The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1910-08-03
WITH THE STATE CAMPMCNFRS
IN THEIR COUNTY.TOCOUNTY TOUR

ans episode, challege to the editor
OF The State by Cole l.. Blease, can
didate for governor, the ovations ac-
corded Thos G. Mcleod, Attorney Cen
srai Lyon and James e. Ellerbe, the
enthusiastic reception given Charles
A. Smith in his home county, and the
beetowal of bouquets on three candi-
dates who have hitherto not been thus
favored, Blease, Mahon and Duvall.
.. G. Scarborough was loudly applaud
ed and proved the favorite among the
candidates for railroad commissioner.
Mayor Blease wants debate be-
tween himself and the editor of the
Columbia State, or at least with the
author of an editorial squib in Satur-
days issue of that paper. In reference
to that utterance Mr.. .Blease said:
l notice in the editorial column of
the State newspaper of this day, we
shall in day or two have something
to say in regard to the candidacy of
Candidate Diease that will not be re-
garded. as Endorsement
II believe that the people of South
Carolina are in favor of fair play, and
| now request and invite the man who
wrote that article to come on the
rostrum at Columbia at the State cam
paign meeting next Saturday, August
6, and have his something to say in
regard to the candidacy of Candidate
Blease' to my face. where / can and
will have the opportunity to make
reply; and if he declines this, then
demand that he name time and place
where he will agree to meet me face
to face and make his statements"
Following this Mr.. Blease made
strong prea for economy in the States
affairs, particularly in the higher edu-
cational institutions. He says Fur
man, Wofford, Erskine and Newberry
are running on one-third the money
given the State institutions and are
sending out just as brainy men and
accomplishing just as much good.
Col. w. W. Moore seemed to be the
favorite among the candidates for ad-
jutant general.
c. c. Featherstone made a particu-
larly strong speech today, on which
he drew forth considerable applause.
In view of criticism regarding his To-
cal option advocacy two years ago.
Mr.. Featherstone made the following
statement:
FcathcrStonc and Local Option.
IL want to make plain my position
on the liquor question. ! have advo-
Gated prohibition all my life. and as
a means to an end, until the State got
ready Tor absolute prohibition, | have
advocated local option.
In the local option interview of
1907, to which reference has been re-
peatedly made of late, | distinctly
and emphatically made the statement
that what we ultimately wanted was
prohibition for the entire State. and
that >only advocated local option as
a means to an end. / furthermore dis
timely stated that when we had such
an overwhelming majority in the en-
tire State as to insure it's enforce
ment. / would favor the language in
the entire State I did not and could
not have had in mind a condition of
affairs when majority of the people
in each county in the State would fav
or prohibitions nor do | think that the
Language employed is susceptible of
that construction. If so. / was unfor
tunate in the language used, for no
such idea was intended 10 be conveyed.
Surely no man could believe, for
example. that | expected to wait for
Statewide prohibition until & majority
of the people in Charleston would fav-
or Statewide prohibition. spoke
of the State as a unit. and the Ian
gauge, the entire State. must be con-
sidered i'm that connection.
about two years ago. in a second
interview, stated that believed that
the time had come for Statewide pro-
hibitiC2: and even casual reading
of these TWO interviews will make my
position so plain that no one will mis-
understand it, If some of the newspa-
pers which have been criticising my
position will be fair enough to print
both of these interviews in full my po-
sitim on the liquor question will be
perfectly plain.