The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-08-19
CANDIDATES Al. BEhoPrlttf.
FAINT TELLS CROWD HE rs ANTI
BLEASE IN SENTIMENT.
Cooper Replies to Attack ON Him Made
In Circular from Manning Head
quarters-Big Crowd Present
Blcasc Attacks Williams.

Bishopville, Aug. 15.-Unexpected
twists and turns in campaign issues
broke thick and fast in Bishopville to-
day, which meeting began the final ten
days lap of the county-to-county
tour.
Cole L. Blcase the first of the. five
candidates for governor to- speak,
switched much of his attack relative
to the State Hospital for the Insane
from Governor Manning directly, to
Fred c. Williams. the superintendent
Of the institution. One lettet alleged
to have peen written by DR.. Williams
was read. in which funds were asked
Of a patients family that Continued"
purchases of delicacies for aspatient
might be made. Mr.. Blease charged
that the patient was already at home
when the letter was written. -
John T. Duncan interrupked the
speaker long enough to ask II the
original letter was in the possession
Of the ex-governor. Mr.. Blsase said
nc could produce it. In his speech
Mr.. Duncan charged that It was a
fabrication to fool the peopJe, and
that it was the same gag trien upon
DR.. Babcock. superintendent bf that
institution, during the heateA cam
paign Of four years ago. sg4
A telegram: said to have bSen sent
also by DR.. Williams. was ksad, In
which instructions were asked as to
the disposition Of the body ~ a dead
patient and the request mad3 $or suf-
hcient deposit to cover cost or trans
portatiOn Of the corpse.
Mr.. Blease also read aletter, said
to have been issued from IlAnning
headquarters in Columbia 3nd In
which the charge was mads that r.
A.. Cooper was without anI3n5ues that
he was neither for Mr.. Hkf1e nor
against him, and that he q ~ play
'ng second fiddle to Go1} kning. i
Mr.. Cooper was much; IA over
the letter, particular{ b,sftior
which the Laurens G Sda4S
|intcrpreted az chxrsah M s. y b,
Of the principles for which he stood
two years ago when, according to the
letter, he was in accord with those
OF the present governor.
The only reference made to this
by Governor Manning was that 1t had
been sent out by a friend of his and
tf,at he had not seen the letter.
Another high light in today's meet
ing was furnished by Albert s. Fant
candidate for railroad commissioner
wto came back to the stand long af.
ter he had spoken to ,disclaim the
charge that he was q Bleaseite. Mr.
Blease read from bitter partisan pa
per the alignment Of the candidates
For the office of railroad commission
er. Mr.. Fants name led all the rest
of the alleged Bleaseites.
Il desire to set myself right with
the Democrats of my State" Mr.. FAINT
said, "and state here and now that
my name Is in the wrong category
l am an Anti-Blease man."
The statement by Mr.. Fan. drew
prolonged applause and many came
forward to commend him for his
statement as he left the stand.
The meeting today was largely at
tended. the crowd being estimated by
many to be 1,400 or 1900. Several
hundred of these were said to have
ben from adjoining counties, which
was amply confirmed by the number
of machines from Sumter, Darlington
and Florence counties.
Concerning the campaign letter Mr..
cooper said In his attack upon Gov
ernor Manning: "The charge has
been adroitly made that have aban-
doned the principles for which 1 stood
two years ago. On every stump in
this campaign / have iterated and re-
iterated that I stood exactly where l
stood them"
That he was not Bleaseite, Mr..
Cooper said had been emphasized pub
hcly on different occasions by Mr..
Blease and II stated the same thing
myself at Bamberg in the presence
or Governor Manning. If his charge
Is intended to convey the impression
that L am afraid to take a definite
stand, l want to ask whether Gov
ernor Manning has heretofore under
stood my position. If he has. why
this letter? 1 do not like to be
charged by insinuation or otherwise
and especially by letter which 1 was
never expected to see. l am also
classed with those who favor bad
government because dared to offer
myself aS "a copdidoto ~ oco;o.t r..