The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-07-09
STRONGLY DENOUNCES
THE GRACE CHARGES
ROTH BLEASE AND JONES WERE
GIVEN OVATIONS.
Stirring Appeals of the Candidates
Tremendous Cheering But No
Disorder.
News and Courier, 9Th.

News and Courier, 9Th.
Ovations for both Judge Jones and
Governor Blease: tremendous cheer
ing but no disorder; the threat by
Governor Blease that if Charleston
voted for Judge Jones, he, Blease,
would do his best to infict upon this
city a metropolitan police and govern
ment by injunction-these were some
of the outstanding features of the
State campaign meeting held yester-
day afternoon and last night at the
Hibernian Hall. Other features no
less important we're the stirring ap-
peal made by Judge Jones to his aud
ience to pay no heed to accusations
and arguments which he characterized
as "pickayunish" and absurd" his
effective answering one by one of the
charges brought against him by the
governor in his Bishopville speech;
his earnest plea to ,the voters of
Charleston to vote for him and for
good government; and the charge
made by Governor Blease that Judge
Jones voted to fasten the metropoli-
tan police and government by injunc-
ton upon Charleston, the governor
reading from the records to substan-
tiate these charges.
Denounces Aceuser.
Beyond question the crisis of the
meeting, the most exciting moment of
it all came almost at the end, when
Governor Blease, after discussing his
relations with Mayor Grace and the
charges made by the latter that graft
could be traced from the dispensary
constables in Charleston practically
up to the governors Office, declared
that any man who accused him of ever
receiving a dishonest dollar was
malicious characterized and a cow
ardly liar" Mayor Grace was in the
audience occupying chair about five
rows from the stage and On the south
side of the hall. Instantly hundreds
of eyes turned to the place where he
sat. The mayor, however, made no
reply, and, the meeting being at an
end a few minutes later, he simply
rose and left the hall with the. rest of
the crowd.
This denunciation of any who ac-
cused him brought the most exciting
moment of the meeting, but it was not
the most significant Or important of
the statements made by Governor
Blease. The statement that made the
deepest impression upon his hearers
was the threat with which he con-
cluded his speech. "I will be COVER
nor" he declared, "the last part OF
August, all of September, October, No
vember, December and twenty-one
days in January; and if you want
government by injunction and metro
politan police, vote for Jones and for
the rest of this year and the next two
I will do my best to give it to you."
no.J o&{n- Erop,
Another feature of Governor Blease's
speech which excited keen interest
because it had to do with his relations
with Mayor Grace was his reading OF
letter from Mayor Grace, in which
the latter asked him not to dismiss
local notary public who was a negro.
Governor Blease read this letter amid
rapt attention and also read the replN
which he had written to the mayor
and in which he declined to retain the
negro as notary. He concluded this
phase. of his speech with the state
ment that as long as he was governor
no negro would hold a commission
from him. This was the signal for an
outburst of applause mingled with
few shouts from the audience warning
him to be careful in what he said
about Grace.
The governor also received enthus-
iastic applause when in reply to a
question he endorsed the races held
here last winter and said in regard to
holding another race meet here next
year that he would advise Charleston
to go ahead and do as she pleased
about it.
Big Hall Filled.
1t was a tremendous audience that
faced the gubernatorial candidates
,,bon their f1rrn came to speak. It was