The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1910-07-09
BLEASE'S OPENING SPEECH

~ 49,
DELIVERED AT OPENING STATE
- CAMPAIGN AT SUMTER.
Hon. Cole L. Blease Clearly and Sue
cinctly States His Position on the
Issues.
Nj. Chairman, Ladies and Gen
tlemen, South Carolinians:
Two years ago. when I appeared
before you as candidate for the Of
fee OF governor. was introduced
to you as Senator Blease. This morn
ing your chairman introduced me as
Mayor Blease, of Newberry. Two
years@sgo 1 represented NeWberry
county in the State senate. Al the
close of that year I5voluntarlly re-
tired from that position and last
Decem Der I was elected mayor OF the
city. Of. Newberry, where. was born
and where l have, lived all my life.
So It is with pleasure that can to-
day repeat the boast which made
in the last campaign, viz, that the
people of my home town and coun-
ty have never refused to elect me to
T apy Office that l have asked them
for. have been town attorney and
Nd
the county in the house Of repre-
sentatives and in the State Senate.
] have been elected to nearly every
State convention since 1890, when /
began my service in the house OF
representatives, and am now serving
my fourteenth year on the State
Democratic executive committee. In
the race for governor two years ago
7 received majority Of the votes
in the town Of Newberry and In the
county Of Newberry, and in the SUR
rounding counties Of Laurens, Salu-
da and Union, and in that section or
Lexington adjacent to my home coun-
ty. Where the people, know me best
I received my largest vote, and or
that / am proud. AS to my success
in my profession. the records in the
Office Of the clerk Of the court at
Newberry will show that my name
appears as attorney in nearly all OF
the important criminal and civil
cases Of the county. have served
the State as speaker pro tenn. OF the
house, and as president pro TEN. OF
the senate as presidential elector
twice, and as member Of the State
board of canvassers for four years,
and I beg to refer you to those with
whom I have served and those whom
I, have served as to the manner. IN
which filled these positions and
discharged the duties thereof.
We are told today that conditions
in South Carolina demand sound
and economical, but not penurious,
business administration, and it is
true. The financial question is the
greatest issue which coneronts our
people. And who was it that first
called attention to our financial con-
dition? Blease did 1t on the floor IT
the senate, and worked for a more
economical government, and begged
the senators to reduce appropr1a-
lions, not to create useless offices
and to stop burdening the people with
taxation. In 1906 and 1908 1 went
on the stump all over this State and
begged the people to pay more at
tention to their financial affairs, and
did all in my power to make the
financial condition of our State the
principal issue in both those CAM
,Daigns. But the politicians and GER
tain newspapers wanted to keep con-
cealed the true conditions, so they
hoMered "liquor, liquor" and hid
the facts, as far as possible. from the
voters. Now, since they can not keep
these conditions hid any longer.
some Of them are yelling, LET IL
quor alone, and let's have business
campaign. Albright, that is what
] have been begging for, for year,
and am glad to see that the peo-
people have at last walked up to find
that I was right. and that they are
now demanding what I have been
trying to. get for years-a more econ
omical form of, government.
Two years ago i exposed the I'M
migration law so completely that the
legislature was forced to repeal the
act and abolish the immigration hl-
reau. Had it not been for my fighi
that abomination would still be with
lis.
fought for the inspection ci our
mills as to health and as to WorKins
children under the prohibited age
and not within the legal hours. and
the legislature has made provision
for this.
I fought for night school for CHI
dren who could not atten1 cay
schools. and succeeded in getting
law passed upon Irat subject.
fought the effort when vas
made to ,.eep thousands Of our walI:
people from voting in the l''.".arY.
and in the St':a convention Sue
ceeded in getting the committee to
report unfavorably upon the resolu-
ton, and on the floor Of the c0nven'
ton l again fought it. and the con-
vention refused to pass the rcsetn-
ton, and all white men in South
Carolina are yet free.
NV platform today is as follows:
|. An honest administration OF all
laws, fairly and impartially, To all
citizens alike.
2. Enforcing all laws upon all
subjects. and obedience to the constl-
tuition Of the United States and or
South Carolina.
3. Trial by jury for all persons