THE ADDRESS OF GOVERNOR BLEASE
AT THE INAUGURAL CEREMONIES
Mr. Pi ftsMent, Mr. Speaker, Mem- I
berj of the General Assembly of
South Carolina, Ladies and Gentle- >
men:
Independence of thought, freedom
ot action, an abiding trust in and de
voted love for God have won for me
the greatest political victory that has
yet been recorded in the history of
-Smith Carolina. Aligned against me
v/ere a united daily press and an al
most solid weekly and semi-weekly
;-vess, pouring forth all kinds of false
bood, vituperation and abuse, recelv
:ng the assistance of a number of
tuen who call themselves ministers
of the Gospel?God save the mark!
? who stood behind their pulpits and
gave vent to envy and malice and
Zanders of the most vile and mali
^ Clous nature against me?
These hypocrites had left their magics
and stood
?n naked ugliness.
'.'hey were men who stole the livery
of Heaven
To serve the devil in?"
all of these, combined with others
;:-aking a set of political character
l.ieves, the meanest and most con
? mptible people known to man.
\ was never discouraged. 1 knew
:iidt Gid did not love the ugly, and
that the people of South Carolina were
? - fair play to all her sons alike.
Men have rallied and fought in hum
Mis of battles, but no band of truer
? um or braver soldiers or more loyal
I i d devoted friends ever rallied for
a fight than those 56,602 brave and
nnorable men of South Carolina, who
e September LI, 1010, said to my
: emies, "You shall not press him
?:iwii; you shall not crucify him upon
cross of vituperation, slander and
sehood; you shall not crown him
th a crown of persecution, envy and
. tlice." And by the help of an all
? so and all-powerful God, the vie.
y was won, and we can and do to
?v say:
?'raise, God from whom all blessings
flow,"
d my prayer is that His choice bless
es of this earth rest upon my friends,
i.d may each of them some day be
nvned with a diadem in Heaven,
r'or those who opposed me honestly
1 fairly. I have no word or censure,
was their right to do so. and 1 feel
:..H they were but exercising their
gh right of American citizenship,
f or'the others I have but pity, for I
,11 know that their consciences, if
Coy have tiny, are giving them cen
tre and punishment enough for their
?* vwardly anil underhand manner of
j: position.
I thank, and wish for you to convey
.? y aincereat, most henrtfelt thanks
; i your constituents lor their assist
...:ce in giving tomie the position which
was the venlth of my political ambi
*:'an. Should d never be elected to
? uy position again, personally 1 will
<ive accomplished all that my life's
v oi'k has boon for. so far as political
:efermcnt Ik concern,ed. The only
Mbitlon that is left Is that I may per
form the duties tT the office of govern
>? In such a imanner 'that I may re
? ive at the close cf my fi rm the "well
' me" from those who placed ine in
tl.o position
i the campaign meeting at Florence
10to, I saht: "I notice In the edi
ial columns of the State newspaper
' this day, 'We shall in a day or two
\c something to say in regard to
he candidacy of Candidate Blense,
ii will not be regarded as endoi'SO
n ent.' I believe that the people of
South Carolina are In favor of fair
? v. and I now request and Invite
e man who wrote that article to
? imo on Iho rostrum ol Columbia, at
- e stiite campaign meeting at Co
l.nrbla, next Snturdav, August 0, and
? ve his something to say in regard
tci the candidacy of Candidate Blense,'
i my face, where '1 can and will have
e opportunity to make reply. And
he declines this, then I demand that
name a time and place where ho
viil agree to meet mo face to face
d make his statement. Two years
i;gO this paper published artic les about
e. and when my friends sent replies
I . these articles the publishers of
(he paper refused 10 publish them,
(hits cutting me off from any oppor
tunity to prove their statements false
to the readers ol their paper. A brave
man comes out In the open and tights
, <e to face: a coward lurks in the
? tk. or hides behind his editorial
desk, and assassin-like, strikes from
behind. To which class does the writ
ei of this article belong? His future
. i ions will show.''
vt the oamgVfgn tree'tog In Colom
bia on August 8, I repeated tho st:>.te.
on( as made at Florence, and called
for the writer lo appear. Ho failed
; > do so. and I repeat the question:
To which class does the writer of
r is article belong?- and Bald, "He is
. coward."
I do not believe that It would be pos
^ble for any other man ever to hove
0 undergo the vituperation and abuse
from the press that I had. And why
did I have It? Because of my profes
sional connection with a noted crim
inal case in this State. 1 most respect
fully recommend that you gentlemen
of the general assembly pass at this
session an Act providing that any
newspaper editor or reporter who
shall publish, or cause to be published,
any article reflecting upon the private
character or the public record
of any citizen of this State, which Is
not true, shall be punished by a fine '
and imprisonment. An Act of this
character, in my opinion, will save
much bitter feeling, and possibly
bloodshed, in the future of our State.
I beg leave in this connection to
cell your attention to a leading editor
ial In the Newberry Herald and News
of September 0, 1010, which is as
follows:
"It is a good subject at this particu
lar time, and its importance lias been
driven home.
"Tho people of Suth Carolina are
menaced
"The menace is unfair newspaper
methods.
"The Columbia State of Thursday
carried on Its first page a cartoon of
Mr. Cole L. Blease, over the label,
"The Menace."
"The Columbia State knew at the',
time the cartoon was published that
It was as unfair as it was false. The
Columbia State knew when the car
toon was designed that it was inis-!
leading and false. The Columbia State
knew that the publication of the car
toon had for Its objoct the misleading
of the voters of South Carolina, and
was, therefore, maliciously false, and
was a malicious slander of a man who
led all the rest of the candidates and i
received thirty per emu of the voters
of the State. Is that not an intentional
and gross insult to one-third of the
voters of this State"
"His side will have no showing in
the Columbia state. No reply will be
allowed.
? That is the Columbia State's meth
od.
"That Is 'the menace.'
"The Columbia State has a large j
Circulation, There .are people who j
read the State and who do not see
the other side, because the State does
not print the other side.
"Th; t is 'the menace.'
"JJefor? the flrst primary The News
and Courier, the Columbia Record and
Other newspapers In South Carolina
were "hare'ug the Columbn State with !
ui.fairness, and. In fact wi h malicious
falsehood.
''Simply because these newspaper;)
now agree with the State's oollcy In
the Gubernatorial race, will they keep
silent under the same conditions
v.?. Ich existed when they brought their
ch'.rges aealnst the Colu nbia Strtt?
?because, forsooth, then the Colum
bia Stute was going ngalnsi the grain
and now It Is cutting along with it"
"Surely the manhood of the news
papers of South Carolina is not a
thing of the past.
"The newspapers of South Carolina
have In Hie past wielded a wonderful
Influence, It Is because they have
made for themselves a reputation of
fairness, and, presenting both sides,
have urged the claims of the side
which the newspapers thought would
be for the interests of the Slate of
South Carolina.
"The course which some of them
are now pursuing may help the men
of their choice in this particular race
-though we doubt it but the profes
sion suffers.
Why not give everybody a, 'square
deal?'
?The Columbia State, for instance,
and other anti-lllease newspapers will
reprint in their news columns com
ments favotable to Mr, Poatherstone,
but ignore anything favorable to Mr.
Rlease. That is 'newspaper' blisiliss,
with a vengeance.
"So far as the Herald and News is
concerned, we delight in being ignored
by the Columbia State or boycotted,
or put on the famous 'black list.' as
yon please?but what we started out to
say was that the cartoon in the Co.
Ilimbia State of Thursday morning was
the limit downward in newspaper bus
iness as we have observed it.
"The days of factionalism and per
sonal prejudice in South Carolina are
happily over, and we believe that the
people of South Carolina when the
matter Is brought to their attention
will resent under-hand and below-the
belt methods.
"For that reason, which Is credita
ble to the people of South Carolina,
we believe the Columbia State and oth
er newspapers svho are taking, unfair
advantage of Mr. Rlease in this race
are doing him more good than harm.
"It Is not for Rlease that we mourn,
but for the newspaper profession.
"'The menace'' the real menace
will be met by Hi.' people of Smith
Carolina, as they have met all other
quest ions.
"During the campaign and bo fore
the first primary election, the Colum
bia State made a strung light in an ar
gumentative manner against Mr. Fea
therstone and thereby brought down
the wrath of a large majority of the
papers of South Carolina charging it
With 'unfairness.' They had oractlcal
ly nothing to say about Mr Please he
having distinctly defied them to mako
their, charges, if any they had, to his
face. They failed to do so. Now they
are making one of the ugliest and most
fc-laodoroi s campaigns against Mr.
Blease that has ever been waged in
the State of South Carolina. What do
the newspapers think of this tight at
th's time? Is it fair? Mr. Hlcase and
his friends have no manner now in
which to answer them for they will
publish no'hing favorable to P.l<v.?se;
he cannot answer it on the slump, the
catr.palgt- is over."
And also an article from the Shreve
nort. La. lournal, of September. 1!H0:
' Speaking of The News and Courier,
the election was a striking example of
the wonderful 'power of the press' to
mould public opin'on ISvery newspa
?>oi in t'?e State, with the ?xc?ption
cf two count>' weeklies, supported
Feat hers tone and called Blease out of
his name. They succeeded in making
the people believe Blease a regular Sa
tan in one respect * * A newspaper
possesses power to direct public opin
ion only to the extent of its independ
ence. Its honesty and its impartiality.
These three things are hard to find
in combination in a newspaper of
today.''
And also an article from the ISdge
Held Chronicle*
"We do not Join hands in the aval
anche of abuse that has been heaped
upon the head of the Governor-elect,
If pel iomtlity was the issue, how sad
a reflection on Mr. Featherstone that
he could not .-arry his own county,
while Blease carried his by a substan
tial majority."
And also a comment from the Co
lumbia Daily Record:
"Disliking to do so. for obvious rea
sons, yet the Record now feels con
strained to say. as a supporter of
Featherstone and an opponent of
Blease, that the repulsive caitoou in
the State oi Thursday. portraying
Blease as a vulture, is offensive to the
sense of decency and fairness."
And an article from the Macon, Ga.
Tcleghnph, of September 1010:
"There is a citizen over in South
('arolina by the name of Blease, who
has done a remarkable thing. The
readers of almost any South Carolina
newspaper a week or two ago would
have found good reason for the belief
that Blease was everything that was
bad or undesirable, to say the least;
that in expressing a desire to become
governor he had shown unpardonable
presumption; that his candidacy was
a fit subject for jest, and that he had
not the ghost of a chance. The Char
leston News and Courier contemptu
ously reported the fact that only three
newspapers In the whole State had
ventured to endorse the candidacy of
Mr. Rlease. All the dallies, large and
small, the religious papers, nondescript
and what not. thundered at Blease
Continually. Moreover, he was bom
barded from the pulpit. * * <"
And an article front the New Or
leans Picayune of September 14, 1110:
" The vole today hinged very largely
_
(Continued on page six.)
NOW is the Time
WE are the Place
To bin Beardless Spring Barloj at
Mm per bushel to saw and grow.
Bed Bust Proof Seed Oats at (?0
cents per biisnel for sprint: sowing,
Full stork of flour, corn, meitl, molas
ses, hucon, sugar, coffee, bird, tobacco,
feed oats and hay, cotton seed meal
on hand, and the prices arc right to
meet jour views.
We sell the well-knnv* n line of
Blounts Turn Plows and Middle Bus
ter Plows and points no better plow
made a trial will coin lure the most
Skeptical that Blounts is the best
1 plow on the market.
Yours for business
J. H. Sullivan
I.AURENS, S. C.
There's a Southern Girl
Shoe Made Especially
For Yon.
You may be real fussy
about your foot wear?you
may have a real hard foot to fit
your ideas of style may be
very plain and ordinary, or you
may like an elaborate shoe??
perhaps you have a tender
foot or some pet spot that
has to be favored ? in any
event, go to the nearest
Craddock dealer and let
him fit your foot.
This same shoe In our
"Autograph' 'Brand. S2.50
-X3.00 is Ooodyear Welt
Sewed; In our College
Woman's Walking Shoe.
S3.00 - S3.50 - S4.00. it
equals the best custom make.
TBE
SOUTHERN GIRL
$2.00?SHOE?$2.50
is made in all leathers, all widths and siz.es, on
broad, easy lasts, on narrow lasts with high insteps,
with high, low and medium heels, high arch, low
arch, etc., etc. We include the best styles in our
nobby patterns, and also make a number of shoes
along plain and simple lines. With each goes the
best of leather, honest making, long wear. See the
line at our dealers' store in your town.
Look for the Red Hell on the Box
CRADDOCK-TERRY CO., Lynchburg, Vau
Phone 202 Dentistry a Specialty
EARL C. OWENS
Veterinary Surgeon
At Bolt & Hudgens' Sale Stable.
LAU RENS, S. C.
Special Values at
W. Q. Wilson & Co.
Children's Sweaters 50c, Misses'
Sweaters $1.50, Ladies' Sweaters,
strictly all wool, at $2.50 and $3.50.
All wool Mufflers, Togues and a
complete line of Cotton and Wool
Underwear, Cotton and Wool Hosiery,
Blankets and Flannels.
W. Q. Wilson & Co.
Farewell 1910
Welcome 1911
Happy New Year to All!
The Year 1910 has gone breaking all
records in the Coal and Wood business.
More Coal and Wood sold with none dis
satisfied or disappointed. We guarantee
Our Coal to Give Satisfaction.
For we buy only the best grade of
Coal. We handle all our Coal with
forks impossible for you to get any dirt
or slack coal. Let us keep you warm.
J.W.&R. M. Eichelberger
"The Coal Hen"
Phone 33.
NOTICE
-OF THE
County Treasurer
The Books of the County Treasurer
will be opened, for the collection of
I State, County and Cummutation Road
Taxe?; for fiscal year, 1910, at the
Treasurer's Ofltco from October 15th,
i to December :u%t., 1910. Arter De
cember 31st., one per cent, will be
added. After January ?lst. two per
cent, will be added, and after Feb
ruary 28th., seven per cent, will be
added till the lath of March, 1911,
when tho books will oe closed.
All poisons owning property In
more than one Township are request
1 od to call for receipts In each of the
several Townships In which the prop
erty Is located. This la important, as
additional cost and penalty may bo
attached.
All able bodied male citizens bo.
twoen the ages of 21 and 00 years of
age uro liable to pay a poll tax of
$1.00 except old soldiers, who are ex
empt at 50 years or age. Commuta
tion Rond Tax $1.00. in lieu of read
duty. Road Tax to be paid by tho 1st
day of March, 1911. Other taxes to
be paid at the time ns stated above.
The tax levy Id as follows:
For State purposes.5% mills
For Constitutional School Tax II mills
For Ordinary County purposes U mills
For Interest on Railroad Bonds 1 mill
For Roads and Bridge Bonds :: mills
For Court House Bonds .. ..I mill
Total.lG-% mills
Special Schools?I?urens Township.
Laurens No. 11.G mills
Trinity Ridge No. 1.4 mills
Maddens No. 2.2 mills
Narnle No. H.2 mills
Baileys No. 4.2 mills
Mills No. ;'?.2 mills
Oak drove No. 0.2 mills
Special Schools Youngs Town:.hip.
Youngs No. 2.'? mills
No. 4.:' mills
No. 5.X mills
Fountain Inn No. 3B.10 mills
t Lanford No. 10.2'.. mills
I Ora No. 12.2 mills
Special Schools Dials Township
Qreen Bond No. I.I', mills
Dials No. 2.:i mills
Shlloh No. :'..2 mills
Cray Court-Owlngs No. ."> . . . 2 mills
Barksdalo No. 0.2 mills
Dials Church No. 7.2 mills
Special Schools Sullivan Township.
Princeton No. 1.:'. mills
Poplar Springs No. .*. .. ..2 mills
No. I.I mills
No. ,ri.4 mills
Tumbling Shoals No. ?i .. ..2'j mills
Breworton No. 7.mills
Sullivan Township R R Bonds 4 mills
Special Schools -Waterloo Township
Waterloo No. 11.W mills
Mt. Oallaghor No. 1.:i mills
Bethlehem No. 2.2 mills
F.kom No. :?.2 mills
No. 4.2 mills
No. H.3 mills
Mt. Pleasant No. 0.2 mills
Mt. Olive No. 7.4 mills
Special Schools-Cross Hill Township
Cress Hill No. i:*..G mills
Cross Hill No. 1.2 mills
Cross Hill No. 2.2 mills
Cross Hill No. 4.2 mills
Cros? Hill No. :,.2 mills
Cross Hill No. G.2 mills
I Special Schools-?Hunter Township
I Mountvllle No. 1G.4Vij mill*
I Hunter No. 2.2 mills
I Hunter No. W.2 mills
Clinton No. :?.:i mill \
1 Hunter No. S.15 mills
_.
Special Schools?.lacks Township
.lacks No. 15.'i mills
Special Schools, Scufflotown Township
Scuffletown No. 1.2 mills
Lanford No in.2Vx mill <
Ora No. 12.2 mi Hi
Prompt attention will be given those
who wish to pay their Taxes through
the mail by check, money order, etc.
Persons sending In lists of names to
he taken off nro requested to send
them early: and glvo tho Township of
ench, ns the Treasurer is very busy
during, tho mouth of December.
.1 I) MOCK.
County Treasurer,
Oct. Ttlt.. 1910 if.
Too Late, Too Late,
to think about taking out a policy
on your house if it is already
burning. We take a risk hut not
a certainty. If you huv? taken
time by th* forelock, ami insured
your property against fire, y?u
have the
Absolute Certainty
that the company Will pay all
your losses. The race is to the
swift, and you owe it to your
family to protect them from all
troubles. Do not be a laggard.
E.H.WILKES&SON
Stocks - Bunds - Insurance
Enterprise Bank Building
Laurens, S. C.