Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-06-21

| President Wilson ard opposition TO
th" war. and supported his statements
| by reading extracts from Mr.. Blease's
puinaria and Filbert speeches. and
reprinted i'll the new spapers- he was
| listened TO quietly, but without ap-
plause.
As Mr.. Dial was taking his seat.
Chairman Marion announced
There Is now another candidate In
the house who has cone in since the
oir.ning OF the h.Sc;i.,s. | hove The
honor OF introducing TO you the Hon.
Cole l.. Blrasv."
= This announcement was the signal
| for an outburSt Of applause on the
part oi the audience. i'll response 10
which Mr.. BlcaSe stepped forward
| from an ante-roum. Approaching the
rOstrum from which the other speak
vrS had spoken. he said:
| 'Iientlrmrn. | cannot make n speech
| in fifteen or twenty minutes. and !
do not propose To try to do 80 under
| the hammer Of a partisan state Dem
oCratic executive committee. Ii l
h;le any friends here who desire To
hear what | have TO say. | will take
pleasure i'll making n speech 10 them
immediately after the adjournment ol
this meeting. hut ] am not going TO
have any limitations ON what | shall
say or OH how long | shall have 10 say
| il in."
| This meeting is now adjourned.
lannounccd Chairman Marion.
| During the next few moments there
WAS more or less confusion caused
lny the moving about OF the audience.
some leaving the court room ana
some standing about in the aisle as II
in doubt as 10 whether to so or stay:
bat when Mr.. Bcase began with:
Friends and fellow Democrats OF
York county" the people dropped into
seats and assumed an attitude oil IN
ItCI"Stcd attention.
| Mr. Blcasr began his speech with a
brief review OF his public service since
hr was twenty-one years OIL age as
| representative OF his county in the
house and in the senate, as president
pro TEN OF the senate and as COVER
nor. and by reason of this service ne
felt that he was entitled 10 Il fair deal
before the people: but he was not
getting il. He referred to editorials
now being published in the Columbia
State arguing that any man who seeks
to imprach the integrity OF the Demo-
cratic organization in South carolina
is disloyal TO his country. Then ne
went on to say that he had aiiidavits
proved that there was fraud In the
rlrr ton Of two years ago, which prov
ed that he, Blcasr, had been dcfraud-
I'd out OF his election for governor. He
read these letters and aliidavits rs
published in the Columbia State at
the time, and told how the state cN-
lcCutivr committee had deliberately iE-
nUr,d all the evidence presented with
ont ever u show OF investigation. TINS
evidence. hc said, was furnished by
MI. I;ichry OF LuurcnS. then MEM
her OF the state executive commit
tee and Il member OF the house or rep
lrrSrntativcS. and now the captain ol
"a company oi South Carolina boys on
the hiring line in Francc-a man
whose vcrarity has never been qucS-
toned and whose patriotism cannot
br questioned. The Columbia State
is well aware that the state executive
committee deliberately declared Mr.
Manning governor in the fac" of all
this proof. and here il is urging that
Il man who is not willing to swallow
| all this fraud and thank You is dis
loyal to his country.
"fcs, | opposed this war;" he said
and | want you newspaper men To
L-Srt il right. | have no apologies ia
make to any man for anything l said
at f'ilbcrt, pomaria or elsewhere.
was opposed to this war because
believed 1T to be contrary to the
teachings of Christianity. II was a
great crime In me to be opposed to
the war-a great crime in me to stand
mp for the doctrine Of peace on earth
and good will toward men as pro-
lclaimcd by our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ! Maybe ! was wrong
and maybe | was not. That Is some
thing that cannot be kpown until y
ia aIT over and We have counted the
cost the cost in lives Of our young
men, the cost in the wounded hearts
of mothers and the cost in privation
/ and suffering. No. we cannot say now
who is right. But | want to call
your attention to the fact that
| Robert T.. Lee was opposed to our Civ
| il war before II was commenced. lie
Thought that it was Il terrible mistake.
TO 20 into that war and he advised
lagainSt il. But after the war was
commenced he drew his sword on tho
side Of his country and performed the
most valiant military service the
world has ever known. Are you go
ing to condemn Robert +. Lee for
lbcing opposed TO that war? And also
Alexander Stevens was opposed to the
lciviI war. He made speeches against
il and did everything in his power 10
keep his state from going in: but yet
latter the COnfcdcracy seeded, you
elected him vice president along with
our incompatible Jefferson Davis.
II challenge any and all of them
Iwho have sought TO misrcprcscnt me
as TO my attitude with regard to this
war. | don't care whsre they com,
from, whether from Washington ol
elsewhere. Let them agree upon q
series OF dates in South Carolina dur
ing July and August and ! will meet
them before the people and agree tt
leave IL to the people to say who rep
rcscnts their views and who does not.
Applausc.)
| Governor Blcase said that he had
bought and paid for $3.50 worth OF
Liberty bonds, that he had contrib
utcd $50 TO the Red Cross during tho
recent drive and he exhibited somt
war savings certificates filled up will
war savings stamps.
!. Il thank God that no man can evel
say that have been untrue to my
friends. My enemies cuss me for stick
ing too close to my friends Qaugh
teri. and any man who says thai
l have ever by word or deed been dis
loyal TO my country Is damnablt
liar" tApplause.l
At this point the speaker asked al
who had heard his speech of last sum
mer at Filbert to hold up their hand!
land n dozen or more hands went up
Now" he continued. they are try
, Ing to say that I said that I did no
care what kind Of an America we hat
when / was dead and gone. There !!
not a man in South Carolina who be
. leves 1 said unqualifiedly that. 1
there is such man do not want hi
vote. / would not have seat in TIT
United States senate on the strength
. of the votes OF such men. Yet TIT
/ Council Of Defense at Columbia, on TIT
, strength of detached newspaper state
mcnt would, without giving me
chance to explain, condemn me a
: having made such assertions-withou
even asking me whether was correct
! ly reported.
Il at Filbert was repeating my Pc
maria speech. In that speech l hat
said that I believed that Presiden
!, Wilson and the members OF congress
who voted for this war would be hell
responsible before God for every Amer
lean life lost, and if my soul is 4