The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-06-26
bLEASE MAY BOLT.
SO SAYS MIR. DIAL IN LANCAS.
TER SPEECH.
LaurenS Candidate Scores Tillman ond
Says Ex-Governor Should BE Ruled
Out of Party.


possible bolt from the Democratic
primary by Cole l.. Blease was given
here today by n. b. Dia, of Iaurens.
! candidate for the United States senate.
in answer to Mr.. Blease's refusal yes
terday at York to speak under the |
hammer of a partisan Democratic
executive committee" The hour was
critical, in the opinion Of Mr.. Dial, and
reports were that the Bleaseites were
erecting campaign machinery
throughout the State. Il warn every
man who has a son or brother in
France or who wants to see this coun
try better place to live in to organ
ize and be prepared for any eventu-
ality," he said.
The cry Of fraud two years ago,
upon which Mr.. Blease put much
stress at the York meetings yesterday,
also drew the Laurens county candi-
dates fire. Blease didn't protest the
election, as the rules of the party re-
quire. If he had done this and had
committee, he could have taken his
case to court for redress, if the COM
mittee had not investigated, Mr..
Dial said. If he did not have the
manhood to do this, then the people
ought to say to him as a man in GeOr-
ga was enjoined, 1--WE want to hear
nothing, but silence from you and
damned little of that"
Blease had the habit of going
liars behind their backs, but Nobody
in the State is afraid of Blease."
Blease ought to be ruled out of the
Democratic party for his refusal to
follow the itinerary of the senatorial
campaign as provided by the execu-
tive committee, particularly since
Blease had been one of the loudest to
proclaim the virtues of the canvass
IF any man can come and refuses to
SoiHe, ie ouSiit nOI 10 De cOnSlQereQ
by the voters, and any man who is
not able to make the canvass has no
business in the race"
Mr. Dial again today defied Senator
Tillman and his friends to procure
from either President Wilson or from
the naval affairs committee state
ment that Senator Tillman was es-
sential to the committee. He also read
again the story of the senator's en-
feebled condition from The Literary
Digest and quoted Senator Tillman
as saying that he had not received
the Craftsmanship of the committee or
appropriations because the commit
teemen thought the work would kill
me-" Also, if the senator was equal
to the duties incident to the office,
member of his own family and his in
innate friends would not have stren-
uOusly urged that he stay out of the
race this summer, as voiced by Sena-
tor Tillman each day in his letter to
the county chairman
The defea: of both Senator Till
man and Nr. Blease was predicted this
summer as both had gained their po-
litical preferment from the same fac
ton. They had for years worked i'm
double harness and Blease was the
political stepson OF Tillman." Later
there was a divergence and Senator
Tillman slapped i'm the face the very
people who put him in Office" His
hope for reelection now was from the
people he "cussed" when he frs,
gained political ascendency Now
they (Tillman and Blease) are both
cussing each other and the more they
cuss each other the better it suits me-"
The cry which went up from Sena-
tor Tillman in his early campaigns
was: Rotation. Rotation! Rotation"
The people were told that the offices
were monopolized; that 'few office
holders die and none resign" When
he got in office the cry of rotation was
never heard again and Tillman be-
came stationary. The senator had
been in office continuously 2S years,
which ought to be enough to satisfy
any mans ambition.
The Laurens man also took notice
or the statement by Mr.. DeSChamps,
candidate for governor, that he was
advocating the reelection of Senator
Tillman and would come to his de-
Tense whenever the senior senator was
attacked. Each man had his hands
full with his own race. Mr.. Dial said,
and he would urge that Mr.. Des-
] Nh N LaGl ~ liz .thi,d rt ~,