BEFORE THE DAYS OF AN ACCEPTED TWO-PARTY SYSTEM IN SOUTH CAROLINA
In 1933 -1934, there was no "civil service" in the Federal Government, and many positions, including Postmastership, were political appointments. Soon after the election of President Roosevelt, a Democrat, Herbert O. Jones Sr., postmaster at Salley since 1914, suddenly found himself "out of office". Since he had been an active Republican, although a member of a predominately Democratic family, an interesting series of letters suddenly appeared in "The State", the Columbia, SC newspaper:
A few days after June 17, 1934
WOULD MAKE CLEAR POLITICAL STAND
To the Editor of The State:
There appeared in The State of Saturday, June 17, an article, which we have been authentically informed was written by Olin J. Salley of Salley, recently installed postmaster succeeding Herbert O. Jones. This article contained the following paragraph:
"The Jones family has been prominent in political and governmental affairs in this section of the state for a half century. The retiring postmaster having been Republican executive committeeman from Aiken county during the last presidential campaign. He was also president of the Postmasters' association in South Carolina for several years. He is a nephew of the late John Livingston, the last Republican sheriff in Orangeburg county as well as a nephew of Fred Wannamaker, until recently, acting collector of internal revenue in Columbia."
We, the undersigned, wish to make it clear to the readers of The State that we are not Republicans and never have been, and that we cannot understand why Olin J. Salley should deliberately stress the political affiliations of some of our relatives, and pointedly ignore the Democratic loyalty of the rest of the family, unless it be for the purpose of discrediting us in the eyes of our many Democratic friends over the state who ;may have read his article. Had the writer's intentions been kindly, he could have mentioned the conspicuous loyalty of the undersigned to the Democratic party while enumerating the family achievements. Olin J. Salley knows, as do the people of the town of Salley and this voting precinct, that our devotion to the Democratic party has been unswerving--that we have upheld its principles, given to it our wholehearted support and discharged our duties when elected as a delegate to the Democratic county convention from this club by a majority of people who have known us for years. Salley is our birthplace and we have lived here all of our lives.
We regret the fact that our esteemed postmaster should adopt such means of retaliation while filling an office that demands the highest ideals and the most exemmplary conduct. Therefore we consider it a duty to ourselves, to our many friends in this state and in the city of Washington to make the correction through the sme channels Mr. Salley has used. Our stand for Democracy is well known from the humblest voter here to men ranking high in county, state and national affairs at Washington.
We hope that those who saw Mr. Salley’s article and wondered, will read and understand. We intend to keep the record straight.
ERNEST E. JONES
D. CALHOUN JONES
HERBERT JONES JR.
The next "chapter" in this story appeared in The State on June 21, 1934:
NO OFFENSE MEANT
To the Editor of The State:
I am grieved that the Jones boys should have taken exception to the news item in The State in regard to the change in postmaster here. The item was written solely as a news item. It is quite singular that some of the other people here criticized the same piece as more laudatory of the outgoing postmaster than was proper. I took the position that any one who had served as long and as well as Herbert Jones had served here as postmaster deserved honorable mention even if I had to do it myself. I am quite sure that his efforts in building up the Postmasters’ league in this state was quite commendable. I am also inclined to think that his influence in the Republican party was for the best interests of that party. I would be the last man to deny any one the privilege of saying what party he belonged to. If some members of a family want to be Democrats and some Republicans that is nothing strange or disgraceful. I never accused the boys who signed the piece in The State of being Republicans because I don’t think they are. It just happened that the members of the family mentioned were more prominent than those not mentioned.
OLIN J. SALLEY,
Salley.
A "friend" adds a third letter sometime later in 1934:
PRAISE FOR JONES
To the Editor of The State:
Mr. and Mrs. Herbert O. Jones will leave for Spartanburg, Wednesday, July 4, where Mr. Jones will preside over the 14th annual convention of the South Carolina Postmasters" Association.
For the last ten years or more Mr. Jones has served as president in a most efficient and untiring manner. At the convention which was held in Aiken last July, Mr. Jones tendered his resignation as his term as postmaster of Salley had then expired six months previous and he thought best to elect a president who would be in the postal service the ensuing year, but this request was unanimously refused.
Mr. Jones is not a man desirous of laudatory remarks, but from those who know him best, it can truly be said that no praise has been unduly given for his service in government and civic enterprises. He is held in high esteem by all who have associated with him, not only members of the Postmasters’ league in South Carolina, but likewise by those in the National league, and it is necessary that you come in contact with the most prominent men in the government service.
His discontinuance as postmaster in Salley is greatly regretted by the many patrons of the office, and his success in the new work with the Augusta Chronicle is the wish of his many friends.
"FRIEND"
Salley.
A few days later, the Editor of The State used these letters as the basis for an editorial on the two party system in South Carolina. We will add that in this space later.