The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-08-07
Large Crowd Hears and
Applauds Blease at FiLbert
He Stands BY His Pomara Speech and Repeats the Same
Speech-The Only Other Speaker Was
Congressman Stevenson.

tree Speech Is Stlll allowed. 1e
charged that when the war began
Governor Manning appointed no one
but his friends as officers in the Ma
tional Guard. He described his trip
to Washington to protest against the
appointment on the exemption boards.
They tried to get all the Reform
boys they could to send to France"
he said, "and when they get there
they will march behind men who are
their political opponents, men who
hate me and would send me to he'll
tonight if they thought they could get
awav with it, men who care not a
continental whether your boy ever
gets back or not. They are sent by
a man who swore, as governor, to
know no factionalism, and be a gov
ernor of all the people,
Mr.. Blease said that the State ex-
emption boards were properly ap-
pointed, and that an appeal to them
would bring justice.
sIn Columbia day before yesterday
he said, 'tthere met a solemn board in
which they should have laid aside pet
ty politics because they were dealing
with the lives of your boys. The
leader look up all the time with a
concocted scheme, whereby he de-
nounced me, and wishes to walk over
the dead bodies of your sons to the
United States senate, or to the govern
or's Office" referring to "Dave Coker
of Hartsville"
"Dick Manning is. the worst COVER
nor the State ever had, worse than
Scott. Chamberlain or Moses, because
thew onlv stole money, but he is try
ing to steal the bodies and souls OF
your boys"
Mr.. Blease then read portion OF
his speech delivered in Pomaria ON
Friday in which he said that he could
find no reason for the war, and would
if he had the power, displace every
man who voted for war. ''Te show
you that am not afraid I repeat that
aga:- back to you, and stand by IT,
He read extracts from the opinion OF
Chief Justice John Marshall IN the
case Of Aaron Burr defining treason
"If Dave Coker, or Dick Manning, or
any man says that I have been guilty
of treason he is a liar and puppy"
Not Afraid of Wilson.
ssI am not afraid Of woodrow Will
son, if he is president. Jesus taught
peace and stand by Him. would
rather be for Jesus than for Woodrow
Wilson. I don't see how churches
can be Christian and indorse war. I
believe tha money has corrupted the
churches. If that is treason, let It be
terason. am at 1913 Washington
Street, Columbia. if they want to in
dict me-"
Mr.. Blease praised F. H. Dor1inick,
congressman from the Third District.
for his vote against war. and he said
that his district was solidly behind
him as result. eft was vote to save
the bodies of your boys from torture
in France" ne said 81 am not for
war: I wouldn't care what kind OF
American thare was if I, had to be
dead and under the ground
Mr.. Blease said that he believed
the people had a right to assemble
peaceabl5, discuss and take a vote
AGAINST war. if they wished. He OBJ
jected to food being sent abroad.
Don't feed the other folks baby when
your own is starving" he said. He
asserted that he was not speaking for
a OarCY OF 'OTSduILdIlOu Oul OIiiJ hiS
personal convictions. Hs predicted
that only ten in hundred OF the
men who went to France from this
State would return alive, and most
of those that did return, he thought
would be horribly MANNED.
He issued challenge to Senator b
D. Smith and Senator B. R. Tillman
to resign with the understanding that
the State Democratic committee
should order a primary at once whea
he with a running mate on platform
of peace, should oppose the tncum-
bents on a platform Of war. eff we
don't win I will never appear in Sor b
Carolina politics again." he declared,
The meeting was presided over ov
John e. Carroll, county superfntend-
ent of education: The Rev. Andrew
Rarrv RaDtist minister of Filbert,