The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1918-07-12
Party Machinery Con-
siders Expulsion of
Two Candidates.
APPEAL TO VOTER 10 ACT
Overtures. to Republiesns "lndepen-
dent Ticket and Continuous Eff.
forts to Destroy Faith Sf People
> in Party Bring Alarm. u

forts to Destroy Faith ef People
/ ; in Party Bring Alarm. Il.
llr.tG < 1T
Several hours were consumed on
Tuesday by the State Democratic
executive committee in debating the !.
proposal Of taking the !, names. Of
Cole L. Blease and John L. McLau-
rim, from the rolls of the Democra-
tic party. ...t 49,. r.. .....,..,: nr;, ..1,.
Strenuous argument on the part
of several committeeman to let the
people themselves determine the
question at the polls. at the August
primary: finally prevailed against, the
disposition of the committee to act
summarily. The alleged perfdy Of
Blease and McLaurin, as revealed in
McLaurin's recent exposure, Of an
attempt to sell the, Democratic party
4 out two years ago, the Blease Gin
DEPENDENT ticket two years ago,
which ticket was. alleged by WI P.
Beard,~ who put out the ticket, to
have; been named by Cole l.. Blease,
and the announcement by Blease
that neither he nor his followers
were bound by their oath to support
the nominees Of the party in 1916
and Blease's reiteration of fraud
tswere the chief obiectfves-pf the com
mitteemen's fire. = "......g3
Would Kick Out Of Party.
T. H. Ketchin, State senator from
Fairfield County, and member Of, the
executive committee, urged the ap-
pointment Of a committee of five,
before whom Blease| and McLaurin
should be summoned and if the
facts were found to be as published
over the names Of those friendly to
Blease and McLaurin at the time
of the; various Incidents, then 4 to
"kick them," Blease and McLaufin,
uneeremoniously out Of the party
ranks. The question of this author
ity being lodged with the executive
committee, was the storm center' Of
the debate. There was no division
of opinion as to the just deserts of
the candidates in question. Some Of
the committeeman took the position
that the elimination of Blease} and
McLaurin from the Democratic tick
cts would cause a great Juror over
the State. If left to the voters,
proper disposition would be made; of
the issue in casting ballots. The
voters could be trusted to retain the
party in it's purity and to rebuke
those who had sought to betray il to
Republica $.
The qr stion was raised by John
Gary Evans, State chairman, who
said he was tired of the, party ma
chinery being villifed and abused by
Blease throughout the: State, and
charges of fraud two years ago re-
iterated, when Blease did not have
the courage or manhood to protest
the election before the committee or
to carry the question into the courts.
He was continuing this charge of
fraud and partisanship against the
present committee ip refusing to
speak at York under the hammer
of a partisan executive committee"
and would not speak until the regu-
lar meeting had been dismissed. He
had also consistently refused to fol-
low the itinerary as arranged by
the executive committee, in further
emphasis of his disregard for the
party machinery of the State. Effort
to sell out the party at time like
this and destroy the faith of the
people in the party which controls
the State and the national govern
ment constituted treachery to the
State, the nation and the head = of
the nation. 1t was finally agreed to
issue the address of Mr.. Evans as a