The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-08-10
SENATOR'S At LEXINGTON.
Nois, Blcascites Attempt to Heckle
Senate Candidates.

Lexington To-Day, WHO dt tlNles lnlAtS>
loose q deafening clamor in defense
OF Cole L. Blease and Thomas h.
Pec,ies when these two ''loSt, strayed
or stolen candidates" were subjected
to Christie Benet's and W. P. Polloch's S
mustard gas attacks. The number OF
Bleaseites in the little raiding party
was almost inconsequential, the ratio
OF anti -Bleaseites to Sleaseites being
possibly four or five to one III the
crowd of from 500 to 1000 people. But
inferiority in numbers was more than
offset in capacity to make noise, many
of the Bleaseites being all mouth and
"a yard wide
Several times it looked as if Mr..
Benet and Mr. Pollock would not be
allowed to proceed. In the turmoil
there were calls to discuss the issues
and you're not running against
Blease. Talk about Peoples But
when Peoples was being riddled there
was still somewhat futile attempt
made to return the fire. Pollock got
in some withering flashes and prac-
tically silenced the opposition. One
persistent heokler challenged Mr..
Pollock to "come on and 'go to the
war" Pollock's answer was, While
YOU go to France to fight Germans, l
propose to stay here and fight pro-
Germans in South Carolina"
Nj. Pollock got round Of applause
when he read q circular advertising
special meeting for Blease near Cow
ards,' in Florence county, tomorrow.
Mr.. Pollock said he preferred to
speak here ''near brave men," He
had never been able to get in sight Of
Blease Ind today with the mercury
hovering near the century mark, II
was s4too hot to run him down.
There were calls from the audience
for Mr.. Peoples when c. M. Efird, the
county chairman, called his name on
the schedule of speakers and hurrahs
also for Blease when his name was
read out. 'tYou can holler as loud as
you want to, Mr. Chairman" Mr..
Benet said, when introduced, I guar
antee Tom Peoples is not coming here
today
The speakers today got off particu-
larly forcefu1 addresses, the weekend
release having added much vigor to
the presentation Of arguments, N. 3.
Dial was the first speaker and made
brief survey Of many national is
sues, which would call for the sane
judgment of business men IN the
United States senate upon the terml-
nation of the war. 1t may be posi-
BILE. he said, to utilize the cantonments
as schools for vocational training ana
the huge nitrate plants for war mu-
nitions can be converted into agrlcul-
tural nitrate plants when munitions
factories shut down. Better market
ing facilities are to be developed and
many measures are to be enacted
which will give agriculture new Wis
ion and range of possibilities through
out the South. The man was either.
an ignoranaus or Ifar" who had the
audacity to say that the Laurens coun-
ty candidate opposed anything that
meant the progress and welfare OF the
people. He had never opposed the
State warehouse system. He had
built the second warehouse in the
State. and the State system was a
movement in the right direction, but
this did not go far enough. If you
take all the cotton of South Carolina
off the market, you would not affect
the mari It with Georgia and Texas
and other States selling" He strenu-
ously advocated national bonded
warehouse system to take care of the
entire crop.
50, nt IN favor of fix
ing the price of cotton. but thinks the
government ought to "set up a prop
or establish minimum figure below
which cotton will not be allowed to
drop. This would enable farmers to
finance cotton and also provide mar
ket at a reasonable figure for distress
cotton which must soon begin to
move.
Blease's complete face about on the
war issue, Mr.. Benet said, had peeh
brought about by Blease's candldacy.
He was not candidate when he made
the Pomaria and Filbert speeches ana
the people would not stand for such
utterances now. His attitude was that
of the fisherman who rescued the llt-
tie negro boy. rot because he loveo
the boy, but because che had the oalt
in his pocket" Blease would not be
hollering today that the war must be
fought to successful conclusion and
that he was for third term for Will
son and that he was willing to raise
regiment if it were not to gain the
peoples votes.
Mr.. Pollock made a powerful ap-
peal to the voters to support men
whose loyalty had not been brought
into question and sought to reason
with those who were hurting defiance
back at him. He got volumes of ap-
plause during, his speech and at its
conclusion many Of the voters crowd
ed to the stand to shake hands with
! the Cheraw candidate.
There is considerable Rlease sentl-
noent in Lexington county, but lead
ers of the opposition are determined
to retain the county in the anti
Blease column and do not expect II
to be a superhuman task at that
Blease lost the county by 7$5 votes in
1914 and by 41O votes in 1916.
Rice admitted today he made his