as you did. that you Would help me. I think you might have told me that there were reasons | why you could not help me. 1 under? stand them?you don't want to in? volve Mai tin. Mut euppoae i can prove the raae aaalnai Whaley without neces? sarily involving Martin. Whaley uaetl tar more than enopgh money in anj one of the other counties in this dis? trict to great 1] exceed 'be amount limited b) law. Une county, there? fore, would be enough to oust him Suppose I ngree t" leave Charleston county oui of it; may i then depend upon sou to push tin matter? You said something t" me shout I V hy should yoU be called on to do this \Vh\ shouldn't you? Von arc oUI senior senator, our State has been re? nowned tor the pUrlty Of IIB statcn men Vou have recognized Mr Wlm ley'H right t" the seat to the extent of bronhlni your promise to Legare to ippolnt stolen, and permitting Mr. Whaley to name Peters; although I told you, and the evidence will prove, that Peteri also wae one of Whaley's cashiers, l can Imagine the posstbll ity of the destiny of the United States hinging upon Whaley'a vote, it is not probable, of course, hut there are In? stances in even recent history, if it is not your business to take the lirst step in this matter, whose is it? 1 heard a gentleman say the other day in Washington, quoting one of the leading men of the United States, that the gentleman quoted had said that he hud always had respect for at least OUe thing about TUlman, he was hon? est and hated corruption. Hut when he saw TUlman shed tears over the expulsion of Lorimer, those tears in stuntly washed out the little good opinion he hud. I told him you were perhaps blinded in the Lorimer case by personal affection. Hut I can imguine no personal affection between you and Whaley; nor can there be any social or political affection. He rep? resents the things which you capital- ' Ised in arraying the people of the State against Charleston. Of course you advocated some things which you might say all of us in Charleston op? posed, the dispensary, for instance. Hut on the other hand all those re? forms designed to lift up the poor man and alleviate his awful condi? tion in South Carolina many of us profoundly favored. Hut it is for just i those things thut Whaley and his whole crowd hate you. They were j weiring the silk stockings and they wanted the people as a whole to con tlnuc to go in rags. And I uit. sure that if the gentleman above quoted C?Uld be informed of the way in which you have haggled and hesitated about unseating Whaley, while at the same time talking through the press, etc., about Hlease and corruption, it would be Impossible to convince him that you had ever been sincere in even your advocacy of reforms for the poor. Pardon me if you think my letter very plain, but the aggravation is Kreat. Don't say that you have more important things, because there is nothing so important. Hepresenta- { tlve government is a failure if our | representatives are to be those only! who do not mind committing perjury. Tilhnanism was worse than in vain; | it was an unpardonable crime; and i the blood that was shed and the men that are dead because of it will rise up ami curse the man who began it unless he hold to its professed ideals. The fortune which made you what you arc forbids you to have a friend. (Apologies tc? Junius.) If your | right arm in Charleston politics scan? dalize you, cpt it off und cast it from i you; ami let Tillmanism in' its Fast fruits correspond with Tilhnanism in the seed; or verily shall it come to pass that the tree which has not borne good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the lire. Yours very truly, (Signed) John P. Grace. (To he continued.) GOVERNORS FAVOR PLAN. Most of Those Who Talk Indorse Wil? son's Policy on the Mexican Situa? tion. Denver, Col., Aug. 21.?The Denver; Post today prints a statement of lit, governors attending the conference ofl gcvemori at Colorado Spfings on President Wilson's Mexican message. Most of them are favorable. e> QoV, McDonald, New Mexico, de-j dared the president was right in his | views as to the hopelessness of' tiuerta'S attempts to restore order. | "As to armed intervention," he added. "I can not say that I am in favor of it." QoV. Colquitt, Texas, remarked; | "Wilson seems to have come around to the opinion of the Texas governor] when he says peace and Ilucrta are at opposite poles." QoV. Blaton, Georgia, paid the Unit? ed States would not be justified In intervention except under the neces? sity of protecting its own citizens. QoV, ESberhardt, Minnesota, ap? proves the policy of the government and is opposed to intervention. Qov. Spry, Utah, said: "I am in favor at doing the job right and tak? ing over tho entire country for our selves." Ultimate war with Mexico is fore? cast by Qov, Byrne of South Da? kota, who says the Wilson plan "looks to be rather a weak policy." QoV. Lister. Washington said: "It stems to me that the president's posi? tion Is logical." QOV, O'Neal, Alabama. "Htierta can never pacify the country, ami ii 'would be disgraceful for this countr) to recognise a man like him. 1 see Inn occasion f??r Intervention by this l country." It el Inquiries Adrianople. London. Auk A long dispatch from Constantinople today gives de? tails of the negotiations between Turkey and Bulgarin, by which it is s.iid the latter has relinquished claim to Adrianople In retain for eompen i nation elsewhere. CONVICT WORK OUTLINED. CHAIRMAN A. K. BANDERS MAKES STATEMENT OF POSITION OF BOARD. Prisoners Formerly Employed in Hosiery Mill will Manufacture tee Uier Uoods ami Furniture) Knud Question still Open?Bids Requested. Convicts now employed in the ho? siery mill ut the State penitentiary ure to be used for the manufacture of leather goods, und furniture, under contract, according to a resolution adopted yesterday at a meeting of the hoard of directors. An advertisement for the employ-! mcnt of 200 to 300 prisoners Will he inserted in the press of the State this morning and the contract will be let at u meeting called for September 10. Contract with the management of the hosiery mill will expire Novem ber l. At the meeting yesterday the hoard discussed the question of placing some of the convicts on road work, hut nothing of a definite nature was de? cided upon. Following advertisement Will ap? pear this morning: "The hoard of directors of South Carolina penitentiary will he pleased to receive bids for the employment of 200 to 300 convicts within the walls of the penitentiary for the purpose of manufacturing leather goods, furni? ture, chairs, etc. The penitentiary to furnish buildings, guards, water, lights and heat. Contract to be let at their otlice, Columbia, S. C, on Wednesday, September 10." There ure now 4 30 prisoners at the penitentiary. Of this number about l| are women. There ure 220 pris? oners employed in the hosiery mill. Statistic^ gathered by the peniten? tiary officials show that the following are now employed In the hosiery mill: Fighty-six negro men convicted of murder and serving life sentences; nine white men serving life terms for murder; 13 negroes serving sentences of three to 15 years each for burglary and larceny; 15 white men under sim? ilar sentences; three white men and three negroes serving sentences rang? ing from two to live years each for assault and battery of a high and ag? gravated nature; 16 negroes serving sentences for manslaughter of 10 to 30 years each; seven white men serv? ing like sentences for manslaughter; 27 negroes serving terms of 30 years to life each for attempted criminal assault; 11 white men and three ne? groes serving terms of from 10 to 3?? yejsffs each on the charge of arson. The general policy was decided upon at a full meeting of the hoard, which is composed of the following: A. K. Sanders, Sumter, chairman; John Q. Mobley, Fairtield; W. 11. Glenn, Anderson; J. D. Deas, Clar endou; Jasper M. Smith, Colleton. Contract With the management of the hosiery mill was abolished at the last session of the general assembly. Several days ago J. M. Graham, who lias held the contract with the SJtate for prison labor for 2 years, an? nounced that he would gi\e up his contract without litigation. A. K. Sanders, chairman, made the following statement yesterday: "As there seems to he a great dif? ference of opinion existing all over the .Stute us to What disposition should be inude of the convicts now employed in the hosiery mill when same is closed on November the 1st next, l' beg to give my views on the subject as widely, perhaps, as they may differ from a great many. 1 will say at the outset that I have been a member of the board of directors of the State penitentiary for the last 15 years; have attended several sessions of the American Prison association and have visited most of the large prisons and have a personal acquaintance with nearly every superintendent ami wurden of prisons in the United States. Fvcr since my connection With the penitentiary 1 have made a study of prison conditions, both at home und abroad and have learned enough to know that there are twoj sides to tin* great question: What is j best to do with the man after he he comes a con\ let *.' "Tiie greatest of these questions, which most people seem to ignore en? tirely, is the humanity side of it. As soon as a man is convicted of a crime they seem to forget that lie is a hu? man being and deserves to he treated as Such. In my judgment, whenever a man is convicted of a crime and thereby forfeits his liberty to the State, the State should never lose its control of him and should be held responsible for his safe keeping and Well being. He should be well cloth? ed, given wholesome food, com? fortable (piarters and good medical attention and then made to work, but making money f?>r the state should not be the main object of any pen? al institution. But alter the prison? ers have been accorded the treat? ment as above set forth, it an honest dollar can be made there Is no oh iectlon lo it j A great many seem to think that I the proper thing to do is to lease them OUt to tho different county chain ganga fur the purpose of building good roads. This seosns to bo the must popular plan hut the average citizen does not know the cost in hu? man life and blood by such a sys? tem, i war.t it understood that l am not opposed entirely to the chain gangs. For petty offenders and short term nidi I think it is all right and calculated to do a good work, but I will never think it is right to take a man sentent ed for 10 years or per? haps longer, shackle him, make him labor six days to the week, sleep in tents on the damp ground and of? ten in wet clothes and, in many cases, with a cruel boss l>ehind him. Under these conditions, and I believe they are true in a number of coun? ties, if a man should survive a 10 year sentence at the end of it he would be a physical wreck and never worth anything more to himself or to his family. Prison statistics will show that the average life of a convict is not over 10 years with the best caro and attention that can be given him. As iong as a man has the health and strength to do the work he may get along all right, but what becomes of him when he gets sick? Are the chaingangs in position to properly care for him? I would not think so, unless my eyes have deceived me, as I have seen them brought to the pen? itentiary, from the various counties, dejected, broken down and sick, their backs, in most instances, stan ling as living witnesses to the harsh treat? ment they had received. "Having made this subject a Jtudy and having visited all of the chain? gangs in the State when convicts were hired by the penitentiary, 1 give ;t as my honest judgment that the sys? tem as now practiced is vicious, cruel and inhuman and should be wiped out of existence. "With this statement 1 now come to the main object of this article: "What is to be done, after Novem? ber 1, with the convicts now em? ployed In the hosiery mill? Here we have more than L'OU men, the most of whom have not done any manual or laborious work in years; they have been worked indoors and p;otected from the winds and the weather; they have had comfortable beds and good quarters. Aside from their work, all the exercise they have had has been in going and returning to meals and to work. What would be the result if these men are now let to the chain? gangs, just at the: beginning of win? ter, confined in tents on the damp ground and often in wet clothes? It is impossible to tell what the result would be, hut in my judgment there would not be many survivors to tell the tale when spriug opened next year. "Does the average citizen In South Carolina want good roads at such a terrible cost .' I hope not. What then is to be done with the convicts? Hav? ing lived adjacent to the State farms ever since they were established and having observed from year to year tho great work they have accom? plished, I am thoroughly convinced that farming is the best, healthiest and most remunerative work at Which convicts can he employed. It tar? nishes light, sunshine, fresh air and wholesome food and that means a great deal for the existence of the man behind the bars. A great many object to the State engaging in farm? ing in competition with its citizens, but they must remember that there is no work at which convicts can be employed that does not bring them in competition with free labor and 1 believe that farming removes it as far as anything I know of. For a number of years a bill has been in? troduced at every session of the legis? lature to sell the State farms, but it is usually by a member, who, per? haps, has never seen the farms and their practical workings, to say noth? ing of the. success they have achieved m putting money in the State treas? ury. j "Instead of selling the present farms, I believe the best thing that i the legislature could do, at its next session, would be to authorize the purchase of at least four farms, to be i located in different sections of the j State, and conduct them as experi | mental stations. Labor enough from the hosiery mill hards could be fur? nished to operate them, aside from the dangerous characters who can not be worked outside of the walla of the penitentiary. It would be the best day's work that the legislature could J do, both from a health and financial standpoint an well as the great object ' lessons they would afford to the farm j ers living in the section where they may be located, ",\s l have said in the beginning ol this communication, I have an exten? sive acquaintance with prison men all over the United States and it is the i consensus of opinion among them that a prison can not be successfully oper? ated without a farm. They ?Ii agree that outdoor work with such label as the farm affords is best for them Just .1 lew weeks ago a delegation from Florida visited this state Inspecting our prison conditions and particularly ! our farming industry. Florida has med the leaaing system and as fat ;is dollars and cents are concerned It was a sue em, but be it paid to It* everlasting credit jt has seen the evil effects of selling human life and blood to the highest bidder and at the last session ??f the legislature the purchase of 16.000 acres of land was authorised and $250,000 appropriated to start in farming; They must realize thst it il an improvement over the old lease system. All of the Southern States ure now engaged in working their convicts on farms. "South Carolina, in days gone by, has tried leasing convicts to the phos? phate mines, to railroads and to pri? vate parties at what seemed to be fair wages. Did it prove successful? I am willing for the records to show. Is it not a fact that until the State farms were purchased and operated thai the legislature, at every session, had to make an appropriation for the sup. port of the penitentiary? What are the conditions now? During the last 1G years more than $150,000 bos been placed in the State treasury and more than that amount spent in permanent improvements, all of which come from the net earnings of the penitentiary. Not a dollar has been appropriated by the legislature for maintenance or otherwise. "Where did the money come from if not from the farms? The farms are open to inspection any time by citizens of the State. There they will find about 2,500 acres in cultivation, equally divided in cotton, corn and small gr ? ? The cultivation is done with 50-odd mules raised on the farm. The farms are well stocked with cau tie and hogs. The magnificent crops of cotton and corn now in sight bear tea* timony to latest scientific methods of farming. It is a great object lesson and an inspiration to those engaged in farming. Above all, the visitors will find the convicts healthy and well cared for and engaged in work they have been accustomed to all of their lives. "Having given expression to my honest convictions on this great ques? tion, this article is respectfully sub? mitted to the people of South Caro? lina for their consideration." STATE BOARD IX SESSION. Columbia, Aug. 27.?The board of canvassers today met in the office of the Secretary of State and went over the dispensary election returne from four counties, adjourning until tomor? row, vhen the returns from the other counties will be canvassed. The fol? lowing counties canvassed voted for the dispenasry: Bamberg, 499 for and 258 against; Harnwell, 991 for and 319 against; Dorchester, 66 ? for and 324 against; Florence, 803 for and 657 against. Judge Purdy, representing the pro? hibition forces in Sumter county, tele? phoned Secretary of State MeCown late this afternoon that Sumter s re? turns would be in tomorrow and only part of the testimony in the contest over the result of the election had been transcribed. The board of. canvassers will postpone action an hearing of contests and will call them up on September 9, this agreement) having been reached informally thin afternoon. It is said that there wilt he contests from Sumter, Lexington and Williamsburg. MOWS NOTES FROM EGYPT. Fodder Pulling Going on and Cotton Picking Begun?Personal Newa Egypt, Aug. 26.?Farm work here is moving rapidly. The fodder is ripe, and the folks realize it is "now or never" in this case. Cotton is open? ing in tome places, very fast and be? fore many days you'll hear the mer? ry voices of the pickers. Mr. and Mrs. J. R. McLeod attend? ed a barbecue in Camden on Wed ? nesday. Misses Lillian Baggot of Tamps, Fla., and Gertrude Pickett of Long town are spending several days with Miss Lota McLeod. Miss Rosa Md^eod of Camden spent several days during her vacstion with Miss Sadie White. Mr. L. EL White spent a few dsys at ltemhert recently. Messrs. Wylie and Meek Hague of Camden spent Sunday at the home of Mr. L. A. White. Mrs. Ida Holland is visiting her sister-in-law, Mrs. J. C. McLeod. Miss Lucile Britton spent Friday in Camden. Misses Hmlly snd Gladys Hutson spent several days last week at the .Ionic of Mrs. J. W. Weldon. Miss Same White has returned home after a ten days visit to rela I fives in Camden. , I Master Wylie Jenkins of Rembert is spending this week with relatives here. On lent Wednesday evening Mra J? YV Weldon gave a peanut boiling In honor Of Misses Kmily and Gladys Hutson which seemed to be q'iitt a success. i r4 i>r C. s. Britton continues to he vary ill. : ;--? Mr. B. <>? White left several days I ago to take a position at Columbia. . Mr Peter Bertold and aunt, Mrs. Rebecca Miller of Saratoga. Fia . et? ter upending sometime at the hogsjs of Mr. J. K. Itlchbourg returned yes? terday.