The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-09-15
BLEAsE, OF sou,rm CAROLINA.

Tor Governor of that State. This Is
the third trial he has made for the
place-"one / love, two ! love to say,
the proudest moment of his lite and
one of the sorriest experiences in tie
life of the State. In spite OF the pow
erful opposition OF the Press. the an
tagonism of the Pulpit, the bitter re
sentiment of many. perhaps a ma
jorfty, of "the better people or the
State If, indeed 1t can claim to have
any better people," after Tuesdays
work at the polls, Blease won the
race by very substantial majority
We think it can be claimed that it,
was the vote of Charleston which gave
him the office, not that the people Of
Charleston preferred Blease TO Fea-
therstone, but that they took him as
the lesser of two evils, as more near
~ representing the Democratic idea
OF local self government But for the
whiskey bottle, in which sign South
Carolina has been doing business for
nearly seventeen years, Charleston
would probably have voted for Feather
stone rather than for Blease; but stand
ing for Statewide prohibition. in n
State which is already practically State
wide in its prohibition OF the sale OF
intoxicants, the Charlestoniahs en-
phasized their objection to the pro-
hibition movement, against the pro-
self-conscious advisers on the outside
and the daily thunderings of their
two daily newspapers. one In the
morning and one in the evening,
the morning paper being, as Lii
Sum Ling described it, the best
paper in the morning and the evening
paper the best paper in the evening.
Speaking of the part the papers
played in the campaign against
Blease. we were told on Monday by
The News and Courier that only three
newspapers in South Carolina have
yentured 10 endorse the candidacy of
Mr.. Biease," 'Ventured to endorse
was not an altogether happy express
sion; but the statement was true that
only three papers in the State sup
ported him, and they were weekly
papers of small circulation and sup
posedly little Influence. All the other
papers, daily, Sunday, morning and
afternoon, religious, occasional and
weekly to the number OF fifty or sixty,
or more. piled on him to such an 'ex-
tent that he could scarcely breathe.
and yet hesbeat them all, not by any
virtue of his own, but because he
seemed to be nearer right on the main
question than his opponent; Feather
stone standing for Statewide prohi-
bition, Blease. as nearly as we can
make 1t out, for local option.
Blease's nomination, which is equiva-
lent to election. will result in some EN-
barrassing SITUATIONS In South Caro-
lima. The ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF the
State. the Hon. c. a. Smith, is an out
and-out Prohibitionist, and he will be,
eN- ofticio, President OF the state SEN
ate. The Attorney General, the Hon
j. Fraser Lyon. has been pursuing the
whiskey grafters OF the old State
Dispensary system with remarkable
energy. and among them several b1
the clients of Mr.. Biease, who has been
elected Governor; for Blease is also a
lawyer and has been charged with
some rather shady transactions in
connection with the Dispensary loot
ers.
Blease's election will place him at
the head of all the State institutions
of higher education-the University,
the Citadel Academy. the College for
Women, Clemson College and the
State College for Colored ,peo-
pie at Orangeburg; that is to say, he
will be chairman eS-oficio of the gov
erning boards of these several insti-
tutions, and this relation is likely to
produce some strained conditions.
He has expressed himself at times in a
very pronounced way against the
higher education Of the negro, and
that does not promise well for the
negro college and for other efforts
that may be made for the education OF
! the negro. The most embarrassing
of his experiences, however, will be
his first meeting with the trustees Of
the University from which he was ex-
PEELED for the offense of plagiarism,
expelled, we have been Informed. by
the faculty, by the student body and
by the literary society.
How II will work out, no ono can
tell; hut, for the sake OF the State. II
As hoped that he viii make a good
and efficient Governor He has great
opportunity and we hope that he vii.
make the most of IT. AS a condition
precedent, II Is suggested that he try
10 change his looks as far as possible
This can be effected partly by change
OF dress. the abolition of the Jim
8swinger coat. which is too old for his
years and should not be worn by a
Inlan OF his size except on formal oc-'
5pasions. Then he should discard the
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