Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-07-09
TUESDAY, JULY 9, 1919.
THE coLLEToN MEETING.
Not Much Excitement at WaItsrboro
Last Saturday.

Not Much Excitement at Walterboro
Last Saturday.
Governor Blease's bitter denunciation
OF w. w. Smoak, editor Of the Walter
boro Press and Standard. the scathing
attack Of B. B. Evans on Attorney Cen
eral Lyon In the latter's absence, and
discussion Of the pardon of John
Black were the features of the cam
paign meeting last Saturday, accord
ing to the correspondent Of the Spar
tanburg Herald.
With the foregoing exceptions how
ever the meeting was spiritless and
tame. The crowd was undemonstra-
tive and accorded no great amount of
applause to any candidate. The Jones
and Blease men seemed pretty evenly
divided and 1t was evident that
Notwithstanding his absence, Attorney
General Lyon had a number Of strong
supporters In Colleton. During Mr..
Evans attack upon him there were
repeated cries of "Hurrah for Lyon!"
Candidates Absent.
Mr.. Lyon and T. H. Peoples missed
the train at Charleston this morning.
j. r. Earle has not been present this
week, and James Cansler refused to
speak today. The other candidates
agreed to a shortening Of the time I'm
order to catch the return train to
Charleston. The meeting, therefore,
was soon over.
Referring to the Press and Stand
ard, Governor Blease said: "A news
paper here in your county published
one Of the biggest lies ever in print.
The article said that had stopped on
the way to my Inauguration at blind
tiger to treat some of my friends. I
was just out Of the hospital and was
Ill and had to be taken to the state
house and after the Inauguration was
carried to the hotel and put to bed.
Yet they say that was drunk. II was
lie and the editor knew It when he
published It."
Il never published any such ar
ticle,' said Mr.. Smoak, rising from his
seat with a clipping In his hand. I
have the article right here"
Il guess you've changed It." replied
the governor. The governor read the
clipping and then turning to the audi:
ence, said: "Al right, I'll prove 1t was
a lie by his own paper that he has
here" The article was to the effect
that 1t was reported that the governor
had stopped at the blind tiger on his
way to the Inauguration and there was
appended to II a correction, which Mr..
Smoak made at the request of Eugene
Blease, the governors brother. you
know why he made that correction I"
continued the governor. 1T was be-
cause he was afraid that would have
him convicted Of criminal libel and sent
to the penitentiary, and not pardon
him."
Home Of John Black.
Walterboro Is the home Of John
Black, who was convicted of graft In
connection with the old dispensary and
afterwards pardoned by Governor
Blease. Mr.. Black was present, as
friends. When Governor Blease had
finished speaking he was presented
with a handsome bouquet of flowers by
sister Of Mr.. Black.
"The friends Of John Black" declar-
ed Ira B. Jones, "owe nothing to Gov
ernor Blease, for Governor Blease has
done as much as any man to blast
Blacks character. He has said that he
would not have pardoned him had the
other defendants been convicted. BY
imputation he thus makes Black out
guilty. If he had considered Black In
nocent. why did he not pardon him at
once without. the intervening step of
remitting his prison sentence and sub
stituting fine"
II pardoned John Black" said Gov
ernor Blease In reply, "and I am proud
of 1t. This morning Blacks little boy
came to me and took both my hands In
his and said, Howdy governor;
would rather have that little boys
thanks than the thanks of Ira B. Jones
and all his generation"
Judge Jones' speech was along the
lines he has heretofore followed. He
scored the governor for his penny
wise pound foolish" economical policy,
for his pardon record, for his corpora
tion affiliations, and for abuse of his
powers as governor. To these charges
the governor had his usual replies.
Blease's Record.
Among the new things introduced by
Judge Jones was his declaration that
Governor Blease had once introduced
bill in the Legislature to secure a PEN
sion for a negro, that he had voted
against All appropriation for an infirm-
ary for Confederate veterans, though
he afterwards voted for II; that he vot-
ed against pensions for the widows Of
Confederate soldiers and sailors, and
that he voted against a reduction Of
railroad fares from three cents to two
cents. Judge Jones also called atten-
tion to the fact that the governor had
pardoned Adams, a Colleton county
man, convicted Of murder.
Blease Explains.
I'll tell you," said the governor,
why did not accept your Invitation
to speak at your fair, and why didn't
meet Judge Jones on the stump before
the campaign opened. II had met
him and exposed his record as did at
Bishopville, would have had to run
against several candidates. It would
have eliminated him for some first
class man to enter the race against
me-"