Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-08-16
THE LAURENs MEETING.
A Crowd Of 1000 People Gather to
Hear the Candidates.
Atlanta Journs


Atlanta Journal.
Laurens, s. c., Aug. 14.-Laurens
the place that always furnishes state
politics at a boiling point, and where
two years ago a riot was precipitated
during the speech Of Attorney General
Lyon, and where a similar occurrence
was predicted this year, came clean"
at the meeting today so far as distur-
Dances were concerned, and had II not
been for the bully ragging" Of Judge
Jones during his speech by Blease men
and their deliberate bowling of him
| down when he attempted to make a
/ categorical denial Of certain statements
Of Governor Blease, Laurens would
have made a good record for order to-
day.
The meeting was noteworthy too from
the fact that 1t brought two candidates
for minor state offices to declare them
| selves as between Blease and Jones. A
small group Of men who stood directly
in front Of the platform demanded that
each candidate for the same Office, de-
clare himself favorable to certain
Blease policies, particularly to the gov
| ernor's veto Of legislative appropria-
tions.
II supported his veto Of these appro-
priations," said Mr.. Earle, and am will
ling 10 DO so again.
D. w. McLaurin, candidate for state
treasurer, refused to commit himself to
either Jones or Blease declaring that
he would be fool to go before the
state for the office Of treasurer wearing
| running on his own merits and was no
coat tail swinger. He threatened to have
man arrested who kept insisting that
he declare for one or the other.
When s. T. Carter, the other candi-
date for treasurer, made his speech,
the crowd seemed to have lost interest
| in making the candidates declare them
selves, and the question was not asked
Mr.. Carter or any Of the candidates for
railroad commissioner
The crowd was Blease crowd, fully
two thirds Of those present being sup
porters OF the governor as was shown
by the hand primary which he took.
and the OK casion was Blease day. He
w. R Fichey, Jr, in behalf of his
Laurens friends. Numerous bouquets
were given him, one Of which was
brought to the stand by little Miss Eliz-
abeth Young, sister Of Stobo Young of
this city, who was serving a peniten-
tiary sentence In connection with the
Seminole failure, but was pardoned a
few months ago by the governor. He
was then borne away on the shoulders
Of his supporters, followed by several
others cheering as they went.
Judge Jones, who stopped ten min
utes short Of his time, was greeted
when he began by cries OF "Sit down."
You'd better be careful" "Oh, go
home" "Oh, somebody tell him its go-
ing to rain," Got your corkscrew with
your"
In addition to this there was a
steady hum of cnversation in the
crowd practically throughout his speech
and when he attempted to make his de-
nial Of Governor Blease's statements
there were cries of I'VE won't hear
him." and such persistent hubbub
that the Judge gave up the attempt.
Throughout his speech, he did not
mention the governors name, conflning
himself for the most part to q discus
sion of education and a non restricted
white primary plank Of his platform.
Governor Blease declared that Judge
Jones's mild speech in Laurens county
was the prduct Z cwardice as was
also the judges statement that he was
sick, and his care not to mention the
governors pardons Of Wash Hunter and
Stobo Young, residents Of this county.
HE has had much to say elsewhere
about the pardon Of Hunter and Young
and also about Darlington" declared
the governor, but today, when he got
to their own county he Is scared to
open his mouth. Like all towards he
sticks In the bank and then runs of
and says he'll say It tomorrow. Today
he skulked back, covered his head with
his coat tail and said he was sick"
He declared that Judge Jones In a
signed letter had said that Blease's
charges against him were false and
that he had asked the Judge yesterday
to point out wherein they were false.
that he would therefore state that when
Judge Jones signed that letter. he sign
ed lie."
He declared that the Jones men were
trying to pin Judge Jones with safe
ty pin to the coat tail of Senator B. r.
Tillman. He said that Senator Tillman
had a race Of his own on hand and
that the Jones men ought to have more
respect for themselves and for the SEN
ator than to try to get him In family
quarrel, a thing that was said to have
caused the defeat Of Wade Hampton.
The crowd numbered between 5000
and 1000, the largest political gather
ing in the history OF the county. There
were many women present.
The following Is from the Spartan
burg Herald's account Of the Laurens
meeting:
Governor Blease referred again to
the attitude Of B. r. Tillman, senior
senator from South Carolina, toward
the Blease- Jones campaign. Jones
and his crowd" Blease said, "are try
ing to take a safety pin and pin Jones
onto Ben Tillman's coat tail. Edgefield
county has got a man in the race for
the United States senate who served
you as senator, as superintendent Of
the penitentiary and for years in con-
gress. He has done much for South
Carolina Laurens county has got a
young man in the race who Is honor
able and high-toned and worthy Of any
trust that may be reposed in him. Why
should the Jones people try so hard to
hang on to Tillman? He has his own
fight to make. If they had a proper re-
spect for themselves and for Tillman
they would not do 1t. don't need Till
mans endorsement. have proved
during the past nineteen months that I
am as we'll qualified to be governor as
Ben Tillman or anybody else. They say
Hampton was defeated because he in
terferred in family fight and they are
doing their best to get Tillman to in
terfere in a family fight now. But they
are not going to get Tillman into It"
The governor declared in characteris-
tically elegant language that Tillman
would never be found lined up" with
the management of the State.