The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-08-10
HE POOR MAN AND BLEASE.
Kew. +. {. HicksOn i'm the Gaffney
Lcger

Just how Blease has managed IN
set such an influence over the poor
people Of this State is a mystery TO
me.
AS the editor Of The Ledger said
last week, it is certainly nothing he
has done for them. Not even any
thing he has recommended the leeis
lature TO do for them. Will some
Of his enthusiastic supporters come
forward and explain why it is the
poor people love Blease?
Some one suggested that it was his
free use of the pardoning power.
That is an insult to the poor. They
are not criminals nor expecting to be
Ny observation through my whole life
has been that there are more good,
honorable people among the poor
than among the rich. l have often
remarked that the staunch manhood
and integrity of their men the poor
beaten anywere. That they should
espouse the cause Of man who has
advocated the cause of LIQUOR and
championed the cause of the criminal
Is passing strange. 1t is true that
Blease has talked as though he and
ne alone were the friend of the poor.
But he has been in public life long
enough now to have brought forth
some fruits. What has he accomplish
ed or attempted to accomplish for
the poor? What is there in his plat
form now that promises anything for
the poor? What promises is he MAX
ing? What is the poor man to get if
he is elected? Does any one know {?
Some times the poor man will es-
pouse the cause Of a man just because
the man himself is poor. But that is
not true of Blease He is not poor.
nor is his family poor. He has new
er known the hardships and trials Of
poor man or of a poor mans son.
The only explanation / can see for
the poor mans enthusiasm of Blease
is that Blease has infiamed his pre-
Judice. He has assumed that the rich
man and the negro We're the enemies
of the poor white people He has
never undertaken to show how the
rich man and the negro are the enc
mics of the poor white man. he has
never shown how their interests an
tagonize his nor has he ever put forth
any scheme by which he (Blease) pro-
posed to enable the poor white man
to overcome the antagonism of the
rich and the negro. He has simply
abused the negro and the rich man.
This was his stock in trade in all
his earlier campaigns. After his
election as governor he added one
other plank to his platform, that was
Dragging on Blease and especially
Blease as the champion of the poor.
AS a matter Of fact Blease when
ldlklnS 10 tne negroes represents him.
self as their best friend
In addressing negro audience in
Columbia last winter he declared to
them that he was the best friend they
had in South Carolina and pledged
the whole power of the government
militia and all for their protection.
And he had a bunch of his Newberrv
negroes present who testified to his
popularity among the negroes in
Newberry. When l asked one of the
negroes how he reconciled that
statement with the fact that he abus-
ed and belittled the negroes in his
campaign speeches as he did. he
said. 80. he says he has to do that
in order to get the poor white trash
to vote for him." The negroes in
\ewberry understand BleaSe perfect
ly We'll ! only wish the poor white
people of Cherokee understood him
as well.