The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-02-27

good name of the State in the public
mind. We must do Manning the
credit Of doing what he could, from
his viewpoint. to maintain them both
The fact Of the matter u.s. Manning
may be said to be as good as any of
the governors produced by a politi-
cay s!ston' Fased on personal parti-
sanship and Blease among the worst
@r. as he is hard to GO along with
officially. he might be put in a class
by himself.
When Blease was elected governor,
he and his COterie of friends, who
had backed him and were interested
in his success for their own sakes,
Immediately began to solidify and
weld themselves into political
ring" both for present benefits and
what could be obtained in the future.
When they thought they had won
sufficient strength with the public
they named themselves the Reform"
party and brazenly claimed direct de-
scent from that Reform party which
swept over South Carolina, from
mountains to seaboard, in the early
nineties
The Reform party of twenty-five
years ago was a direct product of the
Farmers Alliance and was based on
q. platform Of wise and effective prin-
ciples of democratic government.
which are now nearly all incorporat-
ed in Federal or State laws 1t is true
that Tillman has so persistently,
vociferously and continuously assert
ed that it was his ability. manage
Hent and strength that achieved the
results of those days, until it is al
most universally spoken and thought
Of as the "Tillnlan" movement, but
the truth is, Tillman was only one
among many able and earnest men
who were working for better ami
more efficient democratic govern
ment
The Blease Reform" party of to-
day, has no valid claim of descent
from the former. either in personnel
or principles. 1t is centered in and
solely dependent on Blease and
l'leasc's personality. There is nothing
else to it. It's only strength is the
desire of it's leaders for the power
and emolument sof public service ana
it's great weakness is the utter lack
OF willingness to sacrifice their time.
money and work for educating the
public on correct principles in civil
government.
TO analyze some recent events will
give clear view of the depth of fu-
tility into which partisan politics in
south Carolina has sunk. For several
years the Blcase party has done ev-
erything possible to rope John l.. Nc
Laurin and bind him to their party,
SO that they could have the benefit
Of his acknowledged ability as a pro-
ducer of political ideas and his bold
aggressivenoss in political affairs,
Last fall there was u persistent ana
concerted effort by Blcase leaders to
edged candidate of their party for
governor, despite the long standing
claims for that honor made by Rich
ards, Stuckey, Peoples and perhaps
others. The Daily Mail warned them
ut the time that they were monkey
ing with a dangerous propositions,
that McLaurin during his whole po-
,itical life. had never been known to
stand hitchcd and submit tamely to
being harncssed and driven by n po-
litica' ring no matter how powerful
they were.
During December Of last year some
| letters. signed by Il number of men
to give them semblance of being
representative. were sent to Mr.. Nc
Laurin asking him to be candidat"
for governor OF South Carolina on the
Blease party ticket and he promised
| to give an answer i'm January, which
| he did
That answer utterly and emphati-
| cally repudiated BleaSe as candi-
date for the United States senate and
made McLaurin's position on both
national and State politics very clear
fand his statement created great con-
in the Blease camp. The