Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-08-18

disaster upon the common wealth, TO
| in the last analysis white unity Is alb
solutely essential for the continuation
| of good government. II these poor mel
are trampled under foot as they hav,
been taught to believe they are, the!
will join with any movement, no mat
ter how radical and ultra, to get re
venge. This is the secret Of Blease:
hold on the people who work in thu
cotton mills, and we ought by ever!
means in our power break that hold b!
showing the same respect and consid
Grafton for them that we do for others
"MaIiciously Ignorant"
| LAS for those who compare Bleast
the man with Tillman the man, the!
are. for want Of a better term, what
may call, maliciously ignorant. Bleast
, and Tillman are both popular idols anc
there the resemblance ends. had de-
| finite ends to accomplish; my persona
character and private life were always
above reproach and my integrity was
never questioned save by few SIAN
derers who merely asserted without at
tempting to prove. There Is just
enough similarity between Blease and
Tillman to deceive the ignorant and
furnish a bludgeon to the vicious.
"I do not believe Gov Blease ought
to be sent to the United States senate,
because he is not worthy Of the honor
and so believing I would be recreant
to the people of South Carolina If
did not say so. But do not misunder-
stand me. l speak as a citizen merely
and l fully realize and recognize the
right of the humblest man in South
Carolina to differ with me. A mans
ballot is his own and no other man has
a right to criticise him for using 1t as
he chooses.
IL am too near the grave to tell any
lies, If | ever had the inclination to do
so; l have nothing to gain by speak
ing; hence there is no selfishness in
nv utterances. But / love the state
which has honored me so long and in
such a marked degree and l want to
warn our people-those who will listen
to me-before it Is too late. / repeat,
there is absolutely no element Of per-
sonality or selfishness in it. All my
ambitions-and l thank God they were
all worthy ones-have been satisfied.
Therefore, | speak, as it were, from a
mountain top, looking down upon my
fellows, who in q few years must fol-
low me to the grave. If ever q man s
utterance ought to cause the people to
pause and listen and think, mine
should. For all essential purposes l
speak as one who is dead. II allowed
selfishness to influence me l would
quietly work to have Blease sent here
because there is nothing more certain
than this. While Woodrow Wilson is
president Blease will get no recogni-
ton in the way Of patronage whatever.
| have had little or none, but L would
have it all hereafter with Blease as a
colleague If Republican should fol-
low Wilson, Blease might in way du-
plicate or repeat my attitude towards
Cleveland, who did not recognize the
Tillmanites in South Carolina as DEM
ocrats at all. If the unhappy 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 Virginia. All signs, however, point
to the triumphant reelection Of Pres
ident Wilson and the continuance OF
the Democratic party in power.
There is one striking thing about
Gov. Blease as a leader and a states
man to be very seriously considered.
II 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 l did. If he is such a
great leader now, 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 a construc-
tive way to benefit the people of South
Carolina? Let those who are his spon-
sors answer. l have demonstrated my
craftsmanship and ability to lead in a
dozen ways. Without even mentioning
what | have done in Washington as a
senator, | have many monuments to
credit in South Carolina-Clemson and
Winthrop in an educational way, the
constitutional convention, which re-
lieved the people Of the state OF the
menace of negro domination by the or
ganic law under which we live, the
primary system Of choosing candidates
and the deSpised and slandered dispen-
sary which only failed because the cor
rupt politicians in the legislature got
hold Of it and the anti Tillmanites
egged them on to destroy it. But in
spite Of all their machination and cum
ming, it still survives locally in many
counties. All these are largely my
handiwork In Gods name, let those
who were formerly Tillmanites but
now Blease shOuters, show what Blease
has done of a similar character. They
can not do it and they owe it to them
selves to pause and analyZe things and
recover their reaSon-if they can. They
can undo some of the wrongs they have
perpetuated and restore the states
good name which Blease has made a
byword and a kissing. The 25th OF
August will tell the story and | watch
the result with confidence"
(Signed) B. r. TILLMAN.