Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-09-03
aAisetllaneuus &eadina.
TILLMAN WRITES BLEAsE.
Senator Volunteers Some Advice to
the Governor.

Senator Volunteers Some Advice Il
the Governor.
Hon. Cole l.. Blease.
Columbia, =. T..
My Dear Sir: While the returns
from the primary election are no
complete, enough is known to make
II certain tnat you and l are Dotf
reelected to the high offices we nov
hold. In every way possible you have
tried to make my Old friends amont
the people believe that you are the
representative OF Tillmanism, anc
therefore entitled to be my politica
heir.
Permit me to explain briefly tn,
difference between Tillmanism anC
Bleaseism as / understand 1t. Till.
manism means genuine democracy
the rule OF the people-of all the
white people, rich and poor alike
with special privilege and favors tt
none, with equality OF opportunity
and equality OF burden to all. II
was so understood by the Tillmanites
In 1880 and 1892 and 1t Is so under.
stood by them still.
personal ambition and greed for Of
rice-the office to be, used not for the
welfare OF all the people and the
state, but office for "Blease and his
friends. None others need apply"
While Tillman as governor did not
hesitate to pardon q constable by
telegraph who had been unrightously
punished by the liquor element In
Charleston lor raiding Chicco's house
Tillman always tried and did ad-
minister the law equally and justly as
he understood 1t. He had no fayorites
and Tried to obey the will of the ma
Jority Of the people even in those
counties which had voted against him.
He refused appointments as trial JUS
tice TO some Of his bitter political
elected at a primary, but were nomi-
mated by his political enemies in the
legislature.
1illman in Washington has never
asked whether a man from South
Carolina who has applied to him for
favor, for promotion or for prOtec-
tion was q Tillmanite or an anti, y
his only purpose being to try to dis
cover whether the man was trust
worthy, honorable and clean and
would make good If he got Tillman's
endorsement.
l believe in sticking by my friends,
governor, but I want to stick by them
in the right way and not in the wrong
way as you have done. Again Tillman
said many harsh and bitter things on
the stump because he was tantalized
and howled at worse than you have
ever been, but he always tried to tell
the truth, and never under the great
make anybody sweat blood" or in
H,nl0a In indnnanf cnnaoh hlo n l I'd :
ism or vulgarity on the stump. 1t is
not the business Of q governor nor
ought it to be permitted to him to
threaten his constituents. The law is
for the protection Of every man and
not for a governors friends only.
The one thing which gave Tillman
the most concern was the dealing with
petitions for pardon, the life, death
and liberty Of the poor wretches for
whom the petitions were filed. Blease
is charged with selling pardons
through his lawyer friends and shar-
ing the money. Governor, you know
whether there Is any shadow Of reason
or foundation for this? 1 do not, but
for your own fame and good name as
well as for the good name of the
state you ought to clear this charge
up. You cannot afford to treat II
down that way. Tillman was accused
of grating in the dispensary, but no
proofs were ever adduced or could
have ever been produced. His most
effective defense was that those who
charged him with stealing would have
stolen If they had had the same oppor-
tunities as he had:
Blease is charged with having voted
in the legislature as lawyer for a fee
rather than as the legislative repre-
sentative of the people. 1 have not
examined the records and cannot
say whether this Is true. Others can
determine for themselves and convict
or acquit you according to the evi-
dence.
When the question was asked by
the infuriated Tillmanites who felt
that they had been betrayed by their
this?" Some Of them in their rage
shouted, "he has been bought" Who
in South Carolina knows what the
price Of a Tillman is? In Washing
ton where he has worked for the last
Is years for the state and nation he
had opportunities almost innumer-
able to get money for official action.
When he was in charge Of the railroad
rate bill where there were hundreds
Of millions and even billions Of dol
lars worth Of property involved and
a slight change in the law which
Tillman could have aided to obtain,
meant untold money for the railroad
interests, no one ever hinted nor did
anyone ever believe that he was ap-
proachable as bribe-taker. 1t has
remained for some crazy South Car
Gilman, drunk with Bleaseism, to
hurl this suspicion at an old man
lowering on the brink Of the grave,
a man whose purity in private and
whose purity as a servant Of the peo-
pie has made him above suspicion.
On the night of the election had
q dream in which something told me
"Blease Is elected" Becoming fully
awake 1 thought over all the conse-
quences as the people dreaded them
and considered what was best to be
done in the event the dream should
prove true. 1 thought Of your threat
to make the people "sweat blood
and of what it really meant or could
possibly mean. The only interpreta-
tion that occurred to me was that
the governor would make a genera
Jail delivery by emptying the peni-
tentiary and turning the convicts
loose upon society. You have that
power, sir. 1t was given you for
purposes Of mercy and not for the
punishment of your fellow citizens.
The governor takes an oath to see
that the laws are executed in mer-
cy." There is in the constitution
nothing which permits him to trample
the law under foot on the pretense
Of mercy, and nothing but venality
and greed of money can make him
place the pardoning power in the
hands of a lawyer who charges big
fees to obtain pardons. AS for par
doning the criminals by wholesale,
nobody but a lunatic would do such
a thing and nobody but a lunatic
would threaten it. Let me beg you
to beware what you do and say here
after. Put a bride on that unliscens-
ed tongue of yours. You owe it to
your friends, you owe 1t to yourself,
and you owe 1t to the state.
1 have been trusted by the people
as we'll as you. They have shown
their love and confidence in no un-
certain way and I therefore claim the
right to warn and to offer to help
you in all matters of pardons If you
in South Carolina will doubt the
justice of any pardon l recommended.
This is a thankless burden I am will
ing to assume for the public welfare
and I do not expect to do any Of the
drudgery of 1t. but I know men l can
trust. whose honor and patriotism
are not only above suspicion but who
have the respect and confidence OF