Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1918-08-28
+ i. i. !. ]. !. !. !. !. !. J. J. !. !.
!. A REMARKABLE PAPER. !.

!. j. Il i !. T. !. !. !. i. !. i j. j.
Last week Editor " B. Cheshire,
Of the Anderson Farmers Tribune,
came squarely out from the Blease
ranks, announcing himself constitu-
tionally opposed to anybody or any
thing not measuring up to the
standard of 100 per cent American,
and therefore unalterably opposed to
Ex-Governor Blease and Congress-
man f. II. Dominick. His announce
ment, which we regard as one of the
really remarkable incidents of the
campaign, is given place below His
explanation of his past apologies for
Mr.. Blease's shortcomings is espe-
cially worthy Of note, showing the
fact that he has not always really
: been at heart believer in Blease,
but follower Of and apologist for
him because Mr.. please has each
two years posed as the chosen cham
: pion of Reform"
We congratulate Mr.. Cheshire
upon his open announcement, which
we reproduce below, as follows:
tissues and Not Men,"
81 am constitutionally a Reformer
AS such l espoused the cause of
Governor Blease in his earliest CAM
, paigns, and have been consistently
with him in all his many races for
Statewide office, dating, l believe,
back to 1906, and running continu-
ously to November In doing this
have antagonized some of my best
personal friends, incurred the busi-
ness hostility Of most Of the leading
advertisers Of our city and had num-
erous personal encounters.
Il undertook to defend Governor
Blease when he pardoned Portland
Ned, notorious murderer and safe
blower, and secretly slipped him out
fof the side door of the Governors
private Office.
81 attempted to defend him when
he pardoned R. A. Richey, convicted
of seducing little factory girl, who
had been reared in his home, and as
the evidence showed, had been
taught to call him father.
Il attempted to defend him when
..he pardoned w. Il. Jones, of Union, a
man who, as shown from the evil
dence In court, had stripped and re-
peatedly beaten his poor wife, in the
presence of negroes, for the purpose
: Of humiliating her. and who was
finally convicted Of numbering her.
''In my blindness in support of
the Reform party, | tried to lose
sight Of the shortcomings of the
continuous self-constituted leader,
for the supposed good Of my faction,
on the general ground that so long
as the personal popularity Of the
leader contributed toward the
! strengthening of the cause Of the
masses, my. course was justifable.
81 am a reformer still and am
i willing to risk what little have and
my life. if necessary, in the cause Of
reform. But as | see it, there can
he no reform party in South Caro-
lima worthy of the name so long as
| Governor Blease elbows all Of it's
leading men out of position to make
place for his biennial entry into
| Statewide politics, nor so long as
the Reform faction must occupy it's
whole time explaining his executive
and inconsistent acts.
II have heard that Governor Blease
said that he hoped his arm would be
paralyzed If he ever signed pardon
for Jones, and l know that he said
that he would not pardon R. A..
Richey. and yet, for reasons best
known to himself. he pardoned both
| of them.
81 believe that the rank and file of
the Reform party in South Carolina
recognizes the fact that when Amer
| lea entered the war, the allies were
| practically whipped, and that Amer
| lea, If she did not strike then would
| shortly afterward have been forced
to meet Germany alone, with the
certainty of defeat starring her in the
| face. Germany would have re-enact-
ed all of her policy OF, murder and
| rape right here in our homes, and
! we would have been powerless to
prevent it, because Of our unprepar-
edness. Two hundred helpless old
men, women and children were shot