The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-08-02
NO. P. GRACE MAKES
ATTACK ON GOVERNOR
PART OF STATEMENT is UNFIT
TO PUBLISH.
Accuses Governor of immortality and
Corrupt Connection With South.
ern Railway.
columbia State(.

at the Glenn Springs hotel tonight
John P. Grace, mayor of Charleston,
and a member of Gov. Cole. L. Blease's
staff, dictated the following statement:
"I have read Gov. Blease's release
to me, if may so cali it, under which
I now feel at liberty to make the two
statements to which I referred in an
interview given out last night. I no
tice he says: 4 have never made a
confdant of John P. Grace in any
manner, shape Or form This only
confirms what said to the effect that
I did not regard the conversation as
confidential and it removes the last
scruple that I might have in the mat
ter. 7 therefore now state that dur
ing a conversation in Charleston,
while Gov. Blease was in very con-
vivial mood, he saw fit to direct his
thoughts along the lines of some OF
his experiences in matters so delicate
that will expect the public to judge
of their meaning when say that wo-
men was the topic.
Gas I said in my interview yester-
day, it seems to me that a man who
with such vaunted audacity under
takes to occupy this role should at
least begin by being able to show that
he had lived life compatible with
such claims.
"Gov. Blease, by all sorts of, oblique
insinuations, has created the impress
sion that Judge Jones private life in
reference to the colored race is not
what it should be. I am not in
position to say anything as to that,
either pro or con; but unless Gov.
Blease told me lie, which is, of
course, not improbable, judged by this
one episode, his is certainly not what
it should be, and I have heard many,
many rumors to the effect that there
are other more fragrant cases. The
only one, however, of which know
is the one which he told me himself.
The Southern Railway.
Second. I have also said that I
would prove Gov: Blease was guilty of
corrupt connection with the Southern
railway. This I have also from his
own lips and the best of my recollec-
ton is that it was in the same CONVEX
sation
eve had been talking of the pri-
mary through which he had just pass
ed and about the primary in general
and it's operations in our State. told
him that he could never have been
elected governor but for the primary
system. He admitted that but replied
very contemporary about the pri-
mary in general. He said, For in
stance, you people (meaning the peo-
ple of South Carolina) SbelieVe that
Won elected railroad commissioner
the other day. I said, Yes, I knew l
worked very hard to elect McDuffie
HAMPTON He said: We'll, who did
you think you we're working for" or
something to that effect and I told
him of course for McDufie Hampton
He said: well, that's exactly where
you're badly mistaken He said: why
you were working for the Southern
railway and you didn't know it, but I
know it, for I have every reason to
know it. said: We'll, how is that?
He said: why I practically paid the
campaign expenses of McDufie Hamp-
ton out of money furnished to me by
the Southern railway and gave them
vouchers signed by McDufie Hampton
for the amount
"He said, moreover: I was charged
also with the duty of wet-nursing him
through the whole campaign He
said: you know he's a terrible drink
er, in fact He said, He's a drunk
ard, and I had a hell of time
"I want the people of South Caro-
lima to consider this last statement
with the greatest discrimination of
Judgment. What does it mean? The
railroad commission is established for
the purpose of standing between the
people and the extortions of the rail-
roads. They are practically judicial
officers and upon their DEGREES rest
infinitely more Of the interests of the
people than any occasional decision of
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