The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1911-10-11

of the late Col. T. b. Crews, as editor
in-chief, came out in its first issue with
an editorial headed "A Plot Against
Blease." In it reference was made to
Senator Tillman as an interested par
ty to a plot to defeat Governor Blease
Senator Tillman came back with
a reply and then Mr.. Crews replied to
this A few days afterwards, Gov
Blease gave out an interview relative
to some points in the correspondence
Below is given the affair in full
"The Plot Against BIcasc."
Several days ago Senator Tillman
was the guest of Mr.. John G. Rich
ards at his home in Kershaw county,
and when the senator left for his
home at Trenton the chief justice of
the supreme court of the state, Judge
:. Jones, made pilgrimage, also,
--T Richards home, which seems
suddenly to have become the politi-
cal mecca for all anti-BleaGe politi-
clans.
Immediately after Chief Justice
Jones return home he sent his resig-
nation to the governor, to take effect
next January, and also notified Col.
Brooks, clerk of the supreme court,
to that effect. This turn of the politi-
cal Kaleidoscope affords some inter
esting prognostications, and at the
same time develops a political scheme
that has been Matching in Columbia
for some time. When that former
popular News and Courier correspond
ent whom Tillman loved and loves
above all other newspaper correspond
ents, OF the anti press of the state.
laid all his wires and made report to
Gonzales e. Co., the political leven
began to work. The big city dailies
Immediately began to sing the praises
of Judge Ira B. Jones for governor,
and all the little me too anti -Blease
papers in the state yelped approval,
and have been making the welkin ring
ever since with the praises of Mr..
. Jones'. -'..-.--
Whether or not Senator Tiliman
has given these conspiring politicians
any pegs on which to hang their po-
litical hopes, we don't know; but
whether he did or not. the anti-Blease
politicians are trying to make Senator
Tillman's old friends and supporters
believe he did. But any rate, it is
easy to picture the suave Richards
and the sedate and wise chief justice
sitting out on the porch of Mr. Rich
political downfall of Blease and the
menacling of his vicious and ignor-
ant supporters. The Delilah-like
mediator and political ambassador Of
the Gonzales wing of the Blease op-
position had already delivered his ul-
timatum to the plotters, who were
now expected to carry out their part
of the scheme by deceiving or fooling
the 'old-time Tillmanite- Reformers
and to this extent his mission was
successful. Now Jones and Richards
get to work. The latter had already
wormed out of Tillman, under the
guise of personal friendship, as to the
probability of Senator Tillman's be-
ing able to make an active canvass
next year, and also as to the prObab bill
ity of his resigning the senatorship
in the event of his reelection, with
no opposition. So. the balance of the
plot was plain sailing for Jones and
Richards. The Gonzales politicians
had already let it be known that they
were not going to tolerate any more
prohibition foolishness, i'm the next
gubernatorial campaign, so it was out
of the question for Richards to be
come candidate, as he was too we'll
known as a pronounced Prohibitions
list; and after a few personal express
SionS OF esteem one for another MIR.
Richards patriotcally sacrificed him
self to the political ambition of Jus
tice Jones, and it was then and there
decided that if Mr. Jones would an
nounce his resignation and later on
come out as a candidate against Cole
Blease. OF course, being Prohibi-
ZIONIST himself. Mr.. Richards bundled
cup the prohibition vote, tied it with a
Bpiece of blue ribbon, sealed it with
the pledge of the prohibition press of
the state, presented 1t to Mr. Jones
with all the knghtly courtesy due
from one conspirator to another. This
done, Mr.. Jones resignation was pre-
pared, which, on his return home. was
to be sent to the governor, and later
on to follow it up with the announce
ment of his candidacy for the govern
ship. The latter part of the pro-
gramme, however, seems to have been
f, hurried up a bit The conspirators
got wind of the fact that there were
many old friends of John Gary Evans
who began to use his name in con
nection with the governorship, when
the Gonzales crowd warned Chief JUS
tice Jones to do about get busy
and Mr.. Jones announcement for the
governorship was Immediately forth
coming. This much of the plot has
already come to light; but there is
another side TO it that the people
don't know yet,
MIR. Richards is to keep i'm constant
touch with Senator Tillman, and of
course he and he alone. is to know
when the senator is to retire wheth-
er by declining to run i'm the next