The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1916-09-19
ISSTES STATEMENT TO
PEOPLE OF THE STATE
Senator Til!man Asks That Facti0nal-
ism Come to an End

the following:
To the People of South Carolina:
The election is over, Manning is re-
nominated, and Blease has missed the
third term he coveted so much. hope
that 7 will not be misunderstood IL,
as your old and trusted servant |
make a few observations end give
some advice.
There are approximately $4,000
South Carolinians who wanted Blease
for their Governor despite bis 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. l
know they were mistaken, Woefuliy
mistaken, but they would have been
recreant in their duty to the State
had they not svoted as their con-
sciences dictated. There are too many
voters not e.live to their duty as citi-
zens and they were easily m1slead
by a selfish demagogue. Lack OF
thought, not viciousness, was respon-
sible for the hold that Blease got on
the people. They did not stop to an
alyze the difference between denlagogy
and craftsmanship. Being honest and
straightforward themselves, they did
not suspect Blease. His striking per-
sonality, his ability as a stump speak
er. and his genius for organization
were too much for them. When he
proclaimed himself heir of Tillman
and the Reform movement, these 49,
ooo good men took him at his word
and followed him. History is full OF
like instances.
It grieYed me to see 80 many OF
nv old friends bamboozled by Blease'
but I know their hearts are right and
that in time they will see the d11er-
ence between true Tillmanism and
false-the kind that BlcIse teaches.
The old Reformers were blinded and
misled, but, at the same time, their
ardent and unselfish support Of what
thew thought were the principles l
taught them long ago excited my ad-
miration. respect and affection. In
their splendid loyalty to true demo-
cracy as they see it lies at once the
promise and the hope Of good govern
ment in South Carolina. Let a real
statesman arise, and these men WILL
he even more loyal to him than they
were to Blease-and as they always
were to me.
For Blease himself and his chief
lieutenants I have nothing but scorn
and contempt. McLaurin, Talbert,
Browning and others of their kind
knew in their hearts that Blease was
thoroughly bad, but they followed MN
because they thought they could thus
further their own selfish ends. They
believed it was ground swelP' like
that of 1890, and wanted to get on
the eband wagon. as so many men dlo
-"driftwood," 1 called them, you
remember.
Now that the election is over, look
calmly down into your own hearts
I am speaking to the $4,000 patriotic
Blease men-and see if your position
was we'll taken. The heat of the con-
aict is past, and you can now see clear
". Ask yourselyes-nobodJ neeo
know you are doing it-why all the
tin-horn gamblers, all the blind tigers
all the red light habitues, ali the Grim
inals and observation-disclosures who
have been pardoned and those not yet
caught and convicted-Were Tor
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
+ba Raform movement was responsible
for Bleaseism. 1, as the leader ana
organizer of that revolution, deny the
charge. The Reform NOV 'mSnt mad
certain definite, constructive 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 "a hundred years. 2. 10
provide means for educating the en-
larged electorate. 8. To safeguard
the State, as far as possible, from
negro participation in politics. by
their fruits ye shall know them" l