Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-04-02
BLEAsE At MANNING
Former Governor Opens His Campaign
for the Senate.


opened his campaign for the
United States senate at Manning last
Saturday before an audience of 1000
or 1900 people. He was introduced by
Representative J. H. Lesesne and
spoke from the porch OF the court
house.
The former governors speech was
read for the most part from carefully
prepared manuscript, and II was de-
voted mainly to the extravaganza OF
the general assembly. the incompe-
tence and extravasance OF the Manning
administration and defense OF his po-
litical record and reviews against the
misrepresentation of his opponents.
He scored the legislature for making
heavy appropriations for law build
ing at the South Carolina college for
the convenience OF few boys who
could read law to better advantage in
the law offices. and referring 10 the
appropriation for home for the feeble
minded. he said that the first occu-
pants OF that home should be the leg
islators who voted for the appropria
tion.
BY way OF reply to the misrepresen-
tations Of his attitude TO the war, he
read from various speeches in which
he had stated already that he was OPP
posed to going into the war: but since
we were in II, he was with his country
right or wrong. and everything he has
Is at the service Of his country TO wage
the war to a successful conclusion
He had offered Provost Marshal Crow
der to raise a brigade Of South Caro-
lima soldiers for service In the wal
provided the boys were allowed TO cleo,
their own officers, and he was willing
to serve anywhere his services might
be desired. even as a private In the
ranks.
AS to President Wilson. he said he
had not been in favor OF his nomina .
tion: that he had preferred anoth.
er: but when the president was nomi-
mated he had voted for him and had
advised his friends to vote for him
He quoted figures TO show that he had
been more loyal TO the Democratic
party than his opponents had been:
that the Reform party had been more
tloyal to the party than the anti Re.
| formers; that in the election Of 1912
the Blease vote was only 44.122, where.
as the vote for Democratic electors
was 4S,537, showing that whereas Re.
formers voted for Democratic electors
many Of the anti Reformers who voted
| for Democratic electors had refused tC
vote for Blease.
He said that II he was elected to the
senate he would support the president
because he thought 1t to the best in
terest Of the country to do so. and De.
cause the Democratic oath would re
quire him to do so. He pointed ou
that he was the first man TO undertak,
to require OF Democratic candidates fol
Federal office on oath to require thu
support of the Democratic platform
and he recalled how Tillman. though
elected as a Democrat. was a bitter
opponent OF Grover Cleveland. thu
Democratic president.
Patriotism. he said. was rather :
matter Of deeds rather than words. anC
he charged that some people beloved
patriotism in order that they nigh
continue TO fill fat offices for whicl
they were not qualified and other:
were patriotic because OF dollars
while real patriots undertook to dt
their duty without seeking reward. HI
told how there had been wonderful!
patriotic move to secure tho Location
Of an encampment at Columbia ant
how different people who expected I,
profit most made the most noise. II,
charged that Ed Robinson, the virtua
owner of the Columbia street railwa.
had agreed to charge only cents far,
to the encampment: how he had ncve
charged less than 10 cents. and nj
though the legislature had passed ;
bill to make him stand up to hi
promise, Governor Manning has no
yet signed that bill.
am not q rich man, said Mr.. Blcase
My income Is nothing like in kcepin,
Il hn hlf al
ways try to help In any worthy pur
pose to the best OF my ability. Whel
the government offered the first Liber
u loan, ! had no money thai SoQlI
spare; but I went to the bank an,
borrowed $1,000 with which purchas
ed two $500 bonds. l am paying in
terest on the money to carry thos
bonds. II you will make investigation
you will find that lots Of people VIII,
got credit for having bought bonds
did not really buy them and that tn
banks OF Columbia are carrying man,
bonds that digerent blatant patriot
had promised to take and didn't take
| On the eth Of last month, he said
Lieutenant Fuller Of the United State
army came to see me about q tract o
forty-one acres OF land | owned out a
| Camp Jackson. II appeared that h,
was trying to get the land. necessar.
for rife range. and that my forty
one acres. lying contiguous was neccs
sary. Different people had secured
options on land required by the gov
ernment and had played hold-ul
games. I had paid nine hundred dol
lars for this land at public auction
When Lieutenant Fuller told me tina
the government required the land
told him to go ahead and take It: tina
II the government wanted that or any,
thing else Of mine 1t was welcome t
take II without charge.
| The former governor said he wa!
sorry that It was necessary to have t
defend his loyalty. ETC., because of mis-
representations Of his enemies, and h,
hoped that he would not have to refel
to the matter again in the campaign
but II attacked he would certainl,
give back as good as was handed tt
| him.
Also he took occasion to say in con.
nection with his promise to stand b,
his party in case Of his election. thai
even his worst enemies had never
charged that Blease would fail to dc
what he said he would do.
Throughout the speech the former
governor was applauded as OF old. and
Il was evident that most OF the people
MERE.MENTIoN
Parisians were forbidden to as.
sembie In the churches Of the city
Sunday. owing to one Of the long dis.
tance German shells having crashed