Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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tEfje Bamberg derate ESTABLISHED APRIL, 1891. Published Weekly at Bamberg, S. C. Bntered as second-class matter April 1891, under Act of March 3, 1879. ~~ "*5.00 PER YEAR. Volume 31. Number 35. Thursday, September 7,1922 Remember, friends, that we are just as much opposed to the state tax commission and high taxes as anybody in South Carolina, and that is the reason we are supporting McLeod, for we believe that in his election lies our only hope of relief. The figures printed this week in connection with all tax mattore arfl from the official rec WVA M v>. ords and have been verified by us. They are absolutely correct and we stand back of them. We make this statement in case any one should question their accuracy. We understand that some of the women who are enrolled do not want to vote on account of the fear of jury duty. The legislature parsed a special act exempting women from all jury duty, so they need not fear this. Go and vote, ladies; you will not have to serve on any jury nor will you be asked to. In last Sunday's State there was a page advertisement signed by Cole L. Blease in which he made the same sort of promise that he did between the primaries of 1910. This advertisement states that he will know no faction, but will be governor of all the people. Did he keep the promise of 1910? No, he did not, and he will not keep this one. He is trying to fool the people just as'tie did tnen. McLeod carried Bamberg county by a good majority in tbe first prima^ b-ut we must make it larger next Tuesday. We can do it if the people will take enough interest in the matter to vote. Not only go and vote yourself but take some one else with you. Look after those who did not cast their ballot in the first pri- j mary?there are nearly 500 of them in this county?and see that they vote this time. i? ^ Even if Blease was disposed to attempt to make good on his platform of a reduction in taxes, he would certainly have little influence with the legislature. Most of these men were nominated in the first primary and the house and senate will carry a tremendous majority against him. As governor he would have fewfriends and less influence with the general assembly, and this is the body which makes appropriations and levies taxes. Remember this. The governor can only recommend. There is only one daily newspaper in South Carolina supporting Blease for governor and that is the Charleston American, a disloyal sheet which abused Woodrow Wilson and favored the German cause throughout the war. IJ has shown decided Republican tendencies since that time. Only a few days ago it contained an editorial strongly endorsing Harding and in the same issue advocated the election of Blease. We trust the voters of Bamberg county will understand that in bringing out all these ^ matters?in fact in every line we have written?we are not attempting to dictate to them how they shall vote. We are giving them the facts in order that they may see what the issue is before us just now. We are devoting considerable space this week to political matters, for which we have no apologies. We are simply working for the good of a state where we were born, where we have always lived, and where we expect our bones to rest. In advocating the election of Thos. G. McLeod as governor we know that we are doing what is best for all our people, although many of our good friends do not agree with us. We are not par tisan, we have no criticism ior any one, and we regret very much that all South Carolinians cannot unite on some good man and put an end to factions within the party. But Blease has always been a storm center and always will be. There can be no peace as long as he is a political factor. In a political advertisement published in The Bamberg Herald of its issue under date of September 8th, 1910. signed "Cole L. Blease," he used this language: "I have sought to place my campaign upon a high plane, seeking the votes of the peo-1 pie only on my own merits. If elected I will be the governor of the whole people, without regard to section or class." The people took him at his word and elected him over C. C. Featherstone, and how did he keep his pledged word "to be governor of the whole people?" After his nomination those who had opposed him publicly said they would uphold his hands, and yet his inaugural address was nothing but a tirade of abuse for those who had opposed him and he announced his policy of being governor for his friends only. He did not keep his pre-election promise and he is the same Blease today he was then. Can his promises of today be relied on? The writer has known Thos. G. McLeod for nearly thirty years, lived in same town with him for some time, J and we know him to be a high-toned i Christian gentleman, one whose priI vate life and public career is clean ! as a hound's tooth. Not one word has been uttered against him, nor can be truthfully. He has not mentioned it during the campaign, but we know he was a member of the exemption board in his county and practically gave up his private business to help win the war, giving his time and his money for this purpose. He came to Bamberg during that trying period and made an address, which was one of the best we ever listened to. He showed his patriotism while his opponent was going around the state making speeches opposing the war and in favor of the enemy. The people of Bamberg owe a debt of gratitude to Tom McLeod. They can show this gratitude by giving him a tremendous majority over the pro-German candidate next Tuesday, and we believe they will do so. I A FEW "IFS." If you believe in pardoning murderers and all sorts of criminals, vote for Blease. He turned loose nearly two thousand, many of them the worst sort of negro criminals. If you believe in the illicit distilling and sale of whiskey, vote for Blease. If you believe in lawlessness and feel that a man has a right to shoot down another and never serve a sentence for it, vote for Blease. If you believe in higher taxes, vote for Blease. Remember that crime costs money. It costs money to try law-breakers even if they are jferdoned. If you believe in a man being governor for his friends only, and punishing what he terms his enemies, vote for Blease. If you believe in being hand in glove with Joe Tolbert, vote for Biease. If you believe a man has the right to bolt the Democratic primary when it suits him, vote for Blease. If you believe that the courts are usually right and that when'a man has been convicted for crime he should serve his sentence, unless it is clearly shown that a mistake has been made, vote for McLeod. If you believe that the prohibition law should be enforced and the manufacture and sale of illegal whiskey minimized, vote for McLeod. If you believe in law and order and punishing those who take the life of their fellow-man when convicted, vote for-McLeod. If you believe that taxes should be reduced and every possible economy effected in every department of our state government, vote for McLeod. He has promised to see that the most rigid economy is practiced, and he will do it. He knows the condition of the farmers, for he is one himself. If you believe in a man being governor for all the people and not only for those who voted for him, vote for VTr?T^nd. If you believe iir white supremacy, the Democratic party, that this is a white man's country, vote for McLeod. Finally, if you believe that the man who occupies the gubernatorial chair should be a Christian gentlej man, pure *in private and public life, one who does not touch whiskey, one who has been in public life for 20 j years with not one word against him, vote for McLeod. SOME TAX FIGURES. We have shown in another article that not only did Blease fail to reduce taxes when he was governor but that he actually raised them. The figures taken from the report of the comptroller general for 1914 shows that the Blease administration, while it raised the tax levy from - ~ -*? ?ill- loft" Q /lohf 0 3-4 tO SIX IHlilS, il.Li.uan; w* uv>. I on the state for that year of $452,j 152.73. They spent in that year this amount more than their tax levy of six mills brought in. In addition to this, the Blease administration borrowed hundred of thousands of dollars from the sinking fund commission which later administrations had to pay back. For two years of Manning's administration there was a surplus instead of a deficit. One year it was $216,693.86 and another $288,788.40. 'We only wish we had the space this w*eek to publish all the figures of the Blease administration, for they would be convincing to anyone we feel sure. But we are printing enough to show absolutely that his administration was not an economical one; that he did not reduce taxes but actually raised them; and yet left a debt on the state when he went out of office; in addition to borrowing money from the sinking fund commission. That is the plain record. Can anybody believe that he will reduce taxes now? Mr. Blease says he favors schools, support of Confederate veterans, etc., and is yet going to reduce taxes. His last year as governor was 1914. Let us compare a few appropriations for some of these items for that year with 1922. Here are the figures: 1914. Schools $342,315.67 State Hospital for Insane 312,881.44 Confederate pensioners .... 261,600.00 TTT 1.1 n i f ft a a /-* r\ r\ wminrop conege .. JLD^,2io.uy Total $1,069,243.21 1922 Schools $1,306,000.00 State Hospital for Insane 631,559.40 Confederate pensioners 508,497.50 Winthrop College 373,130.16 Total .... .... ....$2,819,107.06 There is a difference in the appropriations for above items of $1'.749,863.85 for 1922 as against 1914. Now, if he is honest in saying he favors schools, etc, he certainly cannot be opposed to the appropriations mentioned above. The money for schools is going to help put a school in reach of every white child?the common schools?the state hospital is caring for practically double the number of persons now it was in 1914 and yet the cost of living has largely increased. Will any one deny the Confederate veterans the amount they are now receiving, even if it is double the amount given them under Blease's last year? Does any man want to see Winthrop college crippled? The increase in that appropriation is going to educate the poor girls of this state, and it is the only college we have where a poor man can educate his daughter and thereby make her self-supporting. We challenge Blease or any other man tn make a camDaisn in favor of re ducing any of the appropriations named above, and also to declare himself now in favor of cutting any one of them. He nor any other candidate is against them, for they know full well they dare not be. But, suppose hessays he is. With his tax levy for 1914 six mills and 1922 seven mills, with more than a million and a half dollars more appropriated for these few items alone, to say nothing of increases in appropriations for other worthy causes for the benefit of the poor man, how in the name of common sense is he going to reduce any tax levy when we will pay this year only one mill more taxes than when he was governor? Taxpayers, do not be fooled by the generalties indulged in by Mr. Blease. He does not get down to figures when he talks about reducing taxes, but we are giving the facts from the official records. THE ISSUE XEXT TUESDAY. The fight is on and the issue is plain. Democrats cannot neglect nor escape their duty. It is Democracy against Joe W. Tolbert's Republicanism. There are plenty of good people voting for Blease and they are as good Democrats as anybody, and not all of the anti-Blease people are saints by any manner of means nor have they a monopoly of patriotism and brains. We are all South Carolinians and desire the good of our state, but, good people on both sides, do not be fooled this ' T-i. J _ _ ~ n n*- + V. o f lime. 11 lb a WCIl tt.uuwu. lavl. LLia t Blease and Joe Tolbert are friends. Blease went to Washington and assisted Tolbert in retaining his job as distributor of federal jobs, he wrote a letter in his behalf which has been made public, and in this letter he stated that he (Blease) rejoiced at the election of Harding. Tolbert wanted to appoint Blease district attorney, and the department of justice said he had issued too many pardons and publicly endorsed lynching while governor and therefore the administration could not appoint him on account of this record. Tolbert has talked to the writer about Blease; he has told people that Blease has assisted him in making appointments; and it is a fact that if Blease opposes a man for any federal job in South Carolina Joe Tolbert will not recommend him and he will not be appointed. This is not hearsay; we know what we are talking about. A few weeks ago Tolbert issued a ~~11 ? ? etota r>rm vowtinri nf his can jlui a cmiu t ?... "Union Republican party" to meet in Columbia, but only a short time ago a meeting was held in Columbia and the date of the convention was postponed until after the second Democratic primary. Why was this done? It is our candid opinion that if Blease is defeated in the Democratic primary next Tuesday, he will be nominated for governor by Tolbert's convention. Look at the statement from the Yorkville Enquirer, published elsewhere, and it bears out the idea of an appeal to the general election. Blease announced as an independent candidate for congress a few years ago; he has never stated that he voted for Cox, the Democratic candidate for president in 1920; yet all other candidates for governor stated that they did. If we are to have white supremacy in South Carolina the party loyalty of every white man should be our first consideration,, and there should be no flirting with the Republicans. Who is Joe Tolbert? He is one of the same crowd that incited the negroes to riot at a polling precinct called Phoenix in Greenwood county not so many years ago and in the fight which resulted a young white man named Etheredge and several negroes were killed. The Tolberts instigated the fight in their efforts to place black heels on white necks, and he is attempting to do the same thing today. But many of us Viori fnro-nttpn all this Our memories are too short. We wish we had the space in this issue to republish the long interview Senator Tillman gave out on that Phoenix riot. He knew the Tolberts brought it on and he charged them with full responsibility for it. Joe Tolbert's brother was collector of the port in Charleston at that time and was one of the ring leaders. Joe Tolbert is getting from every county in the state a list of the negro voters who pay taxes on $300 or more worth of property and he says he is going to have registration certificates for these negroes by law. Men and brethren, the situation is serious. Have we so soon forgotten the days of reconstruction and negro Republican domination in South Carolina, when no white man's life was safe and every white woman stood in danger of attack from some black brute if the opportunity offered? "We may think all those days are past and gone, never to return, but we tell you in all frankness that the danger is imminent. A shrewd campaign is being conducted by Joe Tolbert and his satellites, and once an entering wedge is made in the solidity of the Democratic party we will see ten times more trouble than in Radical days, for we will not be fighting northern carpet baggers and scalawags but our own people, and the negroes have a whole lot more sense and are better educated today than they were then. If we love our wives and children, if we care anything for the welfare and future of South Carolina, in God's name let us wake up before it is too late. This is ho new idea with the writer; we have seen and discussed the danger a year ago; and events since that time have only borne out what we feared. We may be wrong, and we hope we are, but we would be false to our duty did we not warn our people as to what we honestly believe the situation is. There are just as conscientious people and just as good Democrats ? nloa nrVi n will VAtP 3.S WtJ (J I" ail,* UUllj gioo n uv ti la for Blease next Tuesday, and we have no harsh criticism and abuse for anybody, but we would be false to our conception of our duty to our fellow-man did/we not sound a note of warning. ( Up to You, Gentlemen. A suit tried by the late Sir Francis Jeune in the English divorce courts is said to be one of the briefest on record. Sir Francis summed up the case as follows: "If the husband were the brute the wife says he is, she is well rid of him. If, on the other hand, he is the saint he makes himself out, he is far too good for any woman. Consider your verdict, gentlemen." Mild by Comparison. Vodka has been restored to respectability in Russia, but we doubt whether it will have the least effect on a population that has indulged in Lenine and Trotsky for the last few years,?New York Tribune. She?"John, I found mice in the pantry this afternoon." He?"Well, what do you want me ? -1 1 jiOM to ao auouL it: She?"Couldn't you bring home that kitty from the club I heard you talking about in your sleep?"?Boston Transcript. Sister Superior. "Daddy," said Tommy Jenkins, "this book says that Orpheus vras such a fine musician that he made trees and stones move.*' ? i r\^ "Your sister Dorethv can Deat uipheus any day," grumbled the proud parent. "Her piano playing has made twenty families move out of these flats in the last iwo montii3." Lady Poynter, wife of a wellknown English architect, has decided to start in business as a house decorator. Delaware has a woman driver of fire apparatus. She is Mrs. Walter E. Reed, of Elsmere. j The Inez Hat Shoppe BAMBERG'S NEWEST ENTERPRISE I Is just open with its Exclusive 1 Fashionable line of Up-to-date Sty- I | lish Millinery. Trimmed Hats and I Sport Hats of all shapes and styles I to please the most fastidious tastes, and at prices which will also please. COME, SEE FOR YOURSELF, AND BE CONVINCED. Your Call Will Be Appreciated. The Only Exclusive Millinery Parlor in Bamberg County. THE INEZ HAT SHOPPE MRS. L. P. McMILLAN, Proprietress 130 S. Main St. Cash Only Bamberg, S. C. I At iiiuui d uuyci 01UUU1 m Hand Selected Eggs I 1 Dozen A fit* I in Carton * I 1/ Certo I For Making Jellies and Jams I I Price & McMillan I I MEATS AND GROCERIES I I BUY AT MOSELEY'S I r""~" II am just back from New York and a our lines are about complete, with the best lines, best selection in years. We m are positive of our position in the if business world, I have faith and have m I bought liberally along all lines and I have the Goods in Store ready for you today. mm BuyCotton Goods Today?Don't Wait I TAKE THIS TIP FROM ME. |B i IB Ready-to-wear Department is filling up each day. || I have bought, I think, the prettiest line of Coats la -- T t-v T c-iin-nm Thpv seem to be H I ana JLTtJssfs ? iicivc cvci ouvm^. the best items this year. Coat Suits will, of course, || sell well too. Pretty Waists and Blouses are at if popular prices.' IMOSELEY'sl |S ORANGEBURG, S. 0. PHONE 500. H t , 'Ze