The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1914-08-18
Tillman's Farewell
CONTINUED from Page Ski


to vote for Blease that you have to
vote against him, and you have no
more right to question his motive
than he has to question yours. Learn
that great truth, act on II to the ut
termost, and my word for 1t, Blease-
ism VIII dtsappear-and 1t Will not
disappear uutil you do learn 1t.
Then, too, certain class OF our
FELLOW citizens have been very un-
Just and unreasonable in their deal
| ing with the poorer people, treating
them with no consideration what
ever and showing contempt for
them. This is especially true with
regard to those who work In the cot
ton mills. In many communities the
people in the mill villages arc a class
apart, looked down upon and not as
sociated with. No wonder Socialism
and the l. w. w. are getting a foot
hold among these citizens of ours 1t
was not so once, and it ought not to
be so now. We all should cddress
ourselves to the remedy lest 1t bring
dire disaster upon the common
wealth, for in the last analysis white
unity is absolutely essential for the
continuation of good government. If
these poor men are trampled under
| foot as they have been taught to be-
lieve they are, they will join with
any movement, no matter how radi-
cal and ultra, to get revenge. This
/ is the secret of Blease'S hold on the
people who work in the cotton mills,
and we ought by every means in our
power break that hold by showing
| the same respect and consideration
for them that we do for others.
"MALICIOUSLY IGNORANT"
/ CAS- for those who compare Blease
| the man with Tillman the man, they
are, for want of a better term, what
/ / may call maliciously ignorant.
/ Blease and Tillman are both popular
idols and there the resemblance ends.
l had definite ends to accomplish: my
personal character and private life
were always above reprcach and my
integrity was never questioned save
| by few slandcrers who merely as
serted without attempting to prove.
There is just enough similarity be-
tween Blease and Tillman to deceive
| the ignorant and furnish n bludgeon
to the vicious.
81 do not believe Governor Blease
ought to be sent to the United States
senate, because he is not worthy of
the honor, and so believing l would
be recreant to the people of South
| Carolina If l did not say so. But do
citizen merely and 1 fully realize
and recognize the right OF the hum
blest man in South Carolina to differ
with me. A mans ballot is his own
and no other man mas a right to
criticise him for using 1t as he
chooses
II am too near the grave to tell
any lies, II / even had the inclina-
tion to do so; l have nothing to gain
by speaking; hence there is no sell
! fishness in my uttorances. But 1
love the state which has honored me
so long and in such a marked degree
and / want to warn our people
those who will listen to me-before
it is too late. / repeat, there is abso-
lutely no element of personality or
selishness in it. All my ambitions
and | thank God they were all
worthy ones-have been satisfied.
Therefore. I speak, as it were, from
n mountain top, looking down upon
my fellows, who i'm n fow yeG r. must
follow me to the grave. If ever
mans uttcrance ought to cause the
people to pause and listen and think,
mine should. For all essential pur-
poses | speak as one who is dead
II ! allowed selfshness to influence
me, / would quietly work to have
nothing more certain than this:
While Woodrow Wilson is President
Blease will get no recognition in the
way of patronage whatever. l have
had little or none, but / would have
it all hereafter with Blease as a
colleague. If a Republican should
follow Wilson, Blease might in a way
duplicate or repeat my attitude to-
wards Cleveland, who did not recog-
nize the Tillmar ties in South Caro-
lima as Democrats at all If the un-
happy difference among our people
in South Carolina shall continue and
Bleaseism becomes the dominant
factor in the state, Blease might in
time play the role Of Malone in Vir-
ginia. All signs, however, point to
the triumphant reelection of Presi-
dent Wilson and the continuance of
the Democratic party in power.
There is one striking thing about
Governor Blease as a leader and
statesman to be very seriously CON
sidered. 1t seems to have been lost
sight of up to this time He has been
in public life since 1890. He came
to the front the same year / did. II
he is such a great leader how, more
worthy to be followed than Tillman,
more worthy of admiration and trust,
how has he succeeded all these years
in hiding it? What has he ever done
in constructive way to benefit the
people of South Carolina? Let those
who are his sponsors answer. 1 have
demonstrated my statesmanship and
ability to lead in dozen ways. With
out even mentioning what / have
done In Washington as a senator, 1
have many monuments, to my credit
In South Carolinr-Clemson and
Winthrop In an educational way, the
constitutional convention, which, re-