The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1912-09-20
TILLMAN DEMANDS
SPEEDY ACTION BY
STATE COMMITTEE
SENATOR WRITES LETTER TO
CHAIRMAN JOHN GARY
EVANS.
"Imprudent Tickering"-Blease Mem
ber of Committee Gives Out
Statement.

statement.
Columbia, Sept. 16.-Expressing an
earnest desire of immediate action in
the matter of investigating the al
legged frauds and irregularities of the
recent primary held in South Caro-
lima, and condemning what he deems
the arbitrary action of Chairman w.
F. Stevenson, of the investigating
committee, appointed by the State
Democratic executive committee, the
Hon. j. d. Bivens, Of Dorchester, a
member of what has been termed the
Blease faction Of the investigating
committee, gave out for publication
last night letter from Senator B. r.
Tillman to the Hon. John Gary
Evans, chairman of the state demo-
cratic executive committee, in which
Senator Tillman, marvelling at the
forbearance and patience displayed by
the Bleaseites at tho delay In declar-
ing the election or taking action Of
some kind, urges the state chairman
to proceed with dispatch, lest the
temper of the people of South Caro-
lima be tried beyond endurance, and
lest the method now being employed
to send the democratic party In this
state to the "demnition bow-wows."
Urges Speedy Action.
Mr.. Bivens was in Charleston last
night, and in an interview declared
that as member of the investigating
committee and as a citizen Of the
state, he desired thorough investi-
cation into the fraud charges, that
the purity of elections in this state
may be preserved, but that the man
ner fthe procedure as outlined by
Chairman Stevenson was physically
impracticable and could not be ac-
complished within the time interven-
ing before the general election in No
vember.
Mr.. Bivens' Plan.
"My plan," said Mr.. Bivens, "was
to have the committee as whole sit
as a court; go to Spartanburg or
Anderson, or wherever there was the
charges of greatest fraud, employ a
stenographer, take testimony and
affidavits and proceed with, the
work. Meanwhile the work in other
counties might be going on and that
could be taken up later. It strikes
me as utterly impossible to tale up
the club rolls and poIl lists of svery.
precinct in the state, an das fors hav-
ing them published in the newspapers,
that seems to me to be out Of the
question. In Charleston, I believe,
your city rolls alone required more
than eight pages of The News and
Courier. The general election is to
be held in a little more than six
weeks-there's no postponing that
and the work as outlined by Mr.. Ste
venson could scarcely be gotten under
way well by that time"
As Tillman Views 1t.
Senator Tillman's reference to Gov
ernor Moses is of particular interest.
in view of his statements on the
same subject on a former occasion.
In his letter to Chairman Evans,
Senator Tillman says: az have
enough faith in the people of South
Carolina to believe that, while, it
will be bitter dose to have Blease
as governor, they had rather have
him 100 times than to have Moses or
a man like him." Tthe reference to
Moses, contained in the open s,tter
to Governor BleaSe, published Sep
tember 1, was as follows: "If you
addressing Governor Blease) can
clear yourself of the foul accusations
made against you in governors Office,
and will pursue a wholly different pol
icy hereafter, there is some future for
you in the state yet. If you do not,
your name will go down in history
as the very worst native South Caro-
linian who was ever governor, Moses
not excepted"
Senator Tillman's Letter.
The letter written by Senator Till
man to the Hon. John Gary Evans,
chairman of the state democratic
committee, is as follows:
Trenton, S. c., Sept. IL, 1912.
The Hon. John Gary Evans, Spar
tanburg, S. C.-Dear John: I have
seen in the morning papers the
protest of the three Blease members
of the subcommittee appointed by
the state committee. 1t is sensible
indiciouc natriotic utterance IF vou