The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1912-07-10
GRACE REPLIES
TO GOVERNOR
Turns Loose Warm Interview.
HOT REJOIkDER BY CHARLEsToNIAM
Governor Had Called Him
"Character Assassin and
COWardly Liar


of that city, denouncing him as char
acter assassin and cawardly liar" for
having charged that graft was bleving
practiced by liquor Constables in Charles
ton and that according to his belief the
graft had been traced practically to the
governors Office"
In reply to the governor, Mayor Grace
has given out the following interview, pub
lished in The News and Courier of Sunday:
The MAYORS STATEMENT.
''Of course it was anticipated by me that
Governor Blease would be compelled a
the Charleston meeting to take notice Of.
and, if he could. answer the charges which
I have so publicly made against him.
The only matter over which had any
doubts was whether or not should attend
the meeting, and with my own ears hear
what he had to say. My friends practical
ly unanimously advised me against it. AS
it happened, was on the Isle of Palms at
the State Bankers Convention, and had
I cared to lend plausibilty to my absence
I could readily have evaded it. But l de-
termtned, that come what might, it was
my duty to 90 to the meeting. As Dem
ocrat, have never missed any OF these
meetings, and the only thing that could
have kept me away would have been,
whatever others might have thought OF
it, cowardice on my part.
Having made up my mind. therefore,
to go, the next thing which bothered me
was what attitude should assume toward
Governor Blease, howsoever personal and
bitter he might become. AS had delib-
erately gone to the meeting / was equally
rs deliberate about what Ry course should
be. remembered that / was Mayor of
Charleston; that the hall was packed with
men who. at the slightest Shreat Of per-
sonal injury, would spring TO my side
through devotion that is uneXcelled any
where. The police force, while composed
largely Of men loyal to me, would have
myself required to do its duty, and under
the orders Of .he chairman l, and even my
most devoted friends, might have been
Srlmmnrily removed from the hall to which
extremity would have bowed in obedience
to law. With these mere outlines OF Il
riotous situation flooding my mind there
was but one view for me to take-to Swal-
low anything. did it with complacency,
and l hink the public, from what l hear
approves Of my course.
THE BEER INCIDENT
Moreover, what did it matter what
Blease said? Did he not in the very speech
in which he so violently by indirection, de-
nounced me, also give utterance to the
rankest indecendies and anarchy? Think
OF Governor replying as to how he stood
on the beer question by shouting that if
his questioner Gn violation of the law
would bring him up to the stage a drink
of beer he would be better able to answer
the question. OF course, it was grilling
for me TO have TO sit and listen to Bleases
lies. The idea of his making it appear that
the beginning OF our troubles was when he
refused to appoint negro notary public,
whose appointment, by the way, had ask
ed only as favor to gentlemen in Char
lesion who were not then, nor have ever
been, my political friends. Are Messrs
Nathans and Sinkler also negro loversY
And do they believe in social equality?
Certainly not. 1t is almost sickening to
have to answer such tommy-rot.
The DIsPENsARY CoNsTABLEs.
There was but one cause, and that was
(as 1 said in q published article recently.y
Bease had broken his public promise and
his private word. l expected him to be
Governor of South Carolina and when he
was elected was happy. Aan intimation
by him that wished to usurp those func-
tions is more than absurd. In the pres
ence OF many Others he asked me il
would name man for chief constable, and
in their presence denounced the whole
proposition, and said that l would hold
him to his word not TO appoint any, as
knew and had told him in writing that
they would be grafters. They have since
demonstrated it. What more proof does
he need?
Talk about facing Stothartl Witness
after witness under oath faced Stothart,
and finally Stothart faced himself, and
looking himself and his own guilt, land,
believe, Blease'S mountainous guilt in
the eye, he refused to answer on the
grounds it might incriminate himself
Why didn't Bease read the constable letter
the letter OF prophetic warning which l
wrote him, and in which told him that
he had broken his word rather than switch
off on the irrelative tangent OF alleged
social equality?
BLEAsE's THREAT.
'Of course his nasty threat about the
metropolitan police is in keeping with the
rest OF his character, but it is in no way
disquieting. If it means anything it means
simply this: Up to August 9th, no matter
what the people of Charleston do the con-
stables will stay here as graft agents. On
August 2sth, il by their votes the people
OF Charleston have resented his dirty ad-
ministration, he will take it as sufficient
crisis in the history OF the State to justify
his resort to whatever extraordinary power
he can stretch the laws to mean. The me-
tropolitan police bill has been repealed, but
he refers to some vague, obsolete power
whcreunder sort of martial law might be
foisted upon us-a power, OF course, under
Our Institutions necessarily lodging in Oul
Executive, il in open rebellion against