The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-08-20

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tory won and with every backset re-
newing his resolution
In their freshman years of the poll
tical course Mr.. Blease was the friend
and advocate of Mr.. Jones, supporting
him first for associate and afterward
for chief justice.
Ira B. Jones has had since he laid
aside the rod of the schoolmaster, a
palace car ride through life. Defeat
has never delayed his upward rise or
brought care to his brain or heart.
As speaker of the house of represen-
tatives, as a power in the constltu-
tional convention, as an oracle on the
supreme court bench, where he was
so long and so respectfully addressed
as his honor and his decisions were
accepted as completely final, he, as
was natural, accumulated wealth of
self appreciation beyond all ordinary
human contemplation. When his am
bition and sense of duty as he saw it
came in conflict with those. of the
present governor the friendship that
had existed ceased and a chasm Great
ed that only long time can bridge.
That Governor Blease has as su-
preme confidence in his wisdom as
Judge Jones holds in his has been evil
denced through his administration by
his differences with other State Off
cials, by the vetoes with which he has
opposed legislative action and by the
reversals of the findings of the circuit
courts in the hundreds of cases in
which convicts have been pardoned or
paroled and the faith he reposes in the
excellence of his supporters.
While Governor Blease was fighting.
his way to the front and up the scaling
ladder against old traditions, neither
asking nor giving quarter, Judge Jones
was a student, an expounder, an apos-
tie of the law, a disciple of prece-
dent, prophet of the coming of anar
chy as the ultimatum of the course and
convictions Of Governor Please if un-
checked. So the scholar felt called to
lay off the gown of Judge and enter
the political ring for fight to the fin
ish with his former friend.
The conflict to date has had no pa
rallel in American political warfare,
so far as our reading and remembrance
recall. Governor Blease has demon
strated himself to be a politician of
+ranscendent ability as an organizing
strategist, an antagonist as adroit in
making feints as skillful in presenting
facts. He sees men with X-ray eyes
and is as quick as lightning to detect
weak or missing or unguarded link in
the armor of an adversary's argument
and as merciless as the irate Jove of
the ancients in hurling a hot thunder
bolt of words in defiance of assertion
or unfriendly suggestion He is an
artist in the magnifying of little things
and a master in the avoidance of per-
plexities. Few, if any, such figures
have trod the American stage. What
a resourceful partisan leader he would
have made in colonial wars! He
fights in sympathy with the world
standard that all is fair in love and
war and politics, that nothing succeeds
like success and that the end justifes
the means.
There have been changes in cam
paign methods and morals since Judge
Jones was candidate for the house
of representatives. Whether this ed
ucative progress has been for the bet
terment of the party and the people is
Qut0IIOl On WHICH OpiAlOHS Will u11-
fer. We express none, but it Is an ex-
listing fact that has been to the disad
vantage of Judge Jones. Knowing
the tactics and training of score of
years ago he has entered the ring to
combat with one who has been in con-
stant training. The poise of the court
room has not appealed to the spirit of
the younger times. Like pugilist
long retired he has returned and that
he has maintained himself as we'll as
he has done is creditable to his cour-
age. Like a commander in new and
unmapped region he has advanced his
attacks and made his defences on fields
of his antagonists choosing His
scouts have not always brought him
tho boc+ in form tio, oo6 bic oidoc