The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-09-10
WHY THE BULL MOOSE.
w. Il. Beard the Original Full Moose
Reveals Hidden Secrets of the
Movement i'm This State.

Inc real SlSnlncance OF the bull
Moose" movement in South Carolina
during the memorable campaign of
1912, is explained by w. p Beard OF
Abbeville, in an open letter address
ed to Hon. George r. Rembert, OF
Columbia. The latter is s. candidate
for governor in the approaching pri-
maries and was born ant. raised in
Sumter County.
Mr.. Beard says that the Bleasites
were preparing to use the Progress
sive movement i'm this State for the
purpose of putting out an independ-
ent ticket in the event the investiga-
ting committee recommended to the
Democratic executive committee
that the nominees in the primary had
been nominated by fraud. For some
weeks last summer it appeared that
the nomination of Governor Blease,
Senator Tillman and othe-s would be
thrown out on the fraud charge. The
investigating subcommittee went into
the up country and into Orangeburg
coun' and made searching investiga-
tiO' s. The gist of the committee s
port was that while it was believed
raud existed there was rot sufficient
to change the result of the prima
facie primary returns an0 as a result
N
tive committee of the Democratic
party in this State dec ared Bleasc
governor, Tillman senator, and SO
with the rest Of the nominees
In the letter to Mr.. Rembert the
alleged plan of the Rlease supporters
Is outlined by Mr.. Beard, who states
that Mr.. Rembert was as much Bull
Moose as any of u.s." Mr.. Rembert it
appears, has twitted Mr. Beard in a
public communication with being a
Bull Moose and has attacked Mr..
Beard for supporting John l.. Nc
Laurin for the gOvernOr!;hip. 1t was
in reply to this attack that Mr.. Beard
wrote the letter to Mr.. Rembert.
Mr.. Beard points out that John
Gary Evans. was frightened into
line" by Boards publication In the
press OF an. independent ticket" and
that this also brought Senator Till
man into line. The ticket" Mr..
Beard now AYERS. was to be on the
Progressive party in the general cleo
tion should the Democratic nominees
be thrown out on the fraud charge
Mr.. Rembert is reminded by Mr..
Beard in his open letter, copies OF
which have been furnishd the press,
that Mr.. Rembert was in this move
ment and intimates that the two had
agreed in q conversation not to fur
ther mention the matter. The cOnver-
sation is referred to as having take,,
place on the train to HcndersOnville
The whole matter came up by rea
son of the publication of an editorial
in The Anderson Intell gencer to the
effect that a letter had been sent to q
Mr.. ThackstOn in Anderson county by
George +. Rembert, attacking John
l.. McLaurin and declaring George .R.
Remberts fitness for the gubernator-
ial hOnOrs. The editor of the Intel
ligencer at that time, Mr. V. b. Ches-
hire, so the editorial relates, went To
Mr.. ThackstOn and told him, when
he sought publication of the letter
that the communication did not
sound like" Mr.. Thaclxston but had
the earmarks of a Columbia lawyer
Mr.. ThackstOn admitted that Mr..
Rembert had written the communica-
ton, SO Mr.. Cheshire in his editorial
stated
Mr.. Rembcrt then wrote an open
letter in which he presented copies of
letters between himself and Mr..
Thackston, the gist Of which were
that Mr.. Thackston had asked Mr.
Rembert to write him u "hot" letter
and he (Thackstom would sign it and
hand it to the editor Of the Intelli-
gencer for publication
In the course of his explanation Of
the Thackston incident, Mr.. Rembert
attacked Mr.. Beard as being a Bull
Moose" and twitted him in other re-
spects. Mr.. Beard replied To this
with the Progressive movement ex-
planation given above.