The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-07-03
M'LlURIM ON RAMPAGE.
ATTACKS COOPER AND CHARGES
BLEASE WITH PLANNING no
BOLT IN 1916.
Bitter and Sensational Political Mani
festO Issued by Marlboro Candidate
for Governor for the Declared Pur-
pose Of Destroying Opponents.

ana the testimony or responsible men,
that II. A. Cooper. who is openly the
gubernatOrial candidate of Manning
and the Manning crowd, and yet Sec
reilly an ally of Blease. is a coward
and character assassin who operates
under cover of darkness and behind
mask Of hyprocrlcy; and to prove
further that Cole L. Blease is a trail
tor to the Democratic party and would
sell II for money price-as he was
and Is in spirit a traitor to his coun- =
try.
l entered this campaign as a can
didate for governor of South Carolina
with the intention of rendering three
distinct services to my State. No per-
sonal ambition could have tempted
me. But there was work to do. and
no other man able to do the work
would put his hand to the plow.
First. l desired to perfect and am
plify the State warehouse system that
l gave to South Carolina.
Second. i desired to rid the State of
useless expenses. and to lower taxes
that have become unbearably heavy
through the carelessness and folly of
those who have been the power be-
hind the State government.
Third. / desired to strip the mask
from Cole L. Blease. expose him be-
fore the people as a self-seeking dem
agogue without scruple or honor, and
disbar him forever from the councils
of free, clean and intelligent Demo-
cracy.
Unintentionally, and through the
lack Of the wisdom and fairness that
should be the possession Of a man
big enough to be governor Of a State,
Il. A. Cooper has precipitated my ex-
posure OF Blease and In so doing ex-
posed his own real character.
When this campaign began. Cooper
announced on the stump that he would
not criticise another candidate, and a
few days later said that he would not
have the Office IL he had to win it by
the faults of his opponents instead OF
his own merits
This was a high and fair sentiment,
and he gained credit by it. but it was
hypocritical. 1t was a mask to GOV. r
the real man. for since that time, while
apparently friendly with me. he has
been slipping around behind my back
and showing to some of his support :
ers a letter given him by weak and
bitter man, imputing to me q crime
of which / am not and could not be
guilty.
am informed that the letter given
to Cooper by John *. Aull of New
berry. who is the chief lieutenant and
adviser Of Cole L. Blease. charged that
endeavored to sell out the Democ-
racy of South Carolina in the fall of
1916 for the sum Of $4,000.
III Cooper had been q man, and if
he had believed this charge to be true,
he would have faced me before an au-
dience OF South Carolina people. point
cd his finger in my face and said :.
THAT man tried to sell this State to
the Republicans" In that case would
/ have called him liar if it had cost
me my life. But lacking the man.
hood to do this. and knowing that it
would damage me IL he could circu-
late IL secretly. he slipped behind my
back and hid his sneaking treachery
with a smile
On its very face the charge is a lie
No man who knows me-and the ma
jority OF the people of South Carolina
do know me-would suspect me of
selling my honor at any price. i am
not money grabber and / do not
need more than l have.
This letter has been shown to a
number of men who love decency and
fair play. and several of them have
written me about IT. Mr. Kennerly
Mayiield of Denmark was the first to
tell me of its existence. He had been
informed by Mr.. Crum, "a supporter Of
Cooper. to whom Cooper showed the
letter. Cooper told Mr.. Crum that he
would not use the letter openly until
after the close OF the campaign. so
tnat I would have no opportunity to
reply and defend myself.
love fight with n brave enemy
who will face me i'm the open. |
despisr an assassin who knifes mo i'm
the back under cover OF darkness. I
VIII now tell the story of that letter
'fom the beginning. and expose the
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