Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-07-24
SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN
laurens Meeting Wednesday, Broke
Record az to Attendance.

Laurens, S. c. July 22.-The largest
| audience which has yet attended the
senatorial campaign was at Laurens
today TO hear the candidates speak.
The crowd numbered approximately
$500 people. The meeting was CALI
ed to order by George A, Browning,
acting county chairman, in place OF
w. c. Irby, who is on the canvass for
governor. The large majority Of the
audience was for Coy. Blease,
Governor Blease was the first
speaker He was savage in his at
| tack on the newspapers, particularly
| the Columbia Record,
The governor said q banker and
mill president at Whitmire told him,
ITO go below" and claimed that at
Anderson large stockholder In a
cotton mill came on the stand with
pistol in his hand, and he referred
10 the Norwood incident at Green,
Vile,
No Blease man." he stated, "has
attempted to assassinate Senator
Smith"
1T was reported that ! would b.
assassihated here today" claimed the
chief executive.
IF the assassin is here there ia
nothing between me and the dirty
coward. Let him shoot"
Governor Blease voiced his ballet
In fatalism, saying that his death had
been predestinated for a certain way
and nothing could change the manner
of his passing,
Governor Rlease claimed that there
is ruInor in circulation that he par
donen q negro rapist, Fred Elledge,
This negro died in the pepitentiary
he said, on May 9TH, 1919.
Predicting that he would be elected
to the senate and making his usual
attack against Senator Smith, Gov
ernor Blease concluded his speech
by eulogizing Thomas B. Crews and
John n. Cannon, both deceased.
L. D, Jennings, the second speaker,
was received with cheers. He calmly
discussed the record of the chief ex-
ecutiye and he was heard attentively
by the audience,
After paying his respects to the
governors pardon record, Mr.. Jen-
nings asked, Would you get rid OF
the negro mail clerk by tying him at
the END Of hemp rope?"
yes, yes" cried several voices.
We'll. ] am sorry for YOU" re-
piled Mr.. Jennings, land ! am glad
the balance Of South Carolina does
not believe that way"
w. p. Pollock, the third speaker,
was merciless in his arraignment OF
the record Of Governor Blease. Blease
hecklers howled at him throughout
his speech, but he finished under diff
culties.
Those houling most were said to
be from Anderson, Spartanburg and
other counties.
A tense moment in his speech was
when Mr.. Pollock held up the torn
red Union Republican ticket and an
nounced that the name Of J. P. Glib
son was on 1t.
Its a lie." cried a man in the au-
dence. Several policemen surround
ed the man and Acting Chairman
Browning told the heckler he must
be quiet.
"A man can't come to my face and
say that l am liar, unless he desires
to take the consequences" replied
Mr.. Pollock. IT'S only a coward who
stands back and insults a gentleman
Mr.. Pollock then offered to with
draw from the race If Mr.. Gibson's
name is not on the ticket
Senator Smith, the last speaker was
heckled from a mill crowd, said to be
from Anderson county. as he began;
and he demanded a respectful and
quiet hearing from the audience, ad
dressing his remarks to the chair
man. The howlers then quit. Senator
Smith did not depart materially from
his cotton speech.
Chairman Browning demonstrated
that he is one Of the best presiding
officers in the state. He had a turbu-
liant, record breaking crowd to con-
troll, and attention was given to all
speakers, except Mr.. Pollock.
There was a nervous tension today
before the meeting started, as there
was an expectancy of trouble, but this
did not materialize. However. the
boldness and savagery of Mr.. Pollock!s
attack on the governor seemed to
anger the Blease men, but they did
nothing but howl. Governor Blease
received bouquet and Senator Smith
several cotton stalks-Greenyille
Piedmont