The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-07-06
DIAL CONTINUES AGGRESSIVE.
ATTACKS WAR RECORD OF COLE
L.. BIlEASE.
Calhoun Voters Hear HOUSE Candi-
dates Plea for Support-Kind Ref
ercnccs To Ttllman.

81. Matthews. July 1.-Informa-
tion that Senator Tillman was In all
probability on his dcathbed i'm Wash
ington cast It's sombre shadow over
the campaign meeting for Calhoun
County here today Candidates for
tho United states senate and congress
from the Seventh District referred to
the afflicted candidate only in the
most sympathetic terms and his can
dldacy was not touched upon by eth
er opponent
~. b. Dial directed a sharp attack
against Blease on the war issue and
urged voters who had sons in France
to stand by candidates whose loyalty
had not been brought In question. Mr.
Dial also read a statement from Blease
I'm The Scimitar. formerly published
by w. p. Beard. in which Mr.. Blease
said he was mot bound" by the pri-
mary oath TO support the nominee OF
the Democratic party in 1915 unless
he saw fit." nor was "any other man
bound" II was for the voters them
selves to determine whether the party
was to be retained In It's purity, the
Laurens county candidate said. Mr..
Dial held up the same issue of the
Beard paper and directed the atten-
tion OF the voters to the Independent
ticket as published therein. the name
OF Biease. like that OF Abou Ben Ad-
hem. leading all the rest. The paper
also contained a large cut of Blease.
Instructions to the voters OF the in
dependent ticket were also contained
therein. IF you can't get the printed
tickets. just run line through the
name OF Manning and write Blease
instead with black ink" was the ad-
vice given.
Mr.. Dial also answered the state
ment by Blease that Robert E. Lee and
Con. Wade Hampton were opposed to
the War Between the Sections These
men were opposed to the war before
it had been declard. but once 1t had
been declared no word was uttered
I'm opposition months thereafter in
different speeches as Blease had at
Pomaria. Filbert. Pickens and Chaplin
last summer more than four months
after the American flag was being car
ried with those OF the allies In France.
Nor had any OF these great leaders
asked that the South's Justification of
entering the war be debated 16 months
after the war had been declared as
Biease had at York two weeks ago.
when he asked that the administration
take the bride off" for full and
free discussion OF Americas cause. at
which time Blease also told the York
voters they might yet see he twas
right"
James Francis Rice OF Anderson
said II was embarrassing to attempt
TO answer the people who inquired II
Blease were attending the meetings
and IL not. why not? Mr.. Rice said
he was following the itinerary as laid
down by the State Democratic ex-
ecutive committee and that the voters
knew "as much as to the where
abouts OF that other fellow as I do"
Thomas F. Brantley of Orangeburg.
George Bell Zimmerman of Lexing-
ton and Thomas G.. Mcleod of
Bishopville. candidates for congress
from the Seventh District. made vigo-
rous speeches and assaulted the can
didacy OF Congressman Lever without
abatement The letters from Presi-
dent Wilson and Postmaster Burleson
TO Senator Tillman that II was the
nxed policy OF the national admins
tration from which 10 did not deviate.
not TO interfere In a State campaign
among genuine friends OF the al
ministration. and the subsequent let
ters to Mr.. Lever Of somewhat con-
Trajectory character. I'm which Mr.
Lever was urged to remain In con-
greSs. has caused somewhat en-
: iarrasslng situation throughout tho
District. both candidates and voters
teins confused in the muddle.
The meeting today was attended by
$50 voters. the speakers being intro
duced by John G.. stabier. county
chairman.