Letters to the Editor: Sept. 30, 2015

Trump is likely to survive

As they were ushering John Boehner out of his Speaker chair, he asked me to tell James Werrell that he hoped his prediction in his Friday column about the demise of Donald Trump’s campaign was more accurate than his prediction of the demise of the tea party. Never mind the most recent New Hampshire poll showing Trump increasing his lead there.

Since Werrell seems to enjoy political “freak shows,” I am sure the Obama campaign was a spellbinder for him, and it even included fainting in the aisles, which the Donald is yet to accomplish. Perhaps Werrell will perform that feat for Hillary, unless of course she is already in jail by then.

I can’t quite figure if he writes this column simply for his own amusement or as a personal wish list. But either way he had better hope that the Trump supporters’ loathing of the ruling class and the media soon abates or the fate of opinion page editors may not be any better than the poor tearful Mr.Boehner’s.

Vance Barnhill

York

Ben Tillman was a real monster

My ancestor, Darlington County Sheriff William Preston Cole, stated that Ben Tillman was neither man nor gentleman. Cole would not serve under “Pitchfork Ben.”

The people of Edgefield had little respect for Ben Tillman as a person. In a drunken stupor, Tillman attempted to throw his baby in the well. After this incident, the mothers were encouraged by the church to pin a blue ribbon on their babies during baptisms or christenings to pledge that their children would refrain from drinking.

During the Reconstruction era, grandfather Cole stated Tillman was mean and ruthless. When Tillman would go into a home in Edgefield, the women were excused from his presence. God only knows how many people suffered under his rule, both white and black...

The cruel ties and evil of Reconstruction have plagued the races.

Thank God for the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a man of faith, peace and love. Robert Marshall, president of the Interfaith Collegiate Council of Atlanta, worked closely with the reverend.

The tragedy at the AME church in Charleston has made a peace that cannot be described and has spread with no reservation throughout the state. May their lives not be in vain. God help us all.

Anne M. Marshall

Rock Hill

This story was originally published September 29, 2015 at 8:05 PM with the headline "Letters to the Editor: Sept. 30, 2015."