Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-07-23

had been indicted for. forgery, and de-
clared that the prosecution had been
stopped through the activity of Bar
ney's brother, John Gary Evans. While
Mr.. Lyon was talking about the dis
pensary some one yelled: Get down.
you don't look good to u.s." This was
followed by cheers. Lyon replied: Il
have long known, my friend. that / do
not look good to thieves and grafters
and their friends; but. I look good to
the decent people Of South Carolina
whose fight I have fought" This sally
was greeted with cheers for Lyon and
a few hurrahs for Evans. A little la
ter the same voice or another arose
] from the same quarter Of the crowd
and asked: How about your expense
account?" Lyon met this as at previ-
Gus meetings by stopping deliberately,
looking over In the quarter from which
the inquiry came and asking: will
you give me your name?" There was
a pause but no answer, and presently
Lyon went on with, well then, the
man who says I have ever improperly
received a cent Of dispensary funds Is
a liar and the man who insinuates II
and won't assert 1t Is dirty, con-
temptible coward" This was follow
ed by silence from the quarter in which
| the Qu6SllOI OTl6lIdleu anu Lynn "clll
on with his speech.
which he recited his public record and
set forth his claims to the. office, and
when he concluded he was applauded
Mr.. Thomas H. Peoples. the last speak
eri and quite a young man serving his
first term in the legislature, made a
we'll rounded speech that ELECTED ap-
plause, especially when he said that he
would not want to hold the office Of at
torney general for six! years, and he
was willing to, promise that II at the
end Of four years he had not made such
progress that he would no longer be
able to afford to remain In the position
he is now seeking, he wodld go back
to the practice Of law, or even back to
his humble cottage on his farm.
| Upon the appearance Of Governor
Blease as the next speaker the crowd
broke into enthusiastic and prolonged
cheering, and 1t was some little time
before the governor could commence
the reading Of his lengthy reply to the
charges that grew out Of the Augusta
hearing Of the dispensary investigating
committee. When the governor COM
menced reading the crowd became very
attentive. He read in loud voice that
/
read very rapidly. At places he threw
particular emphasis on some of his
statements and there was frequent ap-
plause. Before he had gotten through
i with the lengthy document, which Is
being reproduced in full in today's pa
per, the chairman of the meeting in
formed him that he only had five min
utes more to speak. Governor Blease
protested that 1t was impossible to
/ finish the reading In five minutes. He
went on to say that he was not reading
| that paper as a personal matter any
way, but for the honor Of South Caro-
lima, and he proposed to finish 1t. II
| the chairman was not willing to allow
him to speak from the stand, he would
go around the corner, and ask all who
cared to hear the remainder to follow,
There were cries Of go on" 'go on
and there went up a great shout from
all parts of the crowd. Governor Blease
lcontinued to read. The chairman con-
ferred with Judge Jones, and as he said
nothing further the governor proceed
ed with the reading until he had con-
ciuded. There was more cheering, and
the governor was presented with q
handsome box Of flowers. AS he held
the flowers up to view there was more
i
From Ladies Of Fort Lawn" the
crowd cheered again. The governor
bowed and left the stand, and a large
portion Of the crowd began to dis
perse.
| John T. Duncan was the next speak
er; but with the rain and the heckling
| he had q rough and embarrassing time
Of 1t: He wanted the crowd to under
stand that IL 1t would listen he would
tell something; but the crowd did not
appear to be particularly interested
He declared that the people Of South
| Carolina were willing to stand the af-
| fiction Of Blease only because they
preferred .BIease to Gonzales, and he
spoke Of Willie Jones as a Seminole
crook. He was impartial in his at
tacks on Blease, Jones, Gonzales and
others; but wanted the crowd to un-
derstand that Duncan is the boy who
can and does do things. Because of
the downpour 1t was at length decided
to adjourn to the opera house, where
Mr. Duncan concluded his speech.
The transfer to the opera house was
made quickly, and the building was
soon packed to It's capacity, mainly by
people who desired to hear Judge Jones.
These included a hundred or more Ia
dies. Of whom many had been attend
| ing the previous proceedings In the
| Judge Jones was received with much
cordiality, and he was cheered quite
frequently. There were also cheers for
Blease. According to one Of the news
paper men who has been making the
rounds his speech was one Of the best
and most effective he has made during
the campaign The Columbia State of
yesterday had the Judges address
summarized as follows:
Judge Jones said he hoped, from the
bottom Of his heart, that the governor,
| for the honor Of his great Office and the
good name Of his great state would ul-
| timately be shown to be clean and in
nocent Of graft. II have not charged
him with graft" Judge Jones declared; ;
II do not now charge him with graft.
I have not referred to the investigation
at Augusta, though he intimated yes
| terday and again today that I had.
But / have spoken Of the situation de-
veloped at Charleston, where witnesses
have sworn to the payment, stately,
Of graft to the chief constable of the
governor for protection of blind tigers
against the law; and this chief consta-
BILE himself, Stothart, when asked as to
his connection with such graft, declin-
ed to testify, on the ground that 1T
would tend to incriminate him-this
being a practical admission Of his COM
plicity. If I were governor, and as much
evidence had been produced against my
appointee as has been produced against
Stothart, / would suspend him, or re-
move him; would not tolerate such an
officer. / would not let him serve an
other minute. l would not permit the
great name Of my state to rest under
such stain. There has been made out
against the chief constable a prima ia
Gle case of systematic grating. and he
refuses even to deny it. So long as he
Is kept in office he is encouraged in this
position, and you, my fellow citizens,
bear the shame and humiliation Of 1t.
Let's not permit society In South
Carolina to become honeycombed with
graft and corruption, before we rise up
and strike one good blow for the honor
of our statei I call upon you, all you
good citizens, whether Conservatives or
Reformers, rich or poor, high or low,
whether you live in the town or in the
country, whether employe or employ
er! Let's come together and retrieve
South Carolina from the great shame
and humiliation under which she now
suffers. The good name and fair name
Of our beloved commonwealth are in
volved. l do not want a condition to