The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-07-17

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achievements of the submarine chas-
ers.
his charge against me. They were
not using it against me in this cam
paign. Cooper is the man that had
the letter. Blease, in Bennettsville in
the presence Of Peoples and Richards
in 1916, stated that in the event of a
second race between Manning and
Blease Cooper would support him:
that in the event of q second race be-
tween Cooper and Manning, Blease
would support Cooper. The people OF
this State will recall that in that
campaign Cooper did not make q sin.
Gle fling or criticism of Blease on
the stump during the first primary
Blease kept his hands off of Cooper
Isn't 1t passing strange that Cole
Blease would make this statement to
three men who were then supporting
him. If there was nothing to it.?
Didn't Mr. Otis make a similar state
ment in the presence of Richardson
and others? Mr. Cooper now repudi-
ates Otis, yet during that campaign
the man who followed Cooper around
state and who was supposed to be in
charge of the field work for Cooper,
was this same man Otis. Somebody
had led Cole Blease to believe that
Cooper would be with him in a second
primary and he had committed him
self that If Cooper was in the second
primary, he would be with Cooper
against Manning. Mr. Cooper now
says that he took no part in it and
that no one had any right to speak for
him in this matter; yet his very silence
during that first campaign, the fact
that he never criticised Cole Blease
made no fight against Cole Blease
shows that he was secretly conniving
at and allowing to go unchallenged
the impression that was being made
Once again, Mr. Cooper now claims
that he supported Mr.. Manning in
1914 and 1916 and so announced him
self in the press of the State imme-
diately after the result of the first pri
mary was known. After the first pri-
mary in 1914, II. A. Cooper went to
the mountains and there appeared in
the papers statement that Mr.. Coop
er had said in effect (the report is not
before me but the press Of South
Carolina, If it is honest, can give it to
the people), that he would not make
known his preference, that he would
not take part i'm the second primary
and that he would not use his in
iiuence for either party, even if he
could persuade his friends to vote as
he wished them. When Mr.. Cooper
makes this statement in his article Of
July /, he knows it is not correct and
all the papers of South Carolina know
1t IL not correct, and Mr.. Cooper and
the papers Of South Carolina arc at-
tempting to deceive and mislead the
people in this particular. No, it is the
same old storyy Cooper entered poll
tics In South Carolina. He was twice
candidate for governor and twice de-
feated. He saw how this election was
slipping through his fingers. He saw
that the people realized that l un-
derstood the problems which were
facing them. He saw that they real
lied that | could be of service 10
them: that | understood the tax oues-
tion; that was capable Of establish
ing a safe and sound and economical
financial system for the state; that
could perfect the warehouse system
and make OF 1t service to the State
of South Carolina and particularly to
the farmers; that no ole else could
hope to make success of it. They
saw that to leave it as it now stands il
VIII die "a slow death, strangled by its
enemies. They saw that ! understood
and appreciated fully the problems
growing out of the world war the ne
cessity of South Carolina standing
whore she has always stood four
square in behalf of the freedom, the
liberty of her own people and all
down-trodden people wherever they