The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-08-14
DEFEAT Of DlEASE SURE.

UAl LAl VI UhIAVL VClIL'
ONLY DANGER NOW LIES In OVER
CONFIDENCE.
/ 3enct. Pollock and Dia! Warmly Re-
ccivcd by Five Hundred Patriotic
Voters OF Greenwood.
Greenwood, Aug. 9.-Boast OF
Bleaseites and Blease organs Of the
State that Senator Christie Benet and
/ ". z. Pollock would trim in cam
paign methods and lift the merciless
| shell fire on Blease's disloyal utter
ances as published in Blease newspa-
pers IS oeing answered daily as most
South Carolinians predicted it would
be answered.
Senator Benet today told the 500
voters here that it had been whisper
ed around if he would "trim," if he
would change his course, it would help
him in this race '.Dut have taken a
solemn pledge that I would put the
question of loyalty squarely before the
people of South Carolina and eX-
pect to keep my word, let the votes
fall where they may" And the vol
ume OF applause which came from the
crowded court room was an eloquent
tribute to the unaninity of sentiment
in this community If W. p. Pollock
has been inlportuned to tack to other
breeZes. the caution has been as reck-
Iessly disregarded.
There is considerable variance in
the method. employed by the two
speakers. both equally effective. Henet
is more of the reasoning, diplomatic
type in his appeal. Pollock, explosive
and dramatic, is more Of the shell
shock orator and each day drags the
soul of Blease and Bleaseites with a
spike tootned harrow to the tumultu-
Gus delight Of the crowds that come
to hear. That the candidates are
tearing off segments of the Blease
forces can not be disputed. If the,
people make this their own fight as
they did four years ago and two years
ago. there can be no question as to
the outcome The great danger lies
il: over confidence. The opposition tc
Rlease seems so formidable that the
people may be lulled into Indifference.
IN several counties recently visited by
the campaign party the people have
taken the initiative and are making
it 1.-The peoples fight as Senator Til
man said it should be, and are not
leaving the brunt Of the battle to fall
IL, Ar oJ a n
Pollock Greenwood county is one OF
these and the majority here, the lead
ers say, will be greater than for
numb of years Blease never has
carried Greenwood county.
w. p. Pollock was the first speak
er today. The crowd was one of the
most responsive the party has come
before and Mr.. Pollock got4bursts Of
spontaneous applause throughout his
vigorous speech. Blease isscoming to
Greenwood tomorrow and Nj Pollock
advised the 500 or more voters to call
upon him to admit or deny the truth
fulness of the Pomaria and Flbert
speeches as published in the Charles
ton American. They were also told to
dare Blease to repeat again. the sen
timent as expressed in the sspeeches;
made four months after warenad been
declared but before the passage OF the
espionage act. He. can't repeat then
and remain at large" the Cheraw can
didate told his enthusiastic aud
ience.
Mr.. Pollock said he was disqualified
hv oee To go TO France to fight, but
he had five nephews and 40 cousins in
France and by the eternal gods he
expected to fight "pro- Germans in
South Carolina as long as they arc
over there" vote in South Carolina
for a disloyal man would hearte?
the German forces and would be .
vote possibly for {. continuation of IN
war one month or six months.
Senator Benet read today letter
from Newton D. Baker, in which the
secretary of war expressed his graft
lication over the appointment OF MI.
Benet 81 do not see how Governor
Manning could have done finer thing
and have so written him." Secretary
Eaker said. "Mv own satisfaction and
happiness are perhaps greater thar
your own" the letter continued. The
lnttcc was written soon after the ap-
pointment had been made.
Mr.. Benet was sorry that Tom Pee
pies was not here "Rut ] can't make
him come and it seems the Demo
cratic party can't make him come.
Should Mr.. Peoples ever come back
into the cmpaign, he would have to
face the same questions which ami
hiiated him at Florence, the only
meeting Mr.. Peoples has attended.
Issues of other campaigns are moth
| ing in comparison with that of this
and it was the duty Of Mr.. Peoples to
let the people know where he stood.
Senator Benet said. He was also ap-
plauded much during his speech.
James Francis Rice says Blease
eliminated himself by his Pomarla ana
Filbert speeches and that n. B. Dial
j.; derarred from the senate because
Of his wealt!, and he alone is left. The
Anderson county candidate. whom one
If the Anderson papers commends to
the people as Nut" Rice and loan
sharp" is daily bitterly attacking
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