The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-06-25

finite has appeared on the surface SO
far
Some Collateral Matters.
There are some collateral matters
which are exerting some influence III
the present State campaign. One OF
these is the Charleston situation
brought about by the charges of May
or John P. Grace. Everybody VINO
knows anything about Charleston
knows and has known that the liquor
situation in Charleston is and has been
very, very bad-that the dispensary
law never had any appreciable effect
in checking the illegal sale of whls-
kew in Charleston. But Mayor Grace
charged. if not in so many words, at
least in effect, that he had traced
graft practically to the governors OF
flee. which was construed to mean tnat
he was going to seek to connect the
governor with this graft His suose-
, ouent editorial in Common Sense
and his testimony before the lnvesu-
eating committee, in which he failed
to connect Governor Blease with MS
charges, has given to his cnarse
against the governor somewhat
boomerang" effect and in a Sta'e
where there have been so many
charges of all kinds without proof
this last charge of Mayor Grace,
against the governor, entirely unsuo-
stantiated. and with the admission on
the mart of Mayor Grace that he is un-
able to substantiate it, seems to have
reacted in favor of the governor. Ihe
renort comes from Charleston that II
has strengthened him there. Be that
as it may, it has helped him rather
than otherwise in other sections OF
the State. The people of South
Carolina are becoming tired OF
charges without proof. There have
been too many of them. The people
have become so used to charges OF all
kinds in these latter days that they
inonire into the basis for the charges.
Then, too, everybody knows that 10
cal politics in Charleston overshaooWs
everything else in Charleston in the
wav of politics-and this knowledge
demanded that the proof, Of the Grace
charges be forthcoming when 1t
wasn't. so far as the governor was
concerned, if it had had any effect
upon the governors race, it was to
strengthen him rather than to weaken
him. If you don't believe it, listen to
the talk which is going the rounds IN
the territory which I have been ramb-
ling over.
Going to Fielder.
Another matter that is throwing a
side-light upon the political situation
and is being felt in the campaign, IS
the decision of the investigating COM
uittee to go to Augusta to take the
testimony of Tom Fielder, of Atlanta.
A very good lawyer-who, by the way,
is not by any means Blease partisan
was heard to remark that South
Carolina would have come to pretty
pass if her supreme court should ad-
iourn to North Carolina to take the
testimony of man who seemed to be
afraid to come into the State, and who
certainly, it seemed, wouldn't come
into the State. The State campaign
may be as foreign to the thoughts OF
the investigating committee as the
sentiments of Senator Hepburn are to
a camp of Confederate Veterans-but
YOU can't keep the people from talk
ing. because talking is their constltu-
tional right Nobody is bringing any
charge against ANYBODY, but once you
get certain odors in the air it doesn't
take long for the whole atmosphere
to be contaminated or permeated, or
;nfected-as you might wish to term
it. The investigating committee, say
the people, is a committee endowed
by the legislature with very large
powers, and the people say they nold
"a very high commission from the
State. The people further say that it
looks just little strange-undignified,
to put it mildly-for the commission
a court of South Carolina--to be gong
into Georgia because it doesn't happen