Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-07-26

pltCn- 6Otn SluSS ilStu iiauc S'SiS 20
fort to have their respective followers
out in force, and both sides were sue
cessful. There were tYo meetings. The
regular campaign meeting in the opera
house, during the day, and big Blease
meeting from the court house steps q,
znight. All the candidates spoke at the
regular meeting; but only Governor
Blease at the night meeting. The otn-
ers were told that they would be well
come to speak If they saw proper To
do so, and the people cared to hear
them; but nobody accepted the o1er
There were about 1,600 people In the
opera house, and the News and Courier
puts the capitol steps crowd at 1,5oO
while the State estimates 1t at 1900.
There seems to have been a con-
certed effort by each side to conduct
the opera house meeting so as to give
the impression of advantage, etc., but
as nearly as can be judged from the
newspaper reports both sides were
pretty evenly matched. There was an
effort to give Judge Jones rougn
house. Governor Blease sought to in
terpose in behalf Of quiet. Jones men
objected to anything looking like the
governor could do more than the
chairman in such a matter and de-
manded that the governor sit down and
be put out. The chairman undertook to
impress the crowd that he was run
ming the meeting. There were cheers,
misses and general confusion for quite
a while; but at last order was restored
and things went on smoothly enough
except for the hot shot thrown at each
other by Jones and Blease, Lyon and
Evans. Evans repeated all OF his
toughest charges against Lyon, and
Lyon denounced him as usual. Both
were the recipients OF flowers.
Judge Jones.
The address Of Judge Jones as sub
sequently put in condensed form by
him was as follows: =,
South Carolina, the state you call
yours, the state for which your fathers
have fought in four wars, Is on trial.
You are to decide her fate. What !
say may help you to decide right
Think it over.
I'VE are to elect a governor-a gov
ernor to represent you and your chill
dren, to make laws and to enforce
them. Do you. want a friend OF the
people, an enemy OF the criminal and
CRATER, or one who has pardoned more
criminals than any other governor
South Carolina has ever had? A man
who has acted in defiance OF law and
order? Whose message to the legis-
lature was so vile and vulgar that that
body, by an overwhelming vote, struck
1t from the record-something that has
never been done before in the history
of the state? A man who poses as a
friend of the poor man and an enemy
to lawless corporations, but whose vote
4kc ohN he nor
for the poor man and has only protect
ed the criminal and the CRATER?
please voted not to investigate the
dispensary. (Senate journal 1907, pages
6S and 69.)
He voted not to take up and con-
slider the bill supplying money to pros.
ecute the grafters. (Senate journal
1908. page 57S.)
He voted against a bill to help the
state in the Federal court in her des-
perate fight with the grafters (Senate
journal 1908, page 253.) The state final
ly won and recovered back many
thousands of dollars stolen by the
grafters. If the other legislators had
voted with Blease, would the state ever
cotton their money? The echo answers
when, and how?
FINALLY, when he became governor
he asked for committee to investi-
gate the Ansel board. The legislature
passed the bill but gave the committee
power to investigate charges against
any one. That was Just what Blease
did not want, so he vetoed the bill. The
legislature passed it over his head; and
that is the same committee that has
been hearing charges in Charleston
about blind tigers paying $4,000
month tosthe chief constable OF the
governor, and the governor still stands
by the chief constable, Do you wonder
that he vetoed the bill? Only one
CRATER John Black, has been convict
ed, and Blease pardoned him before ne
ever got in sight Of the penitentiary
Oh, yes, he stands by his friends
hasn't he stood by the grafters?
Governor Blease voted not to tax
1907, page 4520
HE voted to shut the school house
door in the face OF the child of the
man who is too poor to pay his pol
tax. (Senate journal 1906, page 463)
He voted against the bill providing
for Federal help in road building. which
would have made the road tax lighter
on the poor man. (Senate journal 1907
page 1919
HE is in favor of abolishing the of
flee Of bank examiner, thus leaving Il
easy for an INSCRIPTIONS and dishon'
est banker to rob the small depositor.
He vetoed the appropriation of 81
1854 to pay for the medicine furnish
ed for the poor mans child in case o.
diphtheria and smallpox.
He favored putting burden o.
100000 on the taxpayers to improve
the state house, which everybody know
is one of the finest state houses in the
couRtry.
rs he the poor mans friend? He vii
tell you so, but does his record show
it?
In 1899 he voted for free passes, ant
for free express and free telegraph
franks to legislators. blouse journa
1899, page 357)
In 1907 he voted to let the railroad:
keep it secret who were carrying free
passes. (Senate journal, page BID
In 1907 he voted against the bill re-
uuiring the railroads to reduce passen
ger rates, as they were doing in othel
states.
He told President Finley of th'
Southern railway that he would have
a friend in the mansion when he
(Blease) became governor. When N
got to be governor, whom did he tak'
to live with him? He took Ben Abney
the chief counsel of the Southern rail
way company, the bell wether of th'
whole flock of corporations. Bleas'
brags about Ben Abney having made
million and a half dollars, and says n
is the smartest man in the state
Wasn't 1t smart of him to go and liv
with the governor No wonder Bleas
tells you the railroads gave Abney
raise.
He had to select a private secretar!
and a clerk Did he get farmers bo.
or a poor mans son? No, he went t
the railroad offices and got two rail
road clerks; Rowland, disbursing audi
tor for the S.. N. & L. railway, ant
Blackburn, a clerk from the Southern
railway. So the railroads have friend
both at the governors office and at tn
governors mansion. Does he ever ge
away from the influence of railroads
Do these clerks and Ben Abney eve
whisper in Blease's ear when the rail
roads want favOrS?
NO governor has ever pardoned s.
many crooks and criminals. He ha
pardoned and paroled nearly 400. H
pardoned Rudolph Rabens, convicte'
of receiving stolen goods as the frien,
and ally Of the yeggman and safe
cracker.
He pardoned Wash Hunter, whom
he had defended and who had killed