The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-09-06
THE PLATFORM OF
MIR. COLE. |. B!EASE
ECONOMICAL ADMINISTRATION OF
GOVERNMENT AND EDUCATION
These the Main Issues.-His Position.
On Various Questions as State At
Opening Campaign Meeting
at Sumter.

Mr.. Chairman, Ladies and Gentle
men, South Carolinians:
Two years ago, when I appeared
before you as a 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 ago I represented Newberry
county in the State senate. At the
close of that year voluntarily retired
from that position, and last December
I was elected mayor Of the city OF
Newberry, where I was born and
where I have lived all my life. So it is
with pleasure that I can today repeat
the boast which I made in the last
campaign, viz, that the people Of my
home town and county have never re-
fused to elect me to any Office that I
have asked them for. have been town
attorney and am now mayor, and have
represented the county in the house OF
representatives and in the State SEN
ate. I have been elected to nearly
every State convention since 1890,
when began my service in the house
of representatives, and am now serv-
| ing my fourteenth year on the State
Democratic executive committee. In
the race for governor two years ago I
received majority Of the votes in the
town Of Newberry and in the county OF
Newberry, and in the surrounding
counties Of Laurens, Saluda and Un-
ion, and in that section Of Lexington
adjacent to my home county. Where
the people know me best received.
my largest vote, and Of that am
proud. AS to my success in my pro-
fession, 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.
I have served the State as speaker
pro tenn. of the house, and as presi-
dent pro TEN. of the senate, as presi-
Dental elector twice, and as a MEM
Der of the State board of canvassers
for four years, and beg to refer you
! to those with whom have served and
those whom I have served as to the
manner in which I filled these posi-
tions and discharged the duties there
Of.
We are told today that conditions in
South Carolina demand a sound and
economical, but not penurious, busi-
ness administration, and it is true.
The financial question is the greatest
issue which confronts our people. And
who was it that first called attention
to our financial condition? Blease
did it on the floor Of the senate, and
worked for a more economical govern
ment, and begged the senators to re-
duce appropriations, not to create use
less Offices and to stop burdening the
people with taxation. In 1906 and
1908 I went on the stump all over this
State and begged the people to pay
more attention to their. financial af-
fairs, and did all in my power to make
the financial condition Of our State the
principal issue in both those cam
paigns. But the politicians and GER
tain newspapers wanted to keep con-
cealed the true conditions, so they
hollered liquor, liquor and hid the
facts, as far as possible, from the vot-
ers. Now, since they can not keep
these conditions hid any longer, some
of them are yelling, "Let liquor alone,
and let's have business campaign"
All right, that is what have been
trying to get for years-a more econo-
mical form of government.
Two years ago I exposed the inmi-
grafton law so completely that the
legislature was forced to repeal the
act and abolish the immigration bu-
reau. Had it not been for my fight
that abomination would still be with
US.
I fought for the inspection Of our
mills as to health and as to working
children under the prohibited age and
not within the legal hours, and the
legislature has made provision for
this.
! I fought the effort which was made
to keep thousands Of our white peo-
pie from voting in the primary, and