The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1918-07-09
Blease's Statement.

hardly feel it necessary for nss>
to make any comment on the letter.
OF John l.. McLaurin, which you puu---
lished this morning. l am satisfies
that Mr.. McLaurin's past conduct ill.,
South Carolina politics, especially as
a member of the senate of the Unite11
states is such that no honest-think-
ing man would give credence 't9. any
statement which he might make ilr
reference to my attempting .b boIg
the democratic party, in view @fnx
service TO the party in the past. anCg
in view of the further fact that evers-
friend that have within the S.ayg OF
South Ca"olina knows that | dfNour.-
aged any effort at a bolt in 1916. ana
no man can show a line that l have,
ever written, or honestly repeat a.
word that | have ever spoken. en-
couraging any bolt on that occasion
This was so plain that even you your
Self wrote an editorial in which vow
stated in your issue or October LIZ
1916: -
Weeks ago the State expresseGg
unqualifedly the opinion that eX-
Governor Blease would not lead "a
bolt from the democratic party in
the State in the approaching general
election. The State adheres to thaE.
opinion.
The great mass of Bleasites ar,4
/ honest men who uld scorn the suC-
gestion OF regulating their oaths tcn
support the nominees of the partv
state and national. There viii 4
be no bolt in 1916 with the sanctioIS
of the Bleasite organization EA
few disgruntled persons may vote
against Mr. Manning and agains7c,
President Wilson but there is nrW
likelihood that Mr. Blease W, LEAD,
party mutiny."
And the Greenville Piedmont, the,
editor OF which is a very close frienCt
III Mr.. McLaurin, said editorially i'm
| his issue Of November 5, 1915
Just as the Piedmont predicted.
the regular democratic ticket ira
South Carolina was elected yesterday
with practically NJ opposition
though some hot-beaded friends oy
Ex-Governor Blease did not listen tc,
him and distributed tickets on which
his name appeared as candidate,
for governor instead of that of the,
regular nominee, Richard l. Man
ming. There was lots Of talk of 70
bolt, but it ended in talk The,
Piedmont felt sure that it would sos
end, because no bolt in this State,
has ever come from the class of peo--~
pie WHO furnish the bulk of tn
Bleasite faction. and because the. sue,.s
eestion of bolt received no en-,
couragement from either Blease or
, any OF his lieutenants."
AS to the transactions betweera ?
Mr.. Aun and Mr.. n NcLauriu on their
Washington trip, r AulI repoyteos
this matter to me kmediately upor.e :
his return, for thtSsyHspn, as he.
/, stated, that he elt'tka1As8 was due
me that should know add. -he toIcz
me then that he was going TO .resigrs
from the warehouse commission ana
have a0thing further to do with IT,.
which he did. / saw Mr.. AulI verSs-
seldom while he was Mr.. McLaurin's
secretary and he has never yet sai2
one word to me in reference to tFx
personal or public transactions ,gy
Mr., McLaurin as warehouse commfs~
sioner, except when he told me
about the Washington trip amt saiGi
he was going to get out Immediately
And there isn't a man in South Caro-
lima who knows John AuII but Knows
that he is too honorable a gentle
man to betray any trust reposed fra
him. He served the old Eighth ciRN-
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