The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1916-09-21
SHOULD TURN TO THE FUTURE.
Many Good Men Voted to Give Blease
Third Term, Declares Tillman.

The election is over. Manning is
renominated and Blease has missed
the third term he coveted so much.
/ hope that l will not be misunder-
stood if, as your old and trusted SER
want, 1 make a few observations and
give some advice.
There are approximately $4,000
South Carolinians who wanted Blease
for their governor despite his record,
and 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, woefully
mistaken, 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 alive to their duty
as citizens, and they were easily mis-
led by selfish demagogue. Lack OF
thought, not viciousness, was re-
sponsible for the hold that Blease got
on the people, They did not stop to
analyze the difference between dem
agogy and craftsmanship. Being
honest and Straightforward them
selves, they did not suspect Blease.
His striking personality, his ability
as a stump speaker and his genius
for organization were too much for
them. When he proclaimed himself
the heir of Tillman and the reform
movement, these $4,000 good men
took him at his word and followed
him. History is full of like in
stances.
1t grieved me to see so 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
fa1se-the kind that Blease teaches.
The old reformers were blinded and
misled, but at the same time their
ardent and unselfish support of what
they thought were the principles
taught them long ago excited my ad-
miration, respect and affection. In
their splendid loyalty to true democ-
racy as they see it lies at once the
promise and the hope of good gov
eminent in South Carolina. Let a
real statesman arise, and these men
will be even more loyal to him than
they were to Blease- as they al
ways were to me.
Now that the election is over, look
calmly down into your own hearts
am speaking to the $4,000 patriotic
Blease men-and see if your position
was well taken. The heat of the con-
flicts is past, and you can now see
clearly. Ask yourselves nobody
need know you are doing it-why all
the tinhorn gamblers, all the blind
tigers, all the redlight habitues, all
the criminals-those who have been
pardoned and those not yet caught
and convicted-were for, Blease.
What have you in common with these
men, these vicious parasites on the
body polite? Nothing; for you are
good men and they are bad.
There are those who have said that
the reform movement was response
BILE for Bleaseism. I, as the leader
and organizer of that revolution, de-
nv the charge. The reform move
ment had certain definite, construc-
tive aims in view. 1. To teach the
people the power of the ballot and
thus free the State from an oligarchy
which had ruled it for 100 years. 2.
To provide means for educating the
enlarged electorate. 3. To Safeguard
the State, as far as possible, from
negro participation IN politics. by
their fruits ye shall know them.'
point to the primary system of elec-
tions. to Clemson and Winthrop col
leges, and to the constitution of 1893
as the fulfllment of the purposes OF
the reform movement. The positive
ness of 1890 never could have pro
duced the negation of 1910 and 1912
He who charges that Tillmanism
gave legitimate birth to Bleaseism
expresses his own disbelief in democ-
racy. The reform movement made
the people of the State free political
agents. Will anybody dare deny that
that was a good thing? Govern
ment derives it's just powers from
the consent of the governed. Till
manism gave the ballot to the people
and taught them it's potency-Whlcf
all Democrats must admit was right
and proper; it is not responsible tol
the mistaken use of rightful power
/ am a Democrat, and the defeat Of
R1oasa in 1914 and 1915 reneWS my