The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-06-28
DEMONSTRATIVE DAY
IN STATE CAMPAIGN
QUICK INTERVENTION PREVENTS
FIGHT AT FLORENCE.
Jones Advances on Blease-COunty
Chairman McCOwn Takes Hand,
Restoring Quiet.

Florence, June 25.-With clenched
fists, Judge Jones today advanced up
on his opponent, Governor Cole. l..
Blease, and but for quick Interrupt
ton on the part of County Chairman
J. W. McCown, there would; in all
probabili !, have been personal en-
counter between the two candidates.
This was the nearest approach to trou-
BILE, which seems in these good days to
be looked for at a political meeting in
Florence.
"They do say" that there is some
thing in the atmosphere that makes
candidates want to fight when they
get to Florence. Somehow, though, it
is nearly always only an approach to a.
scrap. Be it said, however, that the
Joint debate of the candidates for State
Offices here today was heard by pos
sibly the largest, and certainly the
most demonstratfve and uproarfous
crowd that has yet greeted the can
didates.
There were fully fifteen hundred
persons who heard the two aspirants
for gubernatorial honors,; some are of
the opinion that there we're more. Both
Judge Jones and Governor Blease re-
ceived great applause. Governor
Blease, on the other hand, met VOL
ley Of Kisses at several times during
his speech. In fact his references to-
day to conditions on the railroad
trains before the separate coach law
went into effect were evidently so oh.
iectionabie to his hearers that there
was probably more Kissing than has
been heard at any recent campaign
meeting in this State.
The GubernatoriaI Candidates.
Noticeable in marked degree today
was the governors ever increasing
ability as a stump speaker; his readi-
ness in repartee and his absolute COM
mand of himself in every situation
that arises. Governor Blease pulled
off a stage laugh today that would
have delighted the heart of a past mas
ter in the histrionic art.
On the other hand, the earnestness
which Judge Jones displays in what
he conceives to be fight for the re-
demption of South Carolina from
"Bleaseism," his appeal to the people
for. love of law and order and his
warning to them against one-n1an
power, were no less striking and they
impressed his hearers.
The near-trouble between the gov
ernor and Judge Jones came about
when the former repeated his state
ment that Judge Jones's vote on the
"Jim Crow law meant in effect that
he favored social equality. In such
lucid language had the governor pre-
scented his argument along this line
that it brought forth much Kissing
from the audience.
Judge Jones arose and for a few
moments it looked like trouble. Blood
was in the eye of the man thus ac-
cused and, although he had just a few
minutes before pronounced as mali
ciously false any intimation that he
favored social equality, it was believ-
ed by onlookers that Governor Blease
had carried the matter to degree
which Judge Jones did not intend to
permit and that he was prepared then
and there to bring the contention to a
final settlement.
-is Crowd Grows Larger.
County Chairman J. w. McCown
called the meeting to order in the
city opera house at 10 o'clock. Only
about 800 voters occupied seats when
the first speakers, Messrs McLaurin
and Carter, candidates for State treas
urer, presented their claims. Steadily
increasing, the crowd by II o'clock
was overfowing the auditorium, num-
bering at its highest possibly 1,500
persons.
There was generous and general ap-
plause that greeted Judge Jones, the
first speaker among the candidates for
governor, who, while Handicapped by
hoarseness, spoke effectively, CON-
manding closest attention.
Not noticing a number of Interrupt
tons from his audience, the speaker
drove home some Of the charges he is