The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-07-12
BLEASE'S VERSION OF
CHARLESTON REMARKS
GOVERNOR SAYS HE DID NOT
THREATEN CHARLESTON.
Subits Portion of His Address in Ques-
tiOn-Reply of the News and
Courier.
Columbia, S. c., July 8, 1912.

Columbia, S. c., July s, 1912.
The Editor of the News and Courier,
Charleston, South Carolina.
Dear Sir I would say that 1 was
surprised at the attitude of your paper
in regard to my Charleston speech
were it not for the fact that I have
heretofore been so Indignantly and
wilfully misreprese by it.
I requested the reporters to take
down carefully what I said and told
them that had part of it written out,
that part in reference to metropolitan
police and injunctions, and in regard
to the charges of graft, and that I
would be pleased to hand it to them.
They took it down to suit themselves
and made their own report, and the
inference which you draw therefrom
is as false as any lie could be. Here
is what I said, as I now read from the
original notes;
era B. Jones voted to put metropoli-
tan police on Charleston, see page 500,
house journal, 1894"
era B. Jones voted to deprive the
people of Charleston of the right of
trial by jury and for injunctions, see
page 455, house journal, 1894"
I'm addition to this, while he was
on the supreme court bench, many in
functions were put On Charleston.
II have given you independence and
freedom; Ira B. Jones has given you
metropolitan police and injunctions.
Now, ask you to answer, down in the
bottom of your hearts, a question for
me, and show by your ballots your
answer: Do you want metropolitan
police and injunctions, such as Ira B.
Jones gave you, or do you want free
dom of thought and liberty of action,
such as Blease has given you? If you
want metropolitan police and injunc-
ton, will be governor of this State
for the balance of this year and for
the next two years and will give it to
you. If you want it, you shall have it %
I made no threat towards Charles
ton, but simply said that whatever she
wanted I would give her during Sep
tember, October, November, December,
and twenty-one days in January, and
for the next two years. The construc-
ton which you have placed on my
language, that it was threat against
Charleston, is absolutely wrong. I
am willing to leave the construction
of any words to Lieutenant Governor
Charles A. Smith, Railroad Commits
sioner John G. Richards, Senator
John H. Wharton, and any other hon
orable gentlemen who are impartial
and are willing to state the truth.
In this connection, will you please
tell me why you did not publish what
/ read about Jones' speech against
General Hampton? You are mighty
quick to strike me. Why do your re-
porters not report the truth, and why
do you not publish it? Here is what
Jones said when he seconded Col.
Irby's nomination: when independ-
entism was about to blot out the fair
escutcheon of South Carolina, who was
it that stood by the State and the
Democratic party? Was it Wade
F.. Hampton? Was it Donaldson? 1t was
1rby, of Laurens." This is taken from
the files of your paper, as printed in
your issue of Thursday morning, De-
cember II, 1890. You failed to give it
in the report of the meeting in Char
lesion, thereby showing your unfair
ness, by endeavoring to shield Jones
and misconstrue my words. It is a
great pity tnat the newspapers can
not be fair, but the people do not ex-
pect it, they are on to your game and
your misrepresentation will cost me
no votes, but On the contrary will help
me, as it has done in the past, and T
will be reelected governor by hand
some majority in spite of your false
hoods and your Misrepresentation
quote from Section 723, Code of
Laws of South Carolina, 1912:
"Sec. 723. The governor shall have
authority, whenever in his Judgment
it shall be necessary, to arm the con-
staoulary, and, in any emergency, to
assume the sole control of the whole,
or any part, of the municipal police
osts