Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1912-08-22
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To the Democratic Voters OF the
Fourth Circuit.

/ ask the same on no other ground
than that you decide me to be a fit
and proper person to hold the office
OF Solicitor, basing your judgment
upon what you know or may learn
of my character, and of my qualifi-
cations. l have been often asked
whether ! am a Blease or Jones
; man, some asserting that they would
not vote for a Blease man, others
equally as positively asse 'tlag they
would not vote for q Jones man.
have but one answer for both. I am
friendly with both Blease and Jones
but am under no obligation to either
of them, and shall cast my ballot for
the one of them whom 1 think will
better fill the o. .ce, unbiased by any
consideration of personal advantage
to myself in this campaign. But I
shall not attempt to champion the
cause of either, or influence others In
their choice. have friends support
ing me, who are divided between
Jones and Blease and I shall not in
suit either by attempting to control
their Judgment nor shall I allow one
or the other to control me. I have
told no man during this campaign
which l shall vote for, and no one is
authorized to class me either as q
Bleaseite or a Jonesite. am free
man, claim as much patriotism as
anybody and shall cast my ballot as
/ please with an eye single to my
country's need.
What l have said above applies to
all other candidates, am Champion
ing neither Ellerbe nor Ragsdale for
Congress, neither A nor B for Sheriff,
x or Y for Clerk and 80 on down the
line. And when this race Is over
I shall not "sit down with fear or
a frown," but rest content with hav-
ing padded my own canoe" If l
fail of election. And If elected I
want no man to be able to charge
that I secured election by clinging
to this straw, or that, to the Cover
nor's smile or the Judges favor, but
desire to feel that have stood erct
upon my own manhood, deceived no
one, been brow-beat by neither side
and securc1 your vote upon my mer-
- alone, and go into office lninl01
1laef save the Ia~ and eternal
justice, tempered by mercy for the
frailties of human nature.
I deem 1t unnecessary to givt you
any autobiography. of my life or
get any one to write my obituary
while yet l live. You are not con-
cerned as to whether I may have been
born or reared in mansion or hovel,
though neither is the fact. However,
to my dying day l shall reverence the
parent who supplied with many COM
forts my childhood days, and spurn
the thought of upbraiding on account
of the luxuries which necessity re-
1uired should be denied or withheld
from me- l am what | am, and as
such I seek your suffrage, acknCwl-
er have the manhood dlinftLgfeTA
edging that I am not faultless, that
! have made errors, am likely to make
others. But trusting that l may ev-
er have the manhood to correct any
error l may find I have made.
have held several responsible
public positions, made record in
each, and built reputation and by
that record and reputation I must be,
and am content to be judged and
weighed. But l trust no man will
judge me by the carpings Of the few
enemies which God in His wisdom has
bles or cursed me with.
Circumstances were such that my
competitors and I were unable to
meet at but one of the places appoint
ed for us to speak. l have been in
formed that both OF the mhave is-
sued some campaign literature.
l appreciate as highly as any one
the kind offices Of my friends, what
they may say, write or do in my be-
half. Nearly all the lawyers of
my Bar have given me assurances of