The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1912-10-02
TEDDY And BLEASE.
ROOSEVELT TELEGRAMS START
MUCH idle TALK
ABOUT A union PARTY


row Wilson and Present Politica
Rupture Said to Be tho Open OPP
portunity Accepted by the "Bul
Moose" to Break into Carolina.
Some very sensational politica
dope is being Gent out from Aiken
One is that Col. Theodore Roosevelt
Bull Moose" nominee for the presi
dency, is very anxious to gain a foot
hold in South Carolina politics an6
that he intends, with the bold ef
frontery characteristic Of him at leas
to make the effort is reasonably evi
dent from the fact that a former
member of the colonel's circle Of &C
quaintances in New Yorh, but now
in Aiken, is in receipt Of teles IN
from Colonel Roosevelt wherein ..e
latter inquiries il there is any statute
Of limitation in this state regulating
the placing of an electoral ticket II
the field.
The significance of this fact Ia ron.
dered even more significant and col
ored BY the fact that this Is by nc
means the first telegram which DR.
Dunn has received in connection with
the matter. 1t appears, in fact, that
for the past several weeks there has
been no little correspondence carried
on, in a telegraphic way, between
Col. Roosevelt and his Aiken friend
in an effort to get a line on the out
look.
This inquiry Of the colonel's Is very
significant in view Of the present
chaotic condition of state politics, the
rupture growing out of the failure SC
far of the state executive committee
to declare Cole L. Blease the guber.
material nominee of the democratic
party. Immediately after the first
primary election, Tuesday, August
27, the attitude of the executive com
mittee gave rise to much specula-
tive conjecture as to whether the con-
dition would not afford Col. Roose-
velt the very opportunity for which
he sought to project his Bull Moose
party into this State.
And now Governor Blease and his
followers have not only issued the
statement that, If the executive com:
mittse does not declare him the nom
ines the entire force will "bolt" the
democratic party and run independ-
emily n the general election, but
have gone even further and formulat-
Cd and advertised ticket for every
state Office, which Governor Blease
heads, of course, and they declare
that this ticket will be placed in the
field for the general election, If the
committee persists In pursuing its
dllatory course. Col. Roosevelt has
been awaiting such an opportunity as
this. It has arisen, and, with keen
political perception, he has made
quick to grasp the opportunity by its
forelock.
This gives rise to the question as
to whether the Blease and Roosevelt
forces will line up together. 1t is a
matter Of common knowledge that
for no very clear reason Governor
B!ease experiences considerable dis
like for the democratic presidential
nominee, Woodrow Wilson, while, on
the other hand, a man of Colonel
Roosevelt's type appeals strongly to
the governor. During the past few
weeks the opinion has been frequent
ly ventured that Governor Blease is
such a personality as the coloDAl
would like to line up with, in the
event that he is afforded an opening
in South Caroliba.
Reducing the scale to q very large
degree Governor Blease might in a
sense be compared with Col. Roose-
velt. Both men are existing under
conditions very contemporary; both
ale open and brazen in their utter
ances and radica! in their policies.
hoth suffer the unending ridcule anG
exposition Of the nations newsps-
pers, yet both are, it must be ad.
mitted the idols of masses and a!e
accorded the "hero worship" of a
large class of people who would lion
ize and place them upon a pedestal
Of martyrdom and shout: Protector
Of the working mani"
All Of this has led many people t.
look for an affiliation Of the Blease
and Roosevelt forces. The question
Is will Blease give his consent to such
a coalition? Roosevelt desires it.;
will he be able to secure his enl?
II not, will the present rupture in
politics in this state Lead him to
rlace an electoral ticket in the field
anyway? These are the questions
that are asked at Aiken now, as a
result of knowledge of the Bull
Moose kilograms received, and opin-
len is about evenly divided on the
matter.
However, it is generally conceded
that under no conditions, could
Roosevelt do much in the State at
this time. 1t might, though, fore
shadow the dawning of new pol'tl-
cal era for the State, and might
eventually lead to the establishment
OF another party in South Carolina
after existing as it has under one par
ty for more than half a century. Bat