The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-06-26
TWISTS AND SQU|RMS.
BLEASE TRIES TO CAMOUFTAGE
DISLOYAL UTTERANCES.
Throws Blame for Anti-American
Sentiment I'm Fflbcrt Speech on Re-
porter for Blease Newspaper--Ma.
haffy Exposes False Position.

1ork, June ZO.-JuSt as migrating
birds In their seasonal flight interlock
their wings and marshal themselves
i'm wedge formation to beat down re-
sistance. so Cole l.. Blease today
marched with the other senatorial
candidates following the itinerary as
mapped out by the State Democratic
executive committee.
Filbert 10 only few miles away
from York and 1t was at that point
the first of last August, four months
after the declaration of the war, that
Mr.. Blease is said by Bleaseite news
papers TO have said that he did not
care what kind of an America" wus
here when he was dead and gone.
1t was the old old story. Even the
newspapers which have striven in sea-
son and out Of season to advance his
cause and defend his record had not
quoted him correctly. Practically his
entire speech was given to a discus
sion Of his attitude on the war.
Mr.. Blease was the last speaker in
troduced. When reminded by j. A.
Marion. country chairman, that each
speaker was allotted 80 minutes, he
declined to speak, saying the ATTACKS
made on him through the press ana
N To-
OF 20 minutes. and he refused to speak
under the hammer of partisan
Democratic executive committee" As
soon as the crowd had dispersed the
Blease forces called the audience back
into the "open forum" in the court
house. when Mr. Blease delivered a
lengthy address.
He was opposed to the war and had
he been in congress at the time war
was declared he would have voted
against Americas entrance. He had
no apology to make and no excuses
to offer to any man or set of men for
what he said at Pomaria, Filbert,
Pickens and Chaplin. II free and un-
trammeled discussion Of the war could
be allowed during the months OF July
and August. he would be pleased to
debate the issue with any man or men
they might send down from Wash
ington." Let them take the bride
OFF," he said.
Fully 80 per cent. Of the people of
the State were opposed to the war,
the speaker asserted, and fully rs per
cent of the boys from the State now
in the war belong to the Reform
party" Although opposed at the out
set, all were patriots now. Now it's
war to the knife and the knife to the
kilt"
Any man who said or wrote that
"Cole L. Blease ever uttered one word
against his country or committed one
act Of disloyalty is a liar"
Mr.. Blease has something to say
about Senator Tillman, but would not
refer to him today He will write the
senator letter. asking that certain
campaign meetings be designated for
joint debates between the two. If the
senator fails to do this Mr.. Blease
will designate them and 80 notify
Senator Tillman and "if Senator Till
mans there I'll say them, and If he is
not there I'll say them"
Following the speech by Mr.. Blease
the Rev. j. T.. Mahaffey, who recently
announced his candidacy for the Uni
ted States senate but later withdrew,
called out to the audience that ne
would in answer to Mr. Blease tell
how the United States could have stay
ed out of the war. Mr.. Mahaffey was
followed by rapt attention and his
words met with tumultous applause.
He said:
Everybody knows that all of us
here are opposed to the war. This
whole nation of ours is opposed to
any such thing. but Mr.. Blease failed
TO tell us how we could have stayed
out or this war. Now / want to tell
you Just how we could have stayed
out once heard of country home
close to a church i'm which a protract-
ed meeting had been going on for
ABOUT three weeks. All the chickens
had been used up except one. Many
OF them had died hard on hot davs
ai'er running long in defense Of their
lives but when the preacher arrived
on this last day rather than be chased
and captured in such violent heat and
nave 10 die at last. the remaining
Il hi IL.