The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-07-29
WELL ORGANIZED
,BLEASE FORCES SEEM TO have
STRONG ORGANIZATION
ARE In EVERY COUNTY

Supporters Of Governor Are Aligned
- in a. Compact Line of Committees
and Are Doing All They Can to
Elect Governor and Those Whom
He Intends to support
That State Senator W. H. Sharpe
OF Lexington County is the State
cbairman of the Blease organization,
and John n. Aull, private secretary
&to the Governor, the secretary OF the
organization, is the information fur
nished the Pee Dee Daily of Bennetts-
vile by Col. J. P. Gibson Of Ben
nestsvilIe, member OF the staff Of
y COY. Blease, and secretary OF the
BIease organization in Marlboro
5Sounty.
i Mr.. Gibson gives the Blease COM
mitteemen in the townships Of MARI
boro county, and it is said that a
similar organization has been per-
fected of the Blease forces in every
county in the State. If this is true.
Gov. Blease has an organization ex-
tending to each school district IN
every one of the forty-four counties,
and is able, as he has frequently
claimed, to touch any locality at a
moments notice.
The card of Col. J. Preston Gibson
to the Pee Dee Daily says in part:
..Mr. Freeman: In your yesterday S
fFriday,s} Daily you editorially offer
ed to pay a reward of FIVE dollars to
eny one for the nam ss Of the State
Blease committee and the names OF
chairman and secretary in Marlboro
! county and the names of the town
ship committees in this county. We
are not afraid or ashamed for names
to be published, for we feel that we
are as good as any people who walk
the earth. We are Democrats and as
patriotic as anybody. The following
is the Information desired:
State chairman, W. H Sharpe,
State Senator from Lexington county;
State secretary, J. K. Aull. the gov
: efnor,s private secretary"
After giving the members OF the
Marlboro Blease organization, Mr.
Gibson closes his communication as
S follows:
sTn an editorial in his paper OF
6 yesterday, Mr.. r. L. Freeman says:
The Daily has accomplished an
unusual feat. and scooped the papers
s Of the entire State in securing list
OF the officers and committees Of the
8 Blease organization. When the
Blease conferences were held in Co
lumbia several weeks ago, the news
paper reporters in Columbia could
not secure any information as te
what was done. Those who attended
were as dumb as oysters when asked
questions by the newspaper men.
It now transpires that officers
were then selected for the State or
b ganization and county chairmen and
]. secretaries appointed. But it has re
NAMED for, the Daily to unearth thi.
information.
As a reporter for the Daily ane
Advocate, Col Gibson would no doubt
& have given Us this information lons
ago, had it not been the purpose tt
keep the information from the pres:
and public. But our discovery ani
publication of Mr.. Aull's letter, to
gether with cur gentle goarding anG
e the offer of the SIS, has had the desir
ed effect. It has gievn US scoop tol
which any live newspaper would have
gladly paid SIS. We would be gla6
tossee the newspapers in other coun
ties secure and publish the officers
s. and committees Of the Blease organi
zatioRs in their respective counties
When the Blease conference tool
in Columbia on the eve of the
q opening OF the campaign it was helG
IN the Supreme Court room from
which the newspaper men were bar
red 1t was known at the time thai
Senator Sharpe presided over the
meeting, but the only information
3 available was just what could be pick
ed up here and there and put togeth
er for no statement was given out tc
the press. In fact, at no time was
there ever any official knowledge tina,
such conferences were being held.
1t has already been printed that ar
z organization of the Blease forces ha6
been formed in every county with g
central or State organization in Co.
Z lumbia;; that such and such men were
s. in the organization and that county
chairman in each county had been
q named and meetings Of the admins.
4 uation followers organized in every
county, but remained to Absolutely
confirm the names of the Blease
State chairman and secretary.
There is NO douot that the State
administration has organized or at
tempted to organize in each county
It was known that in Georgetown
county caucus Of the 8lease forces
was held following the speaking of
the candidates for State Offices there,
end II