The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1916-07-05

- - ..:'.-'': :. -, I'.:.t,'- - 7.
dHer dm1didates Say ysing that;it'' was
not sympathy that was needed. He
stated that South Carolina stands to
be disgraced because there are no
volunteers, He accounts for this by
saying that. Manning has no magne-
tism about him and cannot attract
any. followers. He stated that he
wanted to send negroes to war and
keep the white boys at home. He
jumped on John Gary Evans and "the
SYSTEM" the Supreme Court and
everything else in general. He stated
that in every club there were two
men appointed by the System" to
watch matters and report to head
quarters. He claimed credit for
cleaning out the dispensary political
machine; he states that the liquor
trust was spending money in this
campaign and that Blease is their
first choice and Manning their se-
cond, and that the political system
in Columbia was backing Manning
first and Blease second. "
Cole L. Blease.
Cole L. Blease was the next speak
er and was Justify cheered as he
commenced to speak by about two
hundred followers in the audience.
He read a letter from the Warehouse
Commissioner, John L. McLaurin,
stating that he was unable to be in
Abbeville and address the people on
account Of the sickness of son.
He then advised all voters to en-
roll; reminding them that the enroll
ment two years ago did not entitle
them to vote in this election. He
referred to the requirements for en-
rollment. and the matter Of enroll
ment, all Of which is stated, more
fully in another co1umn Of this pa
per. .
He stated that he had been told by
q responsible man that the report
had been circulated that he expected
to withdraw from the race at an
opportune time and advise his follow
ers to vote for Cooper. He denied
this, saying that nothing but the
hand of the Almighty could take him
out Of the race; he also stated that
Cooper had never voted for Blease
and that he was not "Bleaseite," "
and that therefore he owed him
nothing. He stated that Manning
was "gone and don't know it" and
that he was lodging every campaign
meeting possible for the reason that
he cannot face the fire. He referred
to letter carried in the State from
Richard Sondley stating that A. w.
Jones, head of the Tax Commission,
paid taxes on an interest in sixty-two
acres of land near Abbeville, re-
turned in the name of J. E. Jones, et
al, which letter Mr.. Sondley had
written as correction of a former
letter, stating that Jones paid only
a poll tax. We are living, he said,
in the most lawless administration
we have ever had. While the Man
ming administration is crying claw
and order" there has been seven
riots in South Carolina during the
seventeen months of his administra-
ton and fourteen white men have
been murderously assaulted by ne
groes and seventeen white women.
He said that the Manning admins
tration had closed up the "blind
tigers" but those with their eyes
open were still operating. He said
that there had been more criminal
cases commenced in the seventeen
months of Mapning's administration
than ever before. He referred to
the. claim that Charleston had been
made dry, stating that the process
consisted only of the blind tigers
moving from downstairs to the up
stairs, quoting a grand juryman of
the Federal Court, from Walhalla,
stating that the only effect was to
raise the price of "mean liquor"
from seventy-five cents to one dollar
and twenty-five cents per pint. We
have had more special judges in the
seventeen months of Mannings' ad-
than in nine years be-
fore he said, and more special
courts. He stated that the Manning
administration had been busy max
ing a place for its pets, referring to
the three members of the Tax Com
mission which was costing the State
from Fourteen to Sixteen Thousand
Dollars per year, the Board Of
Charities which appointed a fifteen
hundred dollar Clerk of Chamber
of Commerce to a position where
he was receiving more salary than
the Governor. He stated that a
pusher from the Columbia State who
had been making nine, dollars per
week had been given Fifteen Hun
dred Dollars per year and that they
were paying q stenographer Twelve
Hundred Dollars per year and q ne
gro porter Four Hundred Dollars per
year who did nothing but sit up In
. sky-scraper and keep cool BY an
electric fan, he referred also to the