The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-12-21
FELDER'S BOOK ON BLEASE.
Alleged Expose of Governor Said to
Be in Hands of Printer.

ue 0Qdl iva AoA SNN1
morning printed the following:
The Herald was informed Wednes-
day of a rumor which, if verified, is
likely to prove one Of the most
startling political sensations South
Carolina has ever known. The ru-
NOR is that Thomas B. Fielder, the
Atlanta attorney, has fulfilled his
promise to write book concerning
Gov. Cole L. Blease, and the volume
is now in the hands of the printers.
1t is called Fielder on Blease'' and
is said to contain revelations of a
most extraordinary character.
The gentleman who mentioned the
rumor to the Herald is one whose
name is known to every we'll inform
ed citizen of the State and is of un-
impeached veracity. He gave the
story on hearsay evidence.
He has had occasion to travel all
over the State and asserted that he
had met several reputable people
who claimed to have seen the book
or extracts from it.
In the book are recorded many
allegations concerning the governor.
One of them, it was incidentally
mentioned, concerned an alleged
happening on a train between Spar
tanburg and Greenville. The date
and hour of the occurrence, the num-
Der of the train and other particu-
lars are given, it is said.
There is, a great wealth of detail
in the stories of all the incidents
and events related in the book.
Thomas B. Fielder demonstrated
in certain letters which he wrote
concerning Gov. Blease last winter
that he has a facile pen, a ready vo-
cabulary and vigorous style. His
book is said fully to sustain the repu-
tation he made with those epistles.
1t is said to be a terrific and savage
arraignment of the governor.
Thomas B. Fielder was employed
by the old dispensary winding-up
commission to unearth evidence
against the dispensary grafters. He
rendered valuable service and was
of great assistance to Attorney Gen
eral j. Fraser Lyon in the prosecu-
ton of the grafters and recovery of
money unlawfully taken from the
State.
Gov. Blease, it will be recalled,
made charges by insinuation against
the winding-up commission soon af-
ter he took Office and asked the legis-
lature to make an Investigation. The
legislature promptly adopted reso-
luton calling for such an investiga-
ton. In his message to the ,legisla-
ture Gov. Blease made charges
against Fielder, who vigorously re-
piled in terms most uncompliment-
ary to the governor.
Gov. Blease soon afterward remov-
ed the members of the winding-up
commission from Office and appointed
a new commission.
Lieutenant Gov. Smith appoint
ed the senate members of the COM
mittee to investigate the old wind
ing-up commission before Gov. Blease
had signed the resolution providing
for, the investigation.
When doubt was raised as to
whether the governor would approve
of the investigation, even although
he himself had asked for it, Fielder
served notice that if the governor
did not approve of the, bill within
a certain time he would write a
book exposing Blease.
The governor finally vetoed the
resolution for the investigation on
the ground that the senators ap-
pointed on the investigation commit
tee were hostile to- him.
It was about this time that Fielder
wrote vitrioEc letters concerning the
governor, whom he invited either to
prosecute him for libel or to meet
him in a personal encounter outside
of South Carolina.