The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-08-12
Wednesday, Aug. IL. 1908.
The Race for Governor.

The candidates for the office Of Governor OF
the State, spoke in Abbevllle last Friday. =
Mr.. Ansel has been q friend TO this editor
and 10 tn Is newspaper for many years. Mr.
Ausel has made a Governor with whose
official career we have found no fault. He is
q gentleman without reproach and an officer
without giving Just cause for censure. We
AXE NJ stock in the various criticisms of the
official acts which his competitor, the Hon.
Cole L. Blease, has chosen TO make.
But Notwithstanding the ties Of friendship
that have bound US to Mr.. Ansel for all these
years, and Notwithstanding the purity and
the rectitude Of his whole life as a private
citizen, and Notwithstanding his blameless
official career as Governor of the great State
OF South Carolina. 1t requires an effort on our
part TO restrain US from voting for his com
petitor, whom We have never seen and tc
whom we have never spoken-as far as we
can 10 recall.
Until recently we have scarcely known the
name OF Cole L. LEASE, but the bark of Tray
Blanche and Sweetheart have made his
name familiar TO men In every part OF the
State.
And COLE l.. BLEASE IS A MAN. He Is
man before whom his defamers have moi
dared 10 make their accusations, or at least
as yet, they have not lone so. He challenges
his backbiters and defamers TO bring their
charges and they have not done 30.
1t 10 creditable and honorable In any man
to seek 10 become the Governor OF the State
of South Carolina, and that fact of itself fur
nishes no just cause for Ansel's friends or
his follow rs 10 fall upon Blease In their effort
TO d efs me or TO rend him..
Now. MIR. Ansel, has not, himself, engaged
in this unseemly warfare against his compe-
titor, nor has be, as far as we are informed, In
any OF his speeches, made offensive reference
TO Mr.. Blease. But he has allowed his friends
10 do this great thing. He has not protested.
And 1t has gone on SO long that men may
conclude that this unusual and this reprehen
sible course has met his approval or consent
Mr.. Artel needs 10 he saved from his friends
Their conduct in abusing a young man for no
gr eater cffense than that of seeking TO be-
come Governor Of the State offends the public
sen SO. while Blease's brave and manly course
Is Ger tainly drawing great multitudes to his
support. While we cannot believe that q
majority Of the people Of Abbeville county
has been aliepated from Antel, yet we have
heard statement IN the belief that Blease
will carry Abbeville county.
We would especially note the condnct Of
some persons and the combined effort OF the
Newberry preachers to ipjure the prospects
and TO discredit the ambition Of one Of the
ablest as well as one OF the most manly young
men in that county. When he confronted
them like a man, not one OF his accusers
would specify. One Of the preachers who did
not know Blease, and who had never spoken
TO him, voluntarily joined with the others to
make Injurious publication In the papers, as
to their feeling or their intention. OF course
when preachers get too good for anything on
'his earth, they are tit TO enter politics.
A more unusual thing than the effort Of
men to discredit men Of their own county
and their own peighbors, is seldom seen.
THAT byrd Us nat honest
That fylythe hys owne nest.".
Ofcourse. We would not attempt to make
pr edi ction as to TIE result Of the election.
We DO not know how a dozen men intend to
v ote, and therefore we cannot and would not
atte mpt to speak for q hundred thousand.
But II is certain ifAnsel is defeated, he will
owe the fact to indiscreet or over-zealous
friends, who have attacked Blease, instead Of
boosting the Governor.
Without knowing anything particularly
about Blease, we assume that the head and
front OF his offending lies in the fact that be
was born with an iron spoon in his mouth,
an d that he Is scarce Of kindred among the
would-be ruling class.