The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1912-08-14
j. Frazer Lyon Will Indict
Barney Evans.
BLEASE'S BODYGUARD
EMPLOYED BY STATE
Largest Audience Yet was very Order
ly. Majority Of those Present were
for Blease, Although they had come
from Several Counties to See their
Chief.

A representative of The Advertiser
attended the campaign meeting in
Spartanburg Friday. The best way
TO size UP the character of the audi
ence would be by saying that it was
composed of just such people as
would be expected at meeting in
Laurens. 1t was composed largely of
farmers and not few mill workers,
although it could not be said that such
a large number of mill men were
there. A meeting for them was held
Friday evening. AS would be expect
ed from most any state campaign
meeting at this time, the majority of
the audience was for Bleasc as the
governors friends" will go miles to
hear him. Jones had strong follow
ing in the crowd and doubtless, taking
the view that his followers are not as
prone to attend the meetings and not
as demonstrative after they get there
as are the Bleasc men, he felt very
well satisfied with the day. Gov Blease
had the usual hand primary. we'll
known Blease follower of this city
who was in the audience and about
thirty feet from the stand claimed that
at least eighty-five per cent of the
hands went up for BleaSe The Adver-
tiser's representative, who was next
TO him, estimated that about sixty per
cent of the hands went up for Bleasc.
A former supporter of Blease and now
Jones man, from Ninety Six. who
only happened to be in Spartanburg on
his way elsewhere and who stood on
the outskirts of the audience and had
a view of the entire crowd from a
wagon. estimated that about one half
of the hands went up. On the PROPOSE
tion from Gov. BleaSe that the Jones
men hold up their hands, very few
could be seen near the stand. Only a
few of the Jones men who were pres
ent responded to the bidding of the
governor. After the meeting was ov-
er, this correspondent asked three and
only three Jones men if they held up
tGeir hands and each of them declared
that he did not. This correspondent
did not, making four out of four, so it
can be safely said that but a bare
sprinkling of Jones men cared to
take up the governor on his unsoicit-
ed proposition
The speech of Judge Jones was well
received by the audience. He was
roundly applauded at many points and
at the close. The applause for him
was characterized largely by hand
clapping instead Of cheering.
Gov. Blease made remarkable
speech, principally noteworthy be-
cause of the ease with which he evad-
ed issues or charges. 1t was an ap-
peal to the prejudices of poorer peo-
pie and had the desired effect on many.
The Spartanburg Herald gives a full
account of the day, as follows:
Thirty-five hundred voters endured
with perfect docorum the harangues
of twelve candidates for state offices
yesterday in pine grove on Kennedy
street. Partisanship ran high over the
Jones-BleaSe race for governor, but
one one enthusiast was arrested and
the crowd as a whole behaved ad-
mirably. There was a reason. One
hundred and fifty policemen, accord
ing to statement from the chairman,
e. L. Archer, were on duty on the
grounds, and the sternest OF admoni-
tions were given potential disturbers
of the peace regarding that which
would happen to any one who violated
the proprieties of the occasion. In
dustrial workers, mostly cotton mill
operatives, far outnumbered any other
element In the crowd, and there were
some hundreds of persons present
from other counties. Not many rep
resentatives of mercantile or profes-
sional pursuits were in evidence and
the agricultural contingent also was
relatively small Judge Jones and
Governor Blease both professed satis-
faction with the meeting. Flowers
We're poured upon the platform for
both candidates and Governor Blease
was presented with silver loving
cup by Iris Landrum, the 8-year~old
daughter of b. G.. Landrum, livery.
man of Spartanburg, who is a mem
ber of the governors stag.
Outstanding Features.
Outstanding features of the meet
ing, from the news standpoint, besides
the absence Of half f-exnected diaorder