The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-08-25

NN'A<t ~ tpi%as 80 fS1HAnt
Democrats of South Carolina In
primary election Tuesday will nofni-
nate State ticket. one United States
senator. and seven representatives tn
congress. Nominations are equivalent
10 election.
All Of the present representatives.
are candidates for denomination and
several OF them will be named with
out opposition Senator Benjamin r.
Tiilman is opposed by y. b. Dial, Of
Laurens. and w. Jasper Talbert, OF
Parksyiile. Owing to the condition of
hts health Senator Tnlman has taken
no active part in the campaign.
Nevertheless, his friends believe thai
ne is certain to defeat his two OPP
ponents IN the primaries.
The bitter fight for the governor.
chip between Governor Cole l.. Biease
ard Judge Ira b. Jones Is monopoliz-
Ing public attention to the exclusion
OF all other contests TO be settled hs
the primaries There is but one is
sus: Shall the administration of Gov
cfnor Blease be sustained and CEN
tinued or be condemned and ended. On
this issue the entire Stale Is divided
into hostile camps. while the bitter
charges hurled at Governor Blease BY
his political enemies have attracted
the attention Of the entire country.
Governor Biease is regarded as
result OF tina old daspensary system
which was established in South Caro-
lima by Tillman, and which has caused
innumerabIe scandals in the pas. few
wears. AS a member Of the legisla-
ture, he was in close association with
the commission which ran the dis
pensary system, and II is charged that
he shared the large rebates which
wholesale liquor houses were forced.
IL Is alleged. to pay on all purchases
Of liquor for the dispensary.
Dispensary System Notorious.
The dispensary system became so
notorious that the State decided TO
abolish the commission In winding
up its affairs. however the State en-
tered suit to recover from wholesale
liquor houses in various cities large
sums of money alleged to have been
paid in rebates. In all these suits the
name of Blease, who was then State
senator, was mentioned. several
criminal prosecutions were brought
against officials, but NO one vas con-
victed.
Won Over Newspapers.
Blease ran for governor two years
ago and won. although opposed oy al
most every newspaper IN the state
and the charges against him were
placarded everywhere. After his in
suguration he started out TO punish
his enemies. At the outset OF his
administration he began Issuing par
dons on, q scale never before known
in the South. More than 400 par
dons have been signed by him since
ne became governor.
Governor Blease had warrants sworn
out against Attorney I. d. Fielder,
of Atlanta. who represented South
Carolina in winding up the affairs OF
the dispensary commission, but the
governor Of Georgia refused to honor
the requisition papers. To protect
himself. Fielder hired Detective VII
liam j, Burns to prove the charges
against Blease.
Detective Burns and his men offered
legislative committee testimony to
ahow that Governor Biease had re-
ceived money for the pardons granted.
and had accepted money from the
blind tigers for protection. and had
signed or vetoed railroad legislation
which came before him for a consid-
GRAFTON. Attorney Samuel J. Nichols
aas named as the agent Of Biease In
these transactions. Burns had used
the dictagraph on Nichols. and It's
records were offered as evidence.
Nichols admitted that he had dealings
with Burns men. but said that he
was drunk. and that the records of
the dictagrapl were the sayings of
an intoxicated man.
Says They Are Lies.
Many thought that the revelations
would put Blease out of the running
for a second term. but he has turned
them to account by saying that they
are lies told by the aristocrats to dis
credit man whom the common peo-
pie elected governor. His friends con-
tend that the statements about the
governors personal character are the
ISLANDERS Of his political enemies. They
say he has headed vigorous admin
of thinking. and that in the degree
that 1t has been vigorous. in that de-
gree has Ii dispieased and angered his
opponents. They poinr to the fact that
the governor has strict ideas OF State
economy; that he succeeded in having
the department OF state geologist and
the Office OF chief game warden aboI-
ished IN view Of the fact that he con-
sidered them unnecessary and a USE
less expense; that he vetoed many OF
the items Of the appropriation bill
presented him by the legislature. and
that his vetoes were generally in the
interest of saving the State money.
Governor Blease himself vigorously
defends his pardon record, insisting
that II has been directed by the dec
tafea NJ tusttca and mprAv