The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-10-14
QUESTION OF vERACITY.
Bleasc Says He Believes Ifllman Was
I'm Combination TO Bring Out Ira Il.
Jones.
Spartanburg Herald, Oct. Z.


Surrounded by a constantly aug
mented throng Of admirers at the
Argyle hotel last night, Governor
Cole l.. Blease freely expressed his
views on subjects to reporter for
The Herald and disclosed something
Of his plans.
He made 1t plain that notwith-
standing Senator B. r. Tillman's de-
NAL. he believed there was truth in
the story published by w. T. Crews,
editor Of the Greenwood News-Scimi-
tar. to the effect that Senator Till
man and Maj. John G. Richards, Jr..
had plotted to bring out Chief JUS
tice Ira B. Jones. Of the supreme
court. as a candidate to defeat him
for governor. He said he believed
the program had been to elect Ma
jor Richards lieutenant governor.
Then. II Senator Tillman was COM
PEELED for any reason to give up his
seat In the senate. Justice Jones
would take his place and Maj. Rich
ards would step into the governors
chair.
II am going to be reelected" said
Governor Blease, when asked II he
would say anything concerning poll
tics. / will beat Jones by bigger
majority than the one by which
defeated Featherstone, and If Till
mans man Richards Is a candidate
will beat them both"
Another interesting statement of
the governor was that he intended to
remedy conditions at the hosiery mill
OF the State penitentiary through leg
islation to be enacted by the general
assembly at It's approaching session.
Bristling up at the suggestion that
the legislature might not be amen
able to his wishes. he said:
They better had. That's all have
to say"
Continuing. Governor Blease said
that little grand jury" in Rlchland
county. which found the hosiery mill
to be sanitary. had set itself against
some Of the best physicians In the
State. He mentioned physicians who,
he said. declared the hosiery mill was
disease breeder. and said he was
marshalling his facts for submission
to the legislature.
1t was foolish, the governor said.
for laymen to set themselves against
experts. For instance. he said, the
floors and walls and ceiling Of the
Argyle hotel seemed to he clean and
sanitary. But suppose. he suggested,
that expert physicians should say
that the walls and ceiling were in
tested with disease germs; would a
reasonable layman attempt to con-
tradict them? This he said. was the
case with the hosiery mill.
Speaking Of legislation which he
would commend to the general as
sembly. Governor Blease said he
would try to obtain the passage of
law establishing two cents a mile
as fiat rate for passenger transpor-
tation on the steam railroads of the
State. This, he said. would obviate
the mileage nuisance and make it
possible for poor people to travel
short distances as cheaply as wealthy
people. Under the law he proposes,
ne said. a PASSENGER who was travel
ing ten miles could buy ticket for
20 cents, or give the conductor 20
cents or give the conductor ten miles
OF mileage. as was most convenient.
III the railroad did not trust their
conductors. he asserted. they ought
to discharge them and get men whom
they could trust: and II he were a
conductor and his employers did not
trust him he would quit his position.
The governor said he would also
recommend 10 the legislature all the
measures he recommended before
which We're not passed.