The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-08-03

In favor of the lawyer who voted for
him and against the lawyer who vot-
ed against him. He would instruct the
juries To find no verdict against his
friend, and the heaiest possible ver-
dict against his enemy. And If
jury should have independence enough
to disregard his instructions, he would
dismiss them and order a new jury,
till he got one made up of his friends.
Ii they did not do his bidding, he
would call them liars" "Cowards"
and 'guttersnipes."
"A solicitor on the Blease platform
would mol pros all cases against any
body who helped to elect him. and
prosecute to the fullest extent, le-
gally or Illegally, those who happened
to vote for somebody else.
A sheriff who did business on the
Blease plan would not arrest a man
who voted for him. and if deputy
should by mistake put one of his
friends In Jail. he would turn him cnt
that night II he should happen to
catch a man who voted for somebody
else, he would put him in chains in
the felons dungeon.
A county treasurer operating his
office on the Blease platform, would
make no effort to collect taxes from
his friends. If it did not suit ,hem
to pay he would never turn over tine
executions to the sheriff.
An auditor, doing business as Blease
does. would assess the property of ell
his political opponents as hign as he
could. and put that of his friends
down next to nothing.
A county supervisor, working on the
Blease plan. would build splendid
roads in the neighborhood Of those
who voted for him, and would never
touch a road near a man who voted
against him. He would openly threat
en- that II any precinct should vote
against him. he would give them no
more road work, but would spend all
the countys money in the townships
that gave him majorities. He would
allow no opponent Of his to draw a
cent Of money from the county for
any purpose. but would give everything
to his political friends. He would
even have men drawing salaries from
the county on pretence Of being de-
tectives, but who would be working In
the interest of his reelection.
superintendent of education,
working a la Blease: would appoint
no trustees unless he knew they voted
for him. No other qualification would
be considered. No teacher could get
q school who did not, or whose fam
lily did not. vote for him. And the
school district which did not give him
la majority, would receive no favor at
his hands.
A magistrate, on the Dlease plat
form. would dismiss every case
brought against anybody. or an en-
ployee or friend of anybody who
voted for him. And he would send
up to court or sentence to the limit
OF the law, all who happened to have
voted for or signed somebody else's
petition.
And so with every other officer, in
the county, state and nation. II this
government were run on the Blease
plan.
Every officer would be using his Of
flee to build up powerful machine
and further his own interests.
We would not have government Of
the people. by the people and for the
people," but every officer would try
to make 1t a government "of me and
my friends. by me and my friends,
and for me and my friends"
We would have the kind of govern
ment that is presided over by the Sui
tan Of Turkey or the Czar Of Russia.
We would be turning back in civiiz;.-
tion a thousand years. to the dark
ages. when the Vandals Oy erran Eu-
rope and destroyed their enemies be-
cause they had the power. We would
have the same kind of government
that the Indians had before this
country was settled by the white man.
when a chieftain and his friends took
everything in sight and drove his enc
mics out of the domain.
Is that the kind of government the
people OF South Carolina want?
III they do not want the whole gov
ernment run upon the Blease plan,
Why shauld tha..