Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-06-30

at BarnWell, ldSl fTludy, dl DdllDcIS
on Saturday and at Winnsboro, yester-
day. They spoke to large crowds, at
all Of these meetings and developed
very great interest especially as be-
tween Governor Blease and Senator
Smith, who are generally looked upon.
as the leading antagonists.
At BarnweIl.
There was a big crowd of people at
Barnwell, including 1000 or 1,500 vot-
ers, and quite a large number Of
speaker. He had not been at the Beau
fort, Ridgeland or Hampton meetings.
He began by telling his supporters
that he was from the Pee Dee coun-
try, and was bringing good news. The
information was that his friends were
up and doing and were alive to the
situation. He stated that his actual
majority two years ago was from 49,
900 to 10000; but this year on account
Of those mean, contemplate rules.
which make 1t so difficult for some OF
his friends to enroll, his majority may
be- reduced 20 5000 or 1000. He said
that it had been more or less common
for anti -Blease men to get up pardon
petitions with long lists Of signatures,
and when he granted the pardons to-
criticise him for it. He cited this to
show the kind Of fight that was being
made upon him and denounced 1t as
cowardly. He stated that at Beaufort
the Smithites came to the meeting be-
hind a negro brass band, and suggest
ed that this was probably a compli-
ment to the senator for voting for
Haskell, in 1890. The governor said
that the thievery practiced in the re-
cent state convention with a view to
robbing white men Of their votes was
as low down as anything Portland
Ned ever did. At Beaufort, the day
before, Mr.. Pollock had pictured Port
land Ned as escaping from the gov
ernor's office dressed in the governors
clothes. The governor referred to this
He said that in the first place the man
was James Johnson and not Portland
Ned; that before signing the parole
for this man, the governor had writ
ten the Federal authorities and asked
them whether or not they had any
warrants for him. He read the letters
in reply. saying there were no war
rants. He went on to say that the
parole had been granted on the petit
ton Of many prominent people OF
Spartanburg, and the Spartanburg
ladies had asked him to let them know
in advance Of the parole so they could
send the man some clothes. After
telling the story he said that ANY man
who says Johnson left my office dress
ed in my clothes and hat is a lair and
a contemplate coward" Governor
Blease said that Smiths friends were
hopelessly divided and they know he
is beaten. Not yet came from the
crowd. But soon," retorted the gov
ernor.
Mr.. Jennings followed Governor
Blease and devoted himself mainly tol
a defense Of the primary rules, which
he described as fair and honest. He
cited the fact that the primary vote
had increased to $4,000 against 1OS.-
900 from 1910 to 1912, and asked the
crowd whether they thought such a
thing was reasonable. He declared
that Cole L. Blease would be retired
to private life within five years, and
by that time his supporters would
either deny that they had ever voted
for him or hang their heads in shame
at the question. Mr.. Jennings declar-
ed his purpose to go fully into the
record of the asylum investigation
and to read a book that would make
the blood Of every honest man gush
from his veins. He said he would tell
the story from the stump, and If the
governor should attempt to deny it, he
would prove what he had to say. Mr.. |
Jennings said that unless Senator
Smith helps to read Blease's record, he
will stand about as small chance or
going to the senate as the governor
will stand He charged also that the
governor had granted many pardons
without having any petition upon
which to base them.
Mr.. Pollock declared that Governor
Blease had vetoed more acts than any
other governor had ever done and
among them was the appropriation for
cattle tick eradication. He said that
in the event Of war with Mexico he
hoped that Governor Blease would
lead the state troops far down into
the Mexican country, and then drop
back and let the MeXicans eat him up. |
Replying to what the governor had
said about the Portland Ned affair, |
Mr.. Pollock said that in referring to
the matter at Beaufort he was speak |
ing in a vein of pleasantly, and of
course did not mean it: but he would
not let any man call him a liar. Mr..
Pollock said that while he did not
think much of Senator Smith. he
thought more of him than he did Of
Blease. Blease had a bad record and
Smiths record was simply Joke"
When Mr.. Pollock got through
speaking, Governor Blease, with per-
,,,;ccinp nf Canator Smith went ha ok !