The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-08-24
where 1Illuln STANDS.
sPARTANBURG MAN REPORTED
TO HAVE LETTER ENDORs-
ING BLEASE.
Refuses to Give out Entire Letter,
Hut Tillman Says "No Friend of
Beasc VIII be willing for the
Whole Letter to Re Published"
rilman Says He Will Give II Out
Himself IL IL Is Being Used to Mis-
represent HIS Full Expressions.
Spartanburg Journal.

Since Judge Jones offered a reward
Of 800 for any man who would gel
Senator Benz. r.. Tillman TO state
that Blease IL "eminently qualified
to be governor. a number of Blease
men have flooded the senator with
letters and telegraras. attempting to
secure such an expression.
Among those who wrote the sena-
tor was Harrison Ferguson. of this
city. Mr.. Ferguson received q letter
from Tillman yesterday. In which. II
is said. the senator says that las far
az brains 60 Blease Is eminently
qualified" IL was generally an
nounced on the streets last night and
this morning that Tillman had made
this statement to Mr.. Ferguson and
that Judge Jones would be confronted
with the letter on the stump at the
0reenvilie meeting and that Mr.. Fer
guson would claim the 500 offered
by Judge Jones.
Efforts to secure the full text Of
the letter today proved useless. Mr..
Ferguson stated that the Letter was a
personal letter and that he did not
care to give II out for publication and
refused to discuss the matter.
Senator Tillman was appealed to.
He wired:
washington. ID. c.. Aug. 81. 1919.
"Chas p. Caiver,. editor Of the Even
ing Journal. spartanburg, 8. G.
III you can get Harrison Ferguson
to give you the whole letter. you are
1T liberty to publish 1t. 1t is not hon
orabie Of Ferguson to show part Of
IL. and I asked him to show pone Of
IL.
"(Signed) b. r. Tillman."
Mr.. Ferguson did not show the
Journal this letter. The Journal Is
unable to state that he showed 1t to
any one. but II Is generally under
stood on the streets that Tillman has
written him.
Another phase of the matter Is that
Tiilman may decide to give out the
letter. The Journals correspondent
today wired:
Mr.. Tiilman asked me to query
you? Has Leon NJ. Green published
Tiliman interview Of two years ago In
favor Of Blease as against Feather
tope. He refuses to give letter you
want
Thus IL will be seen that Tillman Is
thinking OF taking a hand in the mat
ter and wants to know about this in
terview. Mr.. Green was called up
over long distance In Anderson. but
he was not In that city. He is editor
Of the Anderson Intelligencer. a
BIsase newspaper.
Commenting last night, - Senator
Tillman said:
Yes: I wrote such letter to
Spartanburg man, in the strictest con-
fdence. and cautioned him not to let
II get into print 1 am surprised to
learn that II has leaked out. I can
only ay that no friend Of Governor
Ble&se viii be willing for the whole
ietter to be published. have tried
to keep out Of this fight. but have
had so many letters written me, es-
pecially by Blease friends. that 1t Is
hard to keep out Of 1t. am not
ready TO make this spartanburg letter
public yet, but II a misleading por-
ton OF II has been given out. as seems
TO be the case from your telegram, I
may have TO make the whole letter
public in seif-defense."
Senator Tillman is unwilling to say
more In this connection. but intimated
that the letter referred to would be
given out In a day or two II he learn
ed definitely that II Is being improp-
erly used to misrepresent his full
expressions. 1t may be said with
certainty that the letter. II published.
will create the sensation OF the cam
paign thus far,
An interview of Senator Tillman.
committed To writing between the
drst and second primaries In 1910.
but Withdrawn by him before publi-
cation Is known to be In existence in
south Carolina. and will probably be
printed in Anderson today. One SEN
tence Of that interview Is to the effect
that 1T Is tie DEVILS choice between
Blease and Featherstone for COVER
nor"
BrunSOn-MilIs.