The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-08-13
THE CHEROKEE VOTERS
HEAR The CANDIDATES
LIVELY AND INTERESTING MEET.
ING AT GAFFNEY.
Jones and BleaSe Both Refer to Till
man Letter-CrOwd Was Gener-
Gus of Applause.

Gaffney, Aug. S.-Not more than
1000 Cherokee voters turned out to-
day to hear candidates for State Of
fees, but the meeting nevertheless
was lively and interesting, the Jones'
Blease debate providing the briskest
exchanges
Both Jones and Blease referred in
their addresses to the correspondence
printed in morning papers between }.
L. Sims. of Orangeburg, and B. R. Till
man. United States senator, regarding
the senator's attitude towards the
Jones' -Blease race. Judge Jones call
ed special attention to the senator's
assertion that Jones would make
good governor, because he is eminent
ly qualified" and said he would give
,s1OO to the man who would procure
from TIE senator statement over his
signature referring in the same terms
to Gov Blease.
Judge Jones also declared, in the
course of a fervent appeal for better
conditions in the political life of the
State, that the churches would fail to
justify fully their existence if they did
not do their part to 'stem this awful
tide of lawlessness that is sweeping
5ver our commonwealth"
Nothing that was new and import
ant wes developed in the speeches of
sother candidates. The crowd was gen.
erous of applause. Gov. Blease was
repeat edly cheered by his admirers
and ike Judge Jones was presented
with some handsome flowers.
The Pardon of Hasty.
Blease, defending mis- pardon of
George Hasty, the Gaffney man who
killed the actors, Abbott Dawson and
Milan Bennett, while they were guests
in his brothers hotel, said that J. w.
Thur ond, campaign manager for
Judge Jones, was tried for murder at
Edgefeld and Leroy Springs, to whom
Mr.. Thurmond had referred men who
asked for Jones campaign money was
tried for murder at Lancaster, &C
quittal resulting in both cases in pow
er and influence of the defendants. Mr..
Thurmond, he said, was a public Of
ficer. Mr.. Springs rich man worth
more than S1,00O,000. Hasty, in his
opinion, would have been acquitted
also if ne had enjoyed equal advan-
tages. Petitions for the pardon of
Hasty were accompanied by letter
from ]. c. OTIS, the solicitor, saying
the other indictment against Hasty
would never be pressed and by a let
ter from T. B. Butler, now mayor of
Gaffney, saying the writer hoped the
governor would see his way clear to
grant the pardon. There was also a
letter from Ed H. DeCamp, editor of
Gaffney Ledger, saying among other
things that the writer saw no good
reason why the pardon power should
not be exercised in Hasty's behalf.
Blease said that Mr. DeCamp had de-
manded that he read the entire letter.
. He did not have the letter with him,
but would send it to Mr.. DeCamp and
if he published it the effect would be
to ''put him in worse hole than he is
in now" The women in the case. he
said, were no better than they should
be. One of them, Vernie Sheridan, af-
terward led an improper life in Sa-
vannah, he alleged, and on departing
took with her several violins, the prop
erty of other persons.
These she pawned in New York,
sending the pawn tickets back to the
owners.
Referring to an interview with T.
B. Butler, mayor of Gaffney, which
was published in the morning papers
of May Is and in which Mr.. Butler in
quired why Mr.. Blease did not resign
as trustee of the State college for ne
groes at Orangeburg before entering
the State senate, Blease said he did
resign the trusteeship before becoming
a senator. Il understand" said the
speaker, that there is a scheme on
foot to count me out, l know it is a
fact that some people are endeavoring
to provide for it. He urged his
friends to watch the polls on election
day, keeping an eye on the man who
calls out the votes as we'll as on the