Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-08-08
WANTED: A LEADER.
He Is In the State; But Has Not Yet
Made Himself Known.

Il notice." says a correspondent,
that you have not suggested any one
who can beat Blease next year. Why
don't you?" Why don't we name a
south Carolinian who can make
great poet next year, or a great paint
Ell, or a great composer!
That there are in South Carolina
numbers of men who could defeat
Governor Blease for reelection who
that desires his defeat can doubt?
That the man who does defeat him
must come forward because he has
within him the qualities which make
for leadership and because he is urged
thereto by the promptings of patriot
ism must be apparent to every man
who has given the matter thought and
who has any acquaintance with MIS-
tory.
The leader of the sort that is need
ed in South Carolina today does not
assume his leadership because some
body invites him to do 50. He Is not
goaded into taking his place at the
head of the column nor Is he tugged
thither by his friends. He bursts his
way through the ranks, raises his bat
tie cry and rallies the people about
him because the people see that ne
knows what he wants and that ne
because he makes them believe that
what he wants they should want.
Governor Blease is leader, but he
does not lead in the right direction.
The man who takes his place must be
a leader also, but of different sort.
Governor Blease has his following,
the foundations Of which are vice and
ignorance and prejudice. His oppo-
nent must be able to gather around
him his following also, a Following
which must be grounded in decency,
enlightenment and tolerance. 10y,
We do not think that Governor
Blease will be reelected governor.
We are confident that he could not be
elected to the senate. But his defeat
for either position, assuming that ne
will be a candidate for either the one
or the other, is not to be taken Tor
granted.
A majority of the people Of South
Carolina want law and order. not
crime and it's condoning; highminded
patriotism, not cheap demagogy; In
telligent progress, not strife and tu-
multi: decency i'm high places, not un-
speakable vulgarity: but, unfortunate
ly, there appear to be many of whom
this cannot be said, and many others
who fail to see matters as they really
are, or who, consciously or uncon-
sciously, permit themselves to be
swayed by their prejudices from rem
dering just judgment.
Whether, therefore, Gov. Blease Is
today stronger or weaker than at the
time Of his inauguration, he may be
expected to enter campaign for re-
election with forces behind him the
size. the enthusiasm and the coheren-
i'm
with the methods of campaigning he
may be counted upon to pursue, to
run timorous or vacillating opponent
off the stump.
To be successful over Governor
Please, his opponent must be man
of courage as we'll as of character; a
man who cannot be cowed. He may
be "handshaker" or he may not. but
whether he is or whether he isn't, he
must be something more. He Will be
pitted against one of the most Skillful
campaign speakers South Carolina has
produced in recent years. Without al
lowing himself to be drawn into vulgar
pickering, he must be able to cope
with his opponent and that without
coming out second best-not that he
should be versed in the tricks of ora
tory. but that he should be able to i'm
nreCS those who come to hear him
with his earnestness and his sincerity,
with his ability to succeed and with
the importance to them that he should
succeed.
It is not uncommon to hear in South
Carolina during this "horrid night
mare" which is upon us the EXPIRES
sion. anybody to defeat Blease."
"Anybody" cannot defeat Governor
Please. 1t is not desirable that "any-
body" should do so. When his politr-
"al career is brought to a close 1t
ought to be by a man who will he
truly representative Of the patriotism,
he Intelligence. the decency Of South
Carolina. Who is the man? When
may we evpect him to assert himself?
The News and Courier