The dispatch-news. [volume] (Lexington, S.C.) 1919-2001, 1922-09-06

The following letter written by Cy-
clone Mack and addressed to the edi-
: tor Of The Pee Dee Advocate, the
newspaper in Mack's home town of
Benettsville, S. c., will give the
people of this section some insight
& into the political situation in the state
OF South Carolina and the situations
overcome by Blease during the time
that he was governor of the state.
The letter follows:
Mr. Editor:
In your issue of July goth, wrote
defending the pardoning record of
Governor Blease. I suppose if there
is any one man in South Carolina who
has suffered for steadfastly defend
ing and supporting Cole L. Blease I
am the man
When Blease and Featherstone
were running for governor I worked
overtime for Featherstone and was
very bitter and prejudiced against
Blease. Why? Because up to that
time 1 looked upon the Columbia
State as the source Of wisdom and
veracity. I thought it was almost in
fallible and could say no wrong. l
was like thousands Of people in South
Carolina todaN-xho know not why
they hate Blease and are so bitter
against him. But now I know that
this corporation sheet with its hire
ling editor. listening to his masters
voice like the little dog in the Vic
trola has crystalized hate in their
hearts as it did in mine. I didn't
know that the Columbia State" was
raised up to fight Ben Tillman and
the Reform party that was trying to
redeem the state from Ring Rule.
Thousands Of people in South Caro-
! lima today don't know why it is that
this paper has continually bounded
4 and traduced, naaligned and vilified,
= - y
xae4aaned, siandered and poured out
sscencentrated damnations on him all
these years. They believe what the
State has taught them that Cover
nor Blease is a vile, hard-hearted,
disreputable reprobate, drunkard,
sponsor of harlotry, a gambler and
an inventor of evil things, who has
changed the truth of God into a lie,
and for this cause God has given him
to vile affections. No, that is not
so, but I will give it to you in nut
shell. 1t is not because the State
loves South Carolina, and the inter-
ests of the people, but it is because
Cole L.. Blease defended and worked
for Jim Tillman for killing Gonzales
for doing the very same thing to MIN
the State" has been doing for Blease
ever ce-misrepresenting, defam-
ing comforting and trying to assassi-
nate bis character;
was pastor OF little church in
the suburbs of Columbia. Very often
the chaplain Of the penitentlary
would get me to go over and preach
for him. I never saw such misery,
squalor and suffering in any place in
my life. 1t was shame to a civil
ized country The hospital was full
Of poor unfortunate people dying with
tuberculosis which they had contract
ed in that dirty, filthy, unsanitary
knitting mill-South Carolina's tuber-
cular incubator. Poor unfortunate
men and women for whom the Lord
Jesus Christ had died, hired out to
contractors to grind out dividends for
Northern capitalists, and if they
didn't make their tasks they were
taken down to the leather house and
numerically beaten. The people of
South Carolina will never know how
those convicts were overworked, beat
en- and mistreated until they stand at
the judgment bar of God and see it
flashed on the canvass Of the uni
verse. 1 was preaching there one
day and a poor woman. with q broken
heart, began to sob in a quiet sup
pressed way. Almost Immediately a
great big white hvered, cowardly,
soulless brute in the form Of guard
jumped up and ran over to her say
ing, Hush, hush, or I'll break your
damned head" / was told by diff
ferent parties that a woman one day
was beaten and then kicked every step
of the way from tie leather house to
the mill. She died that afternoon.
OF course the Pharisees will say it
wasn't the VIII Doing and kicking that
killed her, but the toothache. have
bent down over the poor emaciated