The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-07-26
County Campaign Opened
At Mt. Pleasant Tuesday
utes at the close of the regular pro.
gram.
An excellent cue was furnished to-
day by G. H. Cromer and son.
The Meeting in Detail.

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county campaigns had been, and that
nothing would be said or done that
would reflect other than credit upon
the county and the candidates. He be-
spoke for each speaker respectful
hearing. He said that On account Of
other engagements it was probable
that this would be the only meeting he
would be able to attend, and in his abb
sence the meetings would be conducts
ed by Mr.. Frank r. Hunter, secretary
of the executive committee, and he
asked that Mr.. Hunter be shown the
same respect and courtesy which had
always been accorded the speaker in
presiding over the meetings.
The first speaker introduced was
Col. ID. A. Dickert,
candidate for the State senate against
Senator Alan Johnstone. Col. Dickert
said he had been living in this country,
before he moved away the last tine,
thirty-odd years, and were it not for
some issues before the people of New
berry county and before the people
of South Carolina, he would not say q
word today. He said he mad led the
Red Shirts here and commanded the
Enoree rifles in this section, and the
people of this community knew him
and had knoFn him long.
But he wanted to discuss the extra
yagance of the legislature and the dis
grace it was sought to bring upon
South Carolina over the shoulders OF
Cole. L. Blease. He said he knew
Blease as a young man, and had known
him since Blease. entered politics, and
he had never known him to do any
thing dishonorable. He referred to
Blease's boyhood days as a barefoot
boy who came from the working peo-
pie, and he suggested that probably
the fact that Blease had risen from the
ranks accounted for some Of the VOL
ent opposition to him. The legislature,
through its committee, he said, (re-
ferring to the Augusta Fielder hear
ing") had gone out Of the State to take
the testimony of a confrnled black
mailer, who was confessedly afraid to
come into South Carolina. this commit
tee seeking. to degrade the governor
and the State Everything possible
had been done in the senate and the
house, he said, to defame the name OF
South Carolina, over the shoulders OF
Governor Blease. Forty years from
now. said Col. Dickert, Blease would
not be known out of the county, per-
haps, but the proud name OF South
Carolina will live eternal. It's known [
wherever language is spoken; and ne
deplored what he termed the pre-eiec-
ton effort, which had not succeeded,
to convict Blease of being a thief, a
man who would sell pardons and sell
his Office for money-this campaign
and prediction effort being tanta-
mount to an effort to drag the proud
name of South Carolina in the m1re.
"If I believed Blease would sell his
Office, I would not vote for MN, SAID
Col. Dickert; "but don't believe it"
Speaking of extraVagance. il the
people would review the acts OF the
legislature, they would see how their
money had been sQuandered-an
what was it for? Either seeking to de-
grade the governor, or because the
legislature had no regard for the peo-
ple. he said. $4,000 people voted for
Blease because he had promised not
to squander the peoples money, and
he had tried to keep his promise.
Blease, said the speaker, saved the
people 100000 in his own Office, and
what had the legislature done to try
to degrade him and bring about dis
satisfaction? The Secretary OF State
had been given s7,270 for years, and
this was raised $1,000. The State
treasurer about the same, and 1t had
been raised $1,000. The attorney gen
eral, in addition to an assistant at
81 800 year, was given $4,000 and all
the money left over from last session,
81, 800, and the legislature had voted
CONTINUED ON PAGE 2).