The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1918-07-02

ed to have nothing whatever to d.
with an independent movement IN
South Carolina, that you were al Off
cial Of the State Democratic admin
stration and very warmly in favor OF
President Wilson, I felt as if I had
lost a great deal OF valuable tine
with Mr. Aull, in spite Of the fact
that his representations Of the bitter
ness of the recent Democratic prl-
maries and the CHARGE Of fraud a.
the election and the determination Of
thousands of people not to stand by
the primaries Indicated encouraging
prospects for an Independent move
ment which would become at least
the basis of the formation of two 90
litical parties in the State.
Your statement, however, that you
would have nothing whatever to do
with it, satisfied me that I would put
| myself in a ridiculous attitude if I
took the matter up at headquarters in
New York without the assistance of
men Of your reputation. service ard
character.
Mr.. dear Mac, I have heard your
enemies charge you with a great
many things but I have never yet
heard you accused of being an idiot
and you would certainly have placed
yourself in that class to contemplate
leaving high State office in the
Democratic administration Of your
State, with bright prospects for gov
ernor, or for the senate in the future,
by vacating the office you held, 1eav-
! ing the party you belonged to and in
which you had rendered distinguished
! service, to lead or lend your assist
ance to a forlorn hope of that kind.
Those who are trying to beat you for
the nomination for governor must be
very hard pressed for an issue upon
which to bring about your defeat.
Every sincerely yours,
"Tohn Capers.'
Aull got into such shape as to make
further travel impossible, and I
brought him home and made the New
York trip later.
Anyway. T had accidentally secured
what T wanted-a disinterested wit
ness to the fact that the campaign
roanager and chief lieutenant d. of
Blesse had appealed to a prominent
worker in the Republican party in
an effort to get funds to finance a
holt And I knew that with this
nroof could face the people Of South
Carolina and exuose this arch traitor
ellis Of clean and decent democracy.
Rlease has ability. He could have
been a great leader and could have
dove great good. But he chose to
prostitute his ability to gain an
Forr's applause and gratifv an in
satieble ambition for rower. Once
he was a king. Now there are none
so low as to do him reverence.
1t may interest the people of South
Carolina to know what Blease did to
Beard In the fail of 1916 Beard had
finally put out an independent ticket
for the general election, prompted
end urged to this course by Blease.
There appeared no chance OF the sue
cess of this ticket. however. and
Rlease drew awav from it. Concern
ing this matter / have a letter from
Beard. under date of March Is, 1918.
in which he says that Rlease put out
and even named the "Bull Moose"
ticket of 1912, and concludes: "Blease
encouraged me to mt out that ticket
at the following q916} general elec-
tion-which you again advised me
against. Then he got cold feet and
left me in the lurch. Now he has de-
serted me-" NO man in South Caro-
Ina has served Blease as Beard has.
Beard was his bodyguard in 1910.
projected him on the stump, and was
always at his beck and call.
Blease claims to stand by his
friends. Beard is in the penitentiary
today as the result of following where
Please led, and yet. as I can prove
by Boards letters, Blease has refused
to help him in any way, and has not
so much as given a dollar to Boards
family-for Beard is no longer useful