Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-08-27
The Letter.
Harrison Ferguson,
Spartanburg. & ~

f1ArrlSOn ferguson,
Spartanburg, 8. C.
MY dear Sir:-Yours Of August 14th
received. / am not In the habit OF
evading direct answers to direct ques-
tions from my friends, 80 I will say to
you, this: AS far as brains go, Blease
Is 'eminently qualified to be governor;
ment, wisdom, and catholicity Of spirit
and there Is 80 much smoke about his
corruption that I am bound to believe
there must be some fire.
For instance: Why did he not cut
Ben Stothart's head off when Stothart
refused to swear under oath that he
had not been bribed, under the pretext
that he would incriminate himself?
Why has 1t been his habit to refer most
Of those who wanted to get pardons to
some friend like Sam Nichols? Why
did he not do the pardoning business
himself on his own judgment rather
than turn 1t over to shifty lawyer to
charge q fee unless he was getting some
Of the money? Why Is 1t that he Is
so intimate with Ben Abney. the lead
ing counsel for the Southern railway as
to take him into his own house, when
lobbyist we have ever had In South
and railroad commissioners?
IF I had been running for governor
like Jones is, what do you suppose ]
would have said to Blease when he
charged me with having Son Charlie
megaphone up to Pa in the supreme
bench. would have retorted: Gov
ernor Blease, Ben Abney does not have
to use a megaphone or telephone to
reach you and tell you what the South
ern railroad wants. He can talk to
you three times a day across the table.
and II he does not finish by supper, he
can go to bed with you, and talk 1t
over, and get everything fixed. Every
intelligent man In the state knows Ben
Abney's pernicious activity in Colum-
bia. Through the lawyers in the legis-
lature in the employ Of the railroad, he
has prevented any relief to the people
about the mileage book situation and
all other railroad matters.
Because Gonzales and all the other
state papers are supporting Jones is no
reason why Jones Is unfit to be gov
ernor or that he will be controlled by
them If he is elected. My friends who
have been so outraged because I said
Jones was 'eminently qualified to be
governor and have demanded that
should say the same for Blease. had
better take heed lest in their passion
and prejudice and madness they get a
worse governor than Jones can posi-
bly, make. undertake to guarantee
that Jones, II elected governor, will be
governor of all the people and not OF
his friends alone. Because all the
which have howled at me.
and some Of them are still howling-are
now bowling against Blease and for
Jones Is no manner Of proof that
Blease Is the best man Of the two or
will make the better governor. Blease
has had his chance. Has he made
good? On your honor, do you think he
has made good as governor? No man
can be a good governor unless he
realizes that 1t is a high office and
that he ought to do nothing to bring
it under suspicion. The honor Of the
state is like the honor Of a woman and
oughi to be dear to every Carolinian.
have tried my best to stay out of this
fight, but my friends are trying in every
way possible. it seems to me, to drag
me into 1t. Having no thought Of the
to me, but intent only
on electing Blease or Jones, could not
say Blease was as we'll qualified as
Jones without lying except as ! have
explained in this letter.
IF I could speak to every South Car
in the state, who Is Tillman-
lite, between now and the primary, this
Is what I would say: 81 am the same
man that I have always been, and