The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1912-09-04
SENATOR TiilMAN WRITES Open
LETTER TO GOVERNOR BLEASE


er in the hands of a lawyer who
charges big fees TO obtain pardons.
AS for pardoning the criminals by
Wholesale nobody but a lunatic
would do sue ha thing and nobody
but lunatic would threaten it, Let
me beg you to beware what you dc
and say hereafter. Put bride on
that unlicensed tongue, you owe it OF
yourself, and you owe it to the State
have been trusted by the people
as we'll as you. They have shown
their love and confidence in no un-
certain way and | therefore claim the
right to warn and to offer to help
you in all matter of pardons if you
will deign to ask my advice Nobody
in South Carolina will doubt that
Justice of any pardon | recommend
This is thankless burden / am
willing to assume for the public well
fare, andl do not expect to do any
OF the drudgery of it, but / know men
| can trust whose honor and patriot
ism are not only above suspicion but
who have the respect and confidence
OF their fellow-citizens. | will en-
| list the help. If l can, of these to
examine the petitions in order to help
you, but you shall not, If | can pre-
vent it, carry out your threat to
make the people OF South Carolina
sweat blood" because so many of
debauched" by your demagogic an
peals. consider, Governor. what
1T means to t turn loose criminals.
! murderers and cutthroats, and then
consider the infamy of boldly and
| openly offering to pardon any man
who would kill certain people Don't
you see what criminal folly you
| have been led to give people the
right to think that you will pardon
men who assinate your enemies?
Such an Infamous idea never enter
ed any but crazy mans brain
In your desperation attempting to
reply to my indication of you in
the Ferguson letter you were un-
| scrupulous enough to say:
Il fear no evil from Senator Till
mans letter, except that possibly his
mind has become more decreased of
late than it was when I had my last
talk with his confidential physician"
Every one knows that you alluded
to DR.. Babcock. and more knightly
| gentleman or more loyal friend to
me never breathed, and l know YOU
had no authority for 1T. He is not
the type that discuss their patients
and their ailments with Tom. Dick
and Harry.
l want to say to you that know
since my last stroke of PARALYSIS in
February, 1910, my memory has been
much impaired, but the other parts
OF my brain have gradually and very
perceptiDly increased in efficiency
and vigor and | am now fully ca
pable of doing as good work as
ever did. The only reason why |
have felt unwilling to make speeches
IN the Senate and on the hustings
this summer is because [ know I
cannot speak with any force or vigor
without turning on the full voltage of
TIE dyhamo Under excitement the
blood rushes TO the brain for that is
the way the mind works. Dr. Bah
cock had warned me that to attempt
to make a speech would mean grave
danger and the PROBABLE bursting of
blood vessel followed by paralysis
or death. Therefore | have refrain
ed and restrained myself, though at
times the temptation has been very, |
vry great. But, Governor. while
my memory is poor the moral fiber
In me is as sound as it ever was. and
my patriotism burns with an even
brighter flaame than when my health
was vigorous. And my conscience is
In fine working order too / can as
sure you.
When / told my wife that | intend
ed to write an open letter to you and
outlined some Of the things / intend
ded to say. she pleaded with me thus:
Blease Is not awholly bad man.
He Is passionate and has cen tanta.
llzed, abused and misrepresented un-
I'll he has lost all sense of RESPONSE
bility and self-control." Recollect
Governor, this same noble woman
has been your advocate with me un-
I'll your recent statement came out
about what occurred las spring in
Washington. She knows you told an
untruth and has never forgiven YOU
lt Is In this spirit l now speak You
nave been lied on, slandered and
abused almost beyond endurance. hui
so was |. | had charge and self
control enough to rise above it. You
have been weak enough to surrender
to the impulse to strike back and TO
strike below the belt.
want those who consider Blease-
ism as Tillmanism to take this CON
trast in consideration when they
make up their final judgment Till
manlsm rs Till man breaches it and
has always preacehd it, is noble
hlgh and eleVating. Bleasism is self
ish, low. dirty and revengable.
nave been very greatly blessed
IN my llfe and every day / return
thanks to the Creator for His many
DRESSINGS. The greatest among these
mas been a good woman whom God
gave me In her youth and purity As
years ago. i have had one grief and
mat was the knowledge that so many
good men in South Carolina seemed
implacable and irreconcilable i'm their
hatred OF me These men truly and
hakn