Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-10-03
Mistellanruus 8eaaing.
TO CONTROL STATE CONVENTION

ITo CONTROL STATE CONVENTION
Governor Blease Has in View Capture
of Party Machinery.
News and Courier.
| Columbia, September 30.-Leaders o1
the Blease faction in the Democratic
party in South Carolina will meet In
conference in Columbia during fail
week, to map out plans for capturing
the next Democratic state convention
and controlling the election machinery
I of the Democratic party. This announce
ment was made today by Governor
Blease, in conversation with the News
and Courier representative. The con.
ference will be participated in by the
Blease leaders from every county In the
state. It is likely that the ball room OF
the Jefferson hotel will be used as the
meeting place for the conference.
The call for the leaders to come to
the conference has already gone out
Administration leaders at every county
seat and in every section Of the state
have been summoned to gather In Co
lumbia for an important meeting dur
ing the week of the state fair. The
conference may last two days.
Plans for a full attendance OF the
Bleasites at every Democratic club
meeting next April, when they assem-
BILE to elect delegates to the county con-
ventions will be talked over. Through
control of the club meetings the Blease
forces plan to capture the county con-
vention, or a majority thereof, and
through them the next state .conven-
tion, which meets In Columbia on the
third Wednesday in May. Control OF
the county convention will insure con-
troll Of the state Democratic executive
committee and the state convention
and thus place the machinery Of the
Democratic party, under which the pri-
mary elections are held, in the control
of men friendly to Governor Blease.
Any radical changes in the rules and
constitution Of the party will be defeat
ed If the Blease forces carry out their
plans and capture the next state con-
yention. Governor Blease, in talking
this morning, said he believed In every
white man being allowed to vote, be-
lieved In letting him go to the polls un-
tramelled, either by money persuasion
or threats of losing his position. He
said he and his faction would favor ev-
cry plan which would afford the freest
expression Of the will Of the white peo-
pie, but they will fight to the utter
most any restriction Of the primary to
registered voters, or anything which
will make 1t cumbersome and burden
some on the voters casting their bal
lots.
Former Governor John Gary Evans
the present chairman Of the state DEM
ocratic executive committee, and the
others who are at present prominent in
the running of the party, are marked
for slaughter by the administration
forces. II the Blease forces control a
majority of the county conventions
throughout the state next May, there
will be complete overturn Of the elec-
ton machinery officials. Chairman
Evans and his fellow workers Of the
anti-Blease faction will be relegated to
the rear and new men, high in standing
with the present state administration
will be placed at the helm of the Dem
ocratic party.
At the Blease conference here fair
week the plans will be mapped out to
the smallest detail and the leaders will
then return to their various home coun-
ties and pass the word around for all
the Blease voters to attend their club
meetings in force.
I'VE are not going to be caught nap
ping, as was the case last year." said
Governor Blease this morning, referring
to the overwhelming manner In which
the anti-administration people captur-
ed club meetings, county conventions
and the state convention In 1912. I'VE
are going to have full attendance al
every club meeting in the state and we
propose to capture the county conven-
tions. Rest assured we are going to
control the next Democratic state con-
vention," emphatically declared the
governor.
The plans for the Blease forces to
control the conventions and election
machinery next year were formed right
on the heels of the reelection Of Gov
ernor Blease last summer. Leaders OF
| that faction Of the party have been
| working on the details ever since and
they have called the conference for fail
week to put these plans into action, and
perfect such other details as will be
deemed advisable to carry the matter
to q successful conclusion.
Following the conference, according
| to the governor, several public address
es will be issued to the voters of the
state, urging them to attend their next
club meetings, This matter will be
emphasized to the voters friendly to the
administration,
"The conference" said Governor
Blease, (which will be held here of his
faction during fair week will be open
and above board" While some OF the
meetings may be executive sessions
still the governor Is Of the opinion that
many of them will be open. We are
not going to carry on any underhand
fighting; we are going at the matter
open and above board and we are go
ing to win" concluded the governor.
CASE OF HARRY COLEMAN
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