The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-07-17
GRACE REPLIES TO BlEASE.
He TURNS LOOSE A WARM IN
TE.RVIIGW.
ftot RcjOindCr by Charleston Mayor
--(iOycrnOr Had Called Him "Char.
acter Assassin and COwardly Liar.

Charleston last Friday night Governor
Blease paid his respects to John p.
Grace. mayor of that city, denounc-
ing him as character assassin and
a cowardly liar" for having charged
that graft was bein- practiced by
liquor constables i'm Charleston and
that. according to his belief the graft
had been traced practically to the
governors Office
In reply to the governor. Mayor
Grace has given out the following in
terview, published in The News and
Courier of Sunday:
or course 1T was anticipated by me
that Governor Blease would be COM
PEELED at the Charleston meeting to
take notice of. and, if ne could, an
swer the charges which / have so
publicly made against him. There
was no escape from this necessity.
The only matter over which l had
any doubts was whether or not 1
should attend the meeting, and with
my own ears hear what he had to
say. My friends practically unani-
mously advised me against it. AS it
happened. / was on the Isle of Palms
at the State Bankers Convention, and
had cared to lend plausibility to my
absence i could readily have evaded
1t. But 1 determined, that come
what might, it was my duty to go
10 the meeting. AS a Democrat,
nave never missed any of these meet
ings. and the only thing that could
have kept me away would have been.
whatever others might have thought
of IL. cowardice on my part.
Having made up my mind, there
fore to go. the next thing which
bothered me was what attitude
should assume toward Governor
Blease. howsoever personal and bitter
he might become. AS had delib-
erately gone to the meeting / was
equally as deliberate about what my
course should be. remembered that
/ was Mayor Of Charleston: that the
hall was packed with men who. at
the slightest threat of personal injury,
would spring to my side through a
devotion that is unexcelled any
where. The police force, while COM
posed largely of men loyal to me,
would have myself required to do it,
duty. and under the orders of tho
chairman |. and even my most de-
voted friends. might have been sum
marily removed from the hall. to
which extremity | would have bowed
in obedience to law. With these mere
outlines of a riotous situation nood-
ing my mind there was but one view
for me to take--to swallow ANYTHING.
did it with complacercy, arJ thinl,
the public, from what hear approves
Of my course.
Moreover what did il matter
what Blease said? Did ne not i'm the
very speech in which te 80 Violently
by indirection. denour ccd me. also
give utterance to the rankcyt inda-
cendies and anarchy? Think of a
Governor replying as 10 how he stood
on the beer question by shouting that
If his questioners Gin violation of the
law) would bring him up to the stage
"a drink of beer he would be better
able to answer the question. OF
course, it was grilling for me to have
To sit and listen To Blcasc's lies. The
idea of his making it appear that the
beginning Of our tronllcs was when
ne refused To appoint negro notary
public. whose appointment. by the
way, l had asked only as a favor To
gentlemen in Charleston who were
not then. nor have ever been. my DO
litical friends. Are Messrs Nathans
and Sinkler also negro lovers? And
do they Iclicvc in social equality
Certainly not. 1t is almost sickcnins
to have To- answer such tommy-rot.
There was but one CO use, and that
WHs Gas | said i'm a published article
reccntlyD Blcase had broken his
public promise and his private word.
expected him to he Governor of
south Carolina. and when he WAS
elected | was happy An intimation
hy him that | wished To usurp those
functions Is more than absurd In
the presence of many others he ask
ed ne VI | would name a man for
'"'i ''iStdhlc, ana IN their presence
u'h"uhccd thc whole proposition,
ana said that I would hold him to his
N"fd not tO appoint any. as | knew
an" h'd t"ld him In writing, that