The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-07-08
FIELDER SPEAKS
He Says Criminals RuIe South Carolina,
Referring 10 BIease.
READS A FEW LETTERS

The Atlanta Attorney Gives Some In
teresting Dope at Dublin, Ga, on
Last Tuesday.-In the Letter He
Read Citizens of this State Roast
ed Governor Blease
A dispatch from Dublin. Ga, says
the barbecue and good roads rally
held there on the Fourth, was big
success. A large crowd was present,
and all throughly enjoyed the address
of Hon. Thomas B. Fielder, Of At
lanta, former Dublinite.
Mr.. Fielder was greeted enthusias-
tically by the large crowd. Quite a
number fran distance came in au-
tomobiles to be present at the barbe-
cue, Macon sending good delega-
ton The barbecue was held under
the auspices OF the Dublin chamber
of commerce, and was the first pub
lie function by that body.
"I am unable to restrain a natural
impulse to refer to an episode in my
life of recent occurrence, which has
brought me into unpleasant notoriety.
If in doing so 1 trench upon the pro-
prieties of the occasion, I plead in ca
cuse and extenuation the fact that
crave above all things the continued
confidence and friendship of the peo-
pie of Laurens county. 1t is not my
purpose to tax audiences with the full
details of this episode, but I mere
ly desire to briefly advert to it that
you may understand that shall in
the end receive from you the welcome
plaudit, We'll done, thou good and
faithful servant
"About four years ago was en-
ployed by the state of South Carroll
ma to assist her splendid attorney
general in the Herculean task OF
cleaning out her Augean stables OF
their filth and corruption, feel that
l can in modesty say that the task
was not only honorably and credita-
bly, performed, but the services met
with the approval Of the best people
of that state, resulting in the restitu-
ton to the treasury Of that graft.
soaked and graft ridden people ap'
proximately, half million dollars, and
in the indictment by the grand juries
of the several counties thereof OF
more than a score OF thieves and
plunderers
'In the last gubernatorial election
he criminal element of that state sue
ceeded in electing one of their mum
Der to the governorship. am in
possession of evidence, written anc
oral, which in my Judgment, would
not only justify, but demand his i'm
parchment. If ! could read in this
presence the hundreds of letters from
the geod but graft-ridden people Of
that once glorious commonwealth II
which their greatest acknowledge
ments are rendered and their prayer
full God-speeds are wished me in the
great work at hand in ridding them
of this moral and political leper, his
confederates and allies, I am sure
would receive from this audience
shouts of approval as would make the
welkin ring I will detain you long
enough to read you extracts from but
few of these letters"
Colonel Fielder then read the fol-
lowing extracts from letters:
"The offense which you have com
mitted, which is grevious to the sight
of our present governor, is the great
success you have attained in expos
ing him and his friends in crime"
"'Have you read with interest the
proceedings in the controversy be-
tween yourself and our vagabond
governor II want to say
with Hub Evans, Blease and Fred
Dominick right in Newberry, and in
control of things there they could
convict most anybody they wanted tc
by picking a jury and the plundel
bund of South Carolina, knowing that
you are the man will 60 to any extent
in perjury and forgery to convict
ou, and Blease is making every effort
to discredit you in this state and thus
attempt to weaken the evidence you
nroduce against him by declaring
upon the ignorant rabble that he had
you prosecuted for attempted bribery
Governor Blease's requisi-
tion is heartily approved by every
decent law-abiding citizen Of South
Carolina.
Permit me to say that while I do
not approve of all you have said and
done in this matter, yet it is impos-
sible to escape the conviction that you
now hold IN your hands very largely
the State Ct South Carolina for the
next few years at least. 1t is to be
presumed that you fully appreciate
the gravity of the responsibility,
which by reason of circumstances
rests upon you at this time. There
may not be with you the motive to
act that would move citizen of this
state, but many are hoping that you
will Justify the confidence placed in
you by our people.
"In conclusion permit me to say
that if the reprobate who occupies