The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-08-17
10 FRIEND OF LABOR.
BLEAsE's TREATMENT OF UNION
OFFICIALS DESCRIBED IN
LETTER.
Columbian Reiterates Recital of Gov
ernor's Announcement That He
Was Opposed to Labor Legisla-
tfuu.

The following correspondence. in
cluding a letter from Gov. Cole L..
Blease to Henry J. Hardy. Mr.
Hardy's reply. a letter from State
Senator Francis III. Weston of CO.
lumbia corroborating Mr.. Hardy's
statements. AMI an affidavit by MT.
Hardy attesting the correctness Of
the interview published In the State
OF February "a. 1911. Is self f-expiana-
tory:
Cole L. Blease. Governors Office, CO.
lumbia, s. C..
Sir: I am In receipt of yours of
August 12. Men do not often take
pleasure In conceding their mistakes,
but l cheerfully confess to having
made grave mistake in placing any
confidence In your protestations OF
Friendship for the people. and In
treating you with the courtesy / had
regarded due any man holding your
high Office.
The statement i am making and
that you say Is absolutely false" ID
but the repetition of the statement I
made and published Is months ago
and that you did not then question.
IL is absolutely true and Is vouched
for by Senator Weston. who was pres
ent ut our conference.
may be a Yankee" but while
that may be my misfortune 1t Is not
my fault. Let me remind you that
You thought well enough of "Yan-
KEGS" TO pardon the Yankee" pick
pockets who robbed the country peo-
pie Of South Carolina at the State
\ fair. and whose Chicago lawyer had
enough money to forfeit one thousand
dollars cash bond when he was ar
rented for attempting to bribe a Rich
land county ofhcer tn let them escape.
Yes. I work for The State company,
owsa days work for seven days pay
- 80 company has the record Of
N Dv ~ havin8-tkid on man on ac-
count of duliness or hard times. II
employs more hiyh-grade union
mon than any publishing house In the
I state. IL Is fair and strictly union
establishment. but while the manage
ment has done personal favors to
many employees. neither I nor any
other member OF the force. so far as
I have ever heard. have ever been
approached In regard To politics. or
any effort made by the management
70 influence an employees vote.
Your apprehension that i might
have been working some dictagraph
game on you was without foundation.
i was not doing a messenger boys
part. nor had I sold my influence.
The fact Is my influence Is not mer-
chantable as Is the influence of your
legal friends who secure pardons.
My reason for turning against you
Is that when the question narrows
down between friendship for a politi-
clan and loyalty to an organization
of which j am a member and to
which L am due loyal support 1
choose the organization every time.
My statement In regard to your
attitude toward organized labor and
It's aims Is sustained By high author
ity. but were the question OF veracity
simply between us I would be willing
TO leave IL to organized labor and
its friends to decide.
Your suggestion that have sold
out for money Is insulting. hut yo.
can not insult me. have no re-
spect for you and 90 not know any
ono who has. but can not get away
from all respect for the office even
when you are Occupying il, and there
fore will not apply To you the short
and ugly" word for which you have
given such provocation.
Henry j. Hardy.