Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1916-09-21
ISSUES STATEMENT TO PEOPLE
OF THE STATE
Senator Tillman Asks That fractional.
ism Come to an End

The News and Courier has received
from Senator Tillman for publication
the following:
To the People of South Carolina:
The election is over. Manning is re-
and Blease has misses the
third term he coveted so much. hope
that I will not be misunderstood If,
as your old and trusted servant, I
mSke a few observations and give
some advice.
There are approximately $4,000
South Carolians who wanted. Blease
for Governor despite his record
and 1 am convinced that $4,000, or
more Of these voters are good men
and true. They voted for Blease be-
cause they honestly believed he was
the better Of the two candidates.
know they were mistaken, wofully
but they would have been
recreant in their duty to the State
had they not voted as their con-
sciences dictated. There are too many
voters not to alive to their duty as citi-
zens, and they were easily mislead
by a selfish demagogue. Lack of
thought, not viciiusness, was respon-
sible for the hold that Blease got on
the people. They did not stop to an
alyze the difference between demagogy
and statemanship. Being honest and
themselves, they did
not suspect Blease. His striking per-
sonality, his ability as a stump speak
er, and his genius for organization
were to much for them. When he
proclaimed himself the heir of Tillman
and the Reform movement, these As
900 good men took him at his word
and followed him. History is full of
like instances.
It grieved me to see 80 many OF
my old friends bamboozled by Blease,
but I know their hearts are right and
that in time they will see the differ
ence between true Tillmanism and
kind that Blease teaches
The old Reformers were blinded and
misled, but, at the same time, their
ardent and unselflsh support of what
they thought were the principles
taught them long ago excited my ad-
respect ard : affection. In
their splendid loyalty to true democ-
racy as they see it lies at once the
promise and the hope OF good gov
ernment in South Carolina. Let real
statesman arise, and these men viii
be even more loyal to him then they
were to Blease-and as they always
were to me.
For Blease himself snd his CHIEF
lieutenants 1 have noting but scorn
and contempt. McLauri1 Talbert'
Browning and others Of their kind
knew in their hearts that Blease was
thoroughly bad, but they followed him
because they thought they could thus
further their own selfish ends. They
believed 1t was ground swell" like
that of 1890, and wanted to get on
the band wagon as 80 many men dio
then-"driftwood," I called them, you
remember.
Now that the election Is over, look
calmly down into your own hearts
I am speaking to the $4,000 patriotle
Blease men-and see If your position
was we'll taken. The heat of the con-
flict is past, and you can now see clear
". Ask yourselves-nobody neeo
know you are doing it-why all the
tin-iron gamblers, all the blind tigers
al, the red light habitues, all the Grim
inals and Observation-Disclosures VINO
have been pardoned and those not ye'
caught and convicted-were for Blease
What have you in common with these
men, these vicious parasites on ths
body polite. Nothing; for you are
good men and they are bad.
There are those who have said tha
the Reform movement was responsible
for Bleaseism. l, as the leader ane
organizer of that revolution, deny th'
charge. The Reform movement hao
certain definite, constructive aims II
view. /. To teach the people th'
power of the ballot and thus :re'
the State from an oligarchy Whlcf
had ruled it for hundred years. 2. II
provide means for educating the en-
larged electorate. 8. To safeguard
the State, as far as possible, from
negro participation in politics. II
their fruits ye shall know them.
point to the primary system OF cleo
tions, to Clemson and Winthrop eel
leges, and to the Constitution OF lS9
as the fulfilment of the purposes o
the Reform movement. The positive
ness of 1890 never coud have pro
duced the negation Of 1910 and 1872
He who charges that TillmanlsH
gave legitimate birth to Bleaseism eA
presses his own disbelief in democ
racy. The Reform movement made tn'
people of the State free politica
agents. Will anybody dare deny ina
thot was a good thing? "Governmen
fhn