The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-08-07

by the annual Filbert picnic furnlSned
an audience ter a heated speech by
Former Gov. Cole L. Blease here to-
day, in which he said the United
States should never have entered the
war, proposed an immediate refer
endum in this State on the question
OF war. declared that he was not AFRAID
OF Woodrow Wilson, denounced the
recent meeting of the State couEcll Oh
defense as a cover for partisan poll
tics, and spoke abusiyely OF Governor
Manning and David R. Coker Of Harss-
vile. chairman of the committee.
At the end of the speech he TOOK
a hand primary ON the question OF now
the audience would have voted If they
had been in congress when war was
declared. Not single hand was re-
corded in favor of war; probably q
600 went up in favor of no war.
Previous to Mr.. Blease's speech w.
F. Stevenson, congressman from the
Fifth District, made an informing anu
business like address on the issues
raised for the farmer by war con0-
sions. Mr.. stevenson strongly assert
ed the bravery and patriotism Oh
South Carolinians, who would nos'
he said. submit to German DONNA
zion and murder on the high seas.
He predicted a tumble in the price
of fertilizers when the Smith Dill lor
she importation of nitrate of soda be-
came a law. He thought it essential
that the bill should pass because OF
tbe admitted necessity of increasing
orr crops this year to the limit. he
nointed out the value OF government,
cotton graders to cotton growing COM
7nunities. citing Charlotte, where the
anno;ntment of a government grader
has increased the value of cotton crop
Sold there by 80 cents bale s"cn
saving applied to the whole crop Id
South Carolina would mean an m
creased value of s2.ooo.ooo every year
What would become OF US II we
,,,oro cnt off from the cotton markets
81 tho worldg' said Mr.. Stevenson
~Remember September, 1914. the fea-
son we got six cents pound that year
was because we had no ships to seno
OFT crop to Liverpool" MT. steven
son said that although the farmers are
now getting 25 cents pound' tneS
could get more because before the war
tho freight to Liverpool was 5 aS baie'
and now it is SIS bale. Tne 1arm-
ers paid the price Of Americas iacA
for a merchant marine and lnrerfup-
+;on of ocean transportation. Inc
Tinted States is now putting on the
high seas a feet superior to any that
anv country has ever put there De-
: fore" declared Mr.. Stevenson he
said that he believed Mr. Dennan was
right in his recent dispute with Cen
oral Goethals because General zoe
+bals wanted to give an option to the
builders of the new American mes-
chant marine on the government DOCK
Yards that are being erected ana MI
~nenman opposed this move.
No Apology for Murder.
"But if we have the feet, "ha1
about getting it across" Quer;ed Mr.
Stevenson. "The high seas shouio
be as open as the big road from YorS
+o Clover. That principle has always
been recognized and we can not yleio
# No nation shall direct US where
hwe can send our ships; none shall
trangle our trade. If they do the men
|1A the field will be the first to paF
Pameriean ships are American terri
+orv and the man who sends tor
oedo into one is as guilty OF the mur-
dor of women and children as If ne
embossed it in this crowd. I see no
need of discussing fine spun theories
.about democracy. If you submit to a
narred zone, you submit to a three
mile limit. Germany said that we
Arould use one English port one day
in the week. You couldn't deliver the
crops of South Carolina alone into
Not mort Our very independence was
y threatened If anybody across the
water supposes that Southern people
are going to run away from hght
De has another think coming. MY
forefathers and yours, Scoteh-lrlsn
settlers of this community, shed thetr
n,ood over yonder on old Kings
Mountain for this very principle May
end mold