Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-02-06
JONES AND BLEASE.
The Issue Between Thorn As Seen BY
Editor Applet.

The Issue Between nom As Sooh y
Editor Applet. Co.,
Following is a. part of letter that
Senator. Applet Of Clarendon, wrote
last week to his paper, the Manning
Times.
It is without doubt there are many
In the general assembly who think II
good politics to discredit Blease. and
they stand ready to damn him right
or wrong. When they do this. they
are patted upon the back by the gov
ernor's opponents; but there Is DAY
Of reckoning coming at the court OF
last resort-the people. The action or
the governors opponents Will force
the making Of the coming primary 10
be fought out upon factional lines.
Candidates for the legislature will be
put up in every county and voted for
on the Blease and anti-Blease plat
forms. II Blease Is reelected, he Will
carry with him a Blease legislature.
Should he be defeated the legislature
will be dominated by Judge Jones,
who is being backed by those who IA
vor the policies advocated by the CO.
lumbia State, and the prohibition ele-
ment In my judgment, regardless OF
who Is elected governor, whether II pe
Blease or Jones, a legislature elected
because of its attitude towards either
of the candidates for governor Is
misfortune. It will be just as 1t was
in 1890, a .driftwood legislature. But
the game of politics Is being played
by those who are opposed to Biease,
not so much Is their opposition based
upon his acts as governor, but because
they have never forgiven him for de-
feating their exponent or prohipltion
I'D
notice when he was candidate, that
II elected he would keep his eye upon
the public treasury to prevent a waste
of the public moneys. That he has
carried out this promise the public Is
10 Judge.
Then too. lawyers of the state have
II In for Blease because Of his having
the temerity to take issue with the
supreme court in the matter OF ap-
pointing special judges, whenever they
at county seats conclude they want an
extra term Of court. Blease. commit
ted an objectionable sin when he
wanted the legislature to fix the law
so that the governor, who must issue
commission, would have the power to
protect the taxpayers against this
drain upon the treasury, and IN the
coming campaign this special judge
matter will play an important part IN
the Rlease-Jones controversy. l be-
lieve this is 50. Judge Jones, who mas
been selected as the standard-bearer
Of the opposition to oppose Biease' mas
already fired off gun taking issue
with Governor Blease in the newspa-
pers. This letter of the ex-chief JUS
tice is regarded as the opening gun OF
the campaign, in the hope Of getting
Blease 10 reply in the newspapers In
stead Of bringing his explanation
face to face with the masses. but l
doubt II they entrap him in this way.
He may make reply to Jones In the
but II the anti-Blease
forces think that Blease Is going to let
the matter rest by depending on the
they will wake up to find
themselves with another think COM
ing to them. 1t Is known to all men
that Blease is not relying upon news
papers to give him support In fact,
I believe that, because OF his pad
treatment on the part OF the Leading
newspapers, he is suspicious or the
whole breed. and. therefore, nothing
short of a face to face talk to the peo-
pie will satisfy him or his. friends.
Blease has made some mistakes,
not so much in his acts, as 1t was In
the expressions he gave for his acts
Some of his veto messages were not
as diplomatic as Is customary. He
did not use sweet scented words 10
give expression to. these messages.
Some of the messages were too strong,
but they we're Rlease messages. Had
they been couched in the oily words
of a Hayward or an Ansel those who
know Rlease would have charged him
with hypocrisy. In other words, ad-
dressing the general assembly, ne
spoke to the members Of the two bod
les Just as he would and did speak to
their masters-the people when he
was a candidate, believing that where
they were commissioned by them IT
did not make the clay of which they
were made, any better than the clay
Of those they represent. and, II he was
to address the representatives Of the
people he had a right to speak to
them just as he speaks to those they
are supposed to represent-plain,
frilless, but with force. I am not an
extremist, and I am not partisan
but I want absolute fairness, I want
Gov. Rlease to stand or fall upon his
record, and not by passion famed In
to flame by extremists or partisans
who are not well Of the sores inflict-
ed in the last primary by the elec-
ton of Please over Featherstone, nor
do I wish to be forced to take sides
in the personal wrangle between Ira
2. Jones and Cole L. please. What l
do want, Is to have the coming cam
paign conducted in a way that will be
educating to the masses. so that men
may go to the polls and vote for the
states good, but they will not be able
to do so, If they are to make their Sc
lections from the standpoint Of par
tisan prejudice.