The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-07-03

Blease. l agreed to the selection of
John K. Aull as secretary If the bill
went through. The bill passed and I,
as it's author, was elected commission
er. l kept my bargain and appointed
Aull secretary. He was efficient and
did his work well. 1 thought him q
friend?
In the spring Of 1916 Blease came
to me in person and also wrote me
asking me to support him for govern
or against Manning. told him that
l would not do it-that Manning had
been standing behind the warehouse
development, and that 1 had faith in
Mannings future support of this in
stitution.
From that date | noticed a differ
ence in the attitude and conduct OF
Aull, and before long l was morally
certain that he was in my office as q
tool and spy of Blease. / knew also
that Blease would from that time on
use any means to get" me.
l welcomed the fight, for 1 had al.
ready determined that it was nv duty
to show him up before the people and
drive him out of South Carolina poll.
tics. Later, Manning's attitude on the
insurance matter forced me to sup
port Blease. against my will, to pro.
tect the warehouse system.
After the second primary of 1916
when Blease had been repudiated by
the people, he told me number OF
times, as he told others, that he
would go before the people at the gen.
eral election as an independent candi-
date. knew that he would not do
this, for he is not q fool But / said
nothing to discourage him, for I was
beginning to outline in my mind the
plans of a trap that would catch him
little later he asked me to run as
an independent candidate. OF course
refused.
He came back again with another
proposition, asking me to put I'M the
money to finance an independent tick
ct, and of course 1 refused this also.
BY this time / saw that he would
certainly bolt and attempt to set UP
an Independent party if he could find
the money to finance the scheme, and
/ suggested to him that he might be
able to get the money through John
Capers, who was high in the councils
of the Republican party. This was alb
surd. but Blease apparently took the
bait, and in order to lead him on I
frequently called John Aull to take
dictation for letters on this subject ad
dressed to Capers
OF course the letters were never
mailed. for the whole proposition was
silly, but Aull took the matter Sc
riously and / felt sure that he was
Keeping Blease informed and that
Blease would sooner or later EXPOSE
his hand. AS my secretary. Aul very
properly filed and preserved carbon
copies of these letters. The original.
destroyed as soon as Aull was ont O,
sight. They had accomplished theiI
work as soon as they had fooled Aull
and through Aull led Blease nearer TO
the trap.
The whole course of Blease at thi.
time was dictated by his belief that
Hughes would be president. Will,
the Republican State cOmmittee was IT,
session at the Jefferson Hotel in 90.
lumbia, / was in the office of Blease
He told w. Il. Beard to go to the ho-
tel, see Dunk Adams, who was Renub-
lican State chairman, and tell him to
put the names of Cole l.. Bleosc and
j John l.. McLaurin on the tickets -,
delegates at large. | offered no oh.
lection i'm the presence of Blease Inn,
as soon rs Beard left. followed an,
caught him and told him that he mus,
not use my name and that | wouId
bave nothing to do with it. To max,
douby sure. l called Adams on tn,
phone and told him that if Beord
my name about any promo
sition it was without my consent.
Blcase had an interview in Chi
cagO paper in which he predicted the
of Hughes. He used to won
der why no one attacked him about il
He really believed that Hughes would
be elected. and he fully expected tc
control federal patronage in South
Carolina. But while he hoped foi
much from the Republicans. he was
shrewd enough to hold on to the
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