The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-07-24
good name of the State?


good name of the State?
Has he not brought the good name
OF his State into disrepute? He in
suited the governor Of Georgia and
said he did not have sense enough
to raise watermelons. He has stig-
matized Woodrow Wilson, the Demo-
cratic nominee for president, as the
tool OF corporations. He has made
the citizens of his State ashamed
when they go abroad in the land,
and now he is asking you, by your
votes, to indorse his administration.
Can you do it and be fair to your
selves? Think it over"
Gov. Blease made one Of the most
vindictive haranges he has ever de
livered. his anger being bitterest
against Judge Jones, The State, Thos.
Il. Fielder, w. j. Burns and the legis-
lative investigating committee. 1t
was not, however, so remarkable a
campaign deliverance, in substance or
form. as his speech at Bamberg re-
Gently.
He said that he had asked his
friends to give Judge Jones a hearing,
but he did not see how Judge Jones
or his friends could expect a hearing
when Judge Jones was attacking him,
misquOting what he had said and
misconstruing his actions. He could
only explain Judge Jones course by
recalling that as speaker he made
the blacklist record white man has
ever made in South Carolina The
governor assembled into group
Judge Jones, the management Of The
State, Thos. B. Fielder, w. j. Burns,
and the members Of the legislative
committee, and said they composed
"a set that is unworthy of the respect
or the decent people Of South Caro-
lima" Where, he asked, was Ira B.
Jones last Sunday. when he, himself
was at home in bed. resting? Judge
Jones, he said. was seen on the street
In Columbia. with two members of
the staff Of The State. who were also
seen with two drunken men whom
he had expelled from the governors
mansion. Judge Jones. according to
the governor, came out on the streets
with that dirty pair" after they had
of
written lies" about the governor. Il
suppose" said the governor, that
Judge Jones was in The State office
getting that speech written that he
has read here today"
Defending his pardon record, the
governor said he was criticised for
setting free three negroes who robbed
Jew peddler. Clemency was grant
ed in this case. he said, on the rec
ommendation of Christie Benet Of
Columbia, formerly solicitor: MIR.
christie ImpOrted-from- Abbevlile
Benet, Alex. Haskells son-in-law and
Judge Jones campaign manager in
Asi'HioHu county.
Judge Jones says he voted for
lrby,' the governor said, but read
what lrby said of John Gary Evans,
chairman of the Jones executive COM
mittee'-and the governor read from
scrapbook description of Mr..
Evans in which the words, traitor"
coward" 'knave," etc, were freely
used. The governor said he would
stay at home if he had been bam-
boozled out of as many decisions as
Jones has been bambOoled out OF >bv
Zen Abney through Jones son.
Charlie.
Numbers of kilograms. letters and
i"hS distance telephone messages. the
governor said, had been received at
the executive office recently. contain
ing assurance of confidence. One Of
these kilograms, which he read. came
from Greer, in Grecnvillc county. and
bore 70 signatures. He declared that
IL ne had been "rcpudated" by as
many audiences in the counties visited
by the campaign party as had "repu-
dated Jones he would ulit the race
The governors address was largely
made up of paragraphs with which
the public is familiar through habi-
tnal use Of them by this speaker. their