Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-09-08
STATEMENT FROM
GOVERNOR BLEASE
Continued From Page -

No, they had no confidence in these
two men. and the result Of the vote
showed il. | did not recognize them as
candidates. or worthy Of notice as
such. 1t was a question entirely De-
tween myself and Senator Smlth, anu
three weeks before the election VINO
can say, after knowing the result Oh
the meetings which we had In all paIls
of the state that | would not beat him
in the race by what l then clalmed-py
5000 to IL 900 majority? l do not shut
INV ewes to the fact, nor do l care to
pass it over without acknowledging II
as a fact, that the commotion which
was stirred up by the bankers and the
manufacturers in the name OF the cot
ton planters Of this state. was seized
unon by Senator Smith and his friends
to persuade the farmers Of the neces-
sity of his election to the United
States senate, to aid them in certain
pretended anticipated actions that the
administration Of President wilson
would take in their behalf, and that
the failure to elect him would be met
with serious resentment by the admin
istration, and harm and injury would
result to the farmers. Then, too II was
argued that those who were greedy Tor
office would fail of obtaining appoint
administration could give and confer
upon those who would cast their votes
and use their influence in behalf of
candidates who had obtained by SER
vile actions and ready obedience the
good will of the departments of the
Federal government. | have no CEN
sure for the farmers of this state. l
simply say they have been deluded and
betrayed. and it will not be long before
they recognize the fact and feel that
they should have stood by me in this
election and resented this attempt TO
deceive them. But even with TINS
change | still undoubtedly would nave
been elected had an honest count
been made throughout the state, ana
an honest election held in two OF the
largest cities Of the state.
AS l have said, feared nothlns
from the Misrepresentation OF the
two would be candidates. l pald very
little attention to what they sala. Inc
record had been made up, and was ac-
cessible to all. Their principal cry was
raised against the power vested IN the
governor by the Constitution OF the
state to see that the laws are executed
in mercy. Exercising this onerouS put
most obligatory duty, have exercised
mercy. | have endeavored to see that
the laws of the state are not heartlesS-
Nv and cruelty enforced, and l nave tol-
lowed, as any one who has the snght-
est knowledge upon the subject KNOWS,
the same principles now prevalent IN
most all of our states, which have ap-
rogated the cruel and barbaric treat
ment of prisoners And yet a candldate
for the United States senate, opeylng
the duties Of his office, exercising the
mandates of humanity, has been "eX-
posed" for the first time, l believe, for
the exercise of a generous heart and
a merciful nature, to criticism foul and
unjust. / do not recall at present any
other instance except that of the Ro-
man governor who found no fault in
Him of Divine Nature, and yet was
compelled, by the clamors of the cruel
and unmerciful, to pass sentence
which from that day to this, has been
condemned in all Christian lands. But,
if l mistake not, none has been so vile
as to charge the executive in the eXer-
else Of this merciful attribute, with
which the Constitution clothes him,
with having been influenced by cor
rupt purpose or illegal gain. If l am
mistaken, let me now demand that
such wretch now make known his
charge in such certain and specific
investigation against him, that he may
not by cowardly evasion attempt to
escape the punishment which he justly
deserves.
There was another matter which
was ding -donged into the ears Of the
people, and which the public may now
with calmness look at in it's true light.
The misrepresentation Of me in this
matter were vile, but York county, the
home of the subject Of this discussion,
showed by her vote how she estimated
the dirty charges made against me.
received in that county 2,O54 votes;
Jennings received SO; Pollock received
81, and Smith received 1905. AS to
the man making these charges, the
estimate in which the people of his
own county held him, and the estimate
which they put upon the truthfulness
Of his charges, whatever they were, is
seen by the vote which l received in
his county, which was as follows:
Chesterfield county-Blease, 1888; Jen-
nings, 2S: Pollock, Alb; Smith, 1929.
The election has been declared. AS
the executive committee counted it,
Senator Smith received 1926, l re-
ceived 56,913, Jennings received 2,25S,
Pollock received 1864. | shall not be
insincere in saying that this has been
a fair count or true result. l care
fully considered before the meeting
of the executive committee the condi-
ton which presented itself. l was un-
able without adequate funds to employ
attorneys and pay for witnesses to
conduct an extensive investigation or
a recount, under a protest in this way,
before committee already pledged to
defeat me. | felt then, as ! feel now,
that the strife Of the campaign, should
end, and that ii was my duty to lend
my efforts to that result. 1t is better
for me to be defeated than for my
people to undergo months of factional
fight, elimination and recrimination,
and an expose of the manner in which
these ballot boxes have been handled. l
acquieSce in the election. | shall vote
for Senator Smith. l shall stand by
the nominees made in these primaries.
But l now assert that it is manifest
that the primary system as conducted
in 1912 and in 1914 by the people who
have been in charge of its manage
ment cannot Survive-that it cannot
survive unless these iniquitous, unjust
and unfair rules shall be repealed; un-
less those whom they opprobriously
call the lower order" in our state be
encouraged to vote in the primary in
stead of being deferred; unless they
be fairly treated, and honest men be
found to conduct the counting of the
ballots cast at the polls, and honest
men TO see that such an honest count
is properly tabulated by the state exc
cutive committee. l deem it pride
that have always maintained that the
primary system is the one that we
should uphold and keep. / have never
and Will not now raise my hand or
voice to defeat its present results. But
warn the people of South Carolina
that the patience of the true majority
of the manhood Of South Carolina will
very little longer stand the treatment
which they have received.
To you, my friends, | have said that
my political ambition was gratitied
four years ago. l have never had any
special desire for any further ad-
rancement in political life, except to
serve those whose opinions, whose
rights and interests | represent, and by
whom | have stood through storm and
sunshine. They say that Bleaseism is
dead. What is Bleaseism? Every
message which | have sent to the leg
islature since | have been governor,
which bodies were under the control
of my opponents. has been in the in
tereSt and for the betterment of the
poorer classes of our people, and the
adjustment upon equity and fairness
of the rights between them and their
richer and more fortunate fellows. |