The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-06-26
Blease and the Issue.

than the effort of Cole l.. Blease &c
wriggle out of and explain the speech
which he made at Filbert on August
z. 1917. four months after this coun-
Try had been at war with Germany
OF course. he tries to unload on tho
newspaper man who reported hira
but as luck had II the newspaper man
In this particular instance did no,
happen to be the staff representative
or any paper belonging to that sec
ton of the press which he has long
been so fond OF denouncing. 1t was
James ID. Grist who covered the Fill
bert meeting and no one who knows
him will question for II moment eth
er his honesty, his fairness or his COM
potency.
Nor will Mr.. Blease venture to com
plain that the Yorkville Enquirer.
which published James CRISIS repor;
In full has ever treated him with 9TH
er than fairness. The best he can do Is
TO say that the reporter was not a
stenographer and left out part of what
he said. What Mr.. Blease now says ne
said Is that IL his soul was TO be lost
he did not care what kind of America
we have after he is dead and gone. II
has taken him upwards of q year TO
offer even this correction-and wha,
lame one II is when IL Is broush,
forward. Compare II with what
James Grist at that time quoted him
as saying:
Il still say that there is no need
for this country to go to war with
Germany and peace could be had now.
Oh. good people. you don't realize
what II means. Wait until you picK
up the paper and read the casually
list. They talk about q free America
1 don't care what kind of America
II II after l am dead and gone. neither
does your boy whom you are sendinS
TO war"
When one gets down to ii the only
difference which appears between
what Coley says he said and what NJ.
Grist reported him as saying Is tn
qualifying clause which Coley nor
throws In about losing his soul. How
much of difference that is. and what
effect II should have on the net result,
those who are interested in splitting
hairs can work out for themselves.
The substantial question which the
voters OF South Carolina have to de-
termine is what sort of support M
Blease could be counted upon. il sent
TO Washington. to give TO Presidcn,
Wilson i'm the waging of the war. Thai
question he has answered pretty COM
pletely and most convincingly. His at
titude toward Mr.. Wilson and his
opinion OF the presidents leadership
In connection with the war was set
forth I'm his speech at Pomaria last
July. lie will not deny his words as
officially recorded i'm his chief news
paper organ at the ime. Here is what
ne said:
1T has been published of late ir
the anti-reform press that 1 and the
party TO which / belong are outcasts
I'm the political world just now. but
want TO say to you so far as | am per
sonally concerned. that 1 would rath-
er he an outcast In the eyes of Wood
row Wilson. and "A follower of Jesu,
row Wilson and an outcast from Jesu.
Christ and that I would much prefer
being "a waterboy I'm heaven. listcnin-
throughout eternity to the chant o
angels. than TO be the commander-in
chief OF all the forces OF hell forevc'
hearing only the music OF the crack
ling OF coal. and the leashing of TN
blazes and the shrieks of the damned
was opposed To this war. Had I bee
n United states senator or u congress
man would have voted against il
and I believe religiously. as firmly "a
believe that there is n God In heavoI
that In the final judgment day ever
American citizen who Is killed In tht
war off American soil will be charge
against the president of the Unite
States and the members of the con
gress OF the United states who vote
for II. as an unwarranted sacrifice II
the sight OF Almighty God. of fresl
American manhood"
The News and Courier apologies q
It's readers for printing so horrible
statement as the foregoing i'm It's col