The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1914-07-31
THE ISSUE
Fountain Inn Tribune.

z Fountain Inn Tribune.
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Before the campaign started. II
was pretty generally understood that
the issue would be Bleaseism. To-
day 1t appears that Bleaseism-or at
least the individuality Of Blease-is
to play small part in the game.
Blcaseism, no matter how much
evil 1t has stood for in the minds of
its opponents, never has been any
thing more than personality.
People who are not accustomed to
analysis, and who suffer through
waited by any shrewd man who prom
ises them relief. They feel the un-
fairness of our economic system !;
they hold an unspoken grudge
against organized society; and any
man who will voice their complaints
or asserts his love for them may call
himself their master.
People of this class flocked blind
ly to the Blease standard. They
felt close kinship with Cooley"
They loved him and worshipped him
as savior who would redress all
their wrongs and bind up all their
wounds.
Blease hasn't made good
He promised them much. but gave
them nothing. And as conse-
quence many of these people are
coming to look on him as false
god. Vaguely dissatisfied at first.
they are now vaguely resentful-
and they are about ready to follow
another leader.
There are other people who once
supported Blease for no other reason
than that he appeared a martyr
an appearance he took pains to cul-
tivate Many sympathetic votes
were given to Blease two years ago.
But the people who sympathized
once have now become cynical. They
are beginning to think that Blease
may be a grand-stander, and they
are become very, very tired of the
one note the governor has played so
long-the note that implies love for
the poor man and hatred for the
negro.
Persons who have reason to favor
the pardoning of criminals, and per-
sons who want race-track gambling
protected, were for Blease at first
and are for him still. He is their
one hope, and they will remain true.
/ am convinced that Blease, as an
individual, has lost popularity, and
that Bleaseism has withered away
with the dimming Of the sun that
gave 1t life.
The sisue Of this campaign, as !
understand it today, will be educa-
t!eH. Ci:nksoaies is making mis- race
on that platform-that and law en-
focement.
II he wins it will not be a victory
for Clinkscales but a victory for civ.
ilization. 1t will mean that a major.
ity Of South Carolina citizens are
sound at the core; that they prefe,
wish ttze white children Of the pres.
ent generation to keep pace with the
negro children.
| No white man in South Caroline
but knows that negro children will
be educated, with or without COM
pulsory education. No white man
but knows that ono. yne negro sur
passes the white man in intellect he
will hold the balance of power In
every walk of life in South Carolina.
Many poor men are opposed to
education. That is one reason they
are poor. Their children will be
poor in their turn, unless they are
permitted to develop their minds
now.
Some illiterate men are rich; MANY
educated people are poor. But these
facts prove nothing, except the irony
of fate.
An army without rifles might be
filed with courage, and yet it would
assuredly be defeated. Native abil-
ity stands for much, but the success
es In this life are scored by men who
have the mental equipment.
When the poor man comes to see
these things clearly, he will trample
on the man who dares to oppose
compulsory education, for then he
will know that the superiority Of
the white race over the black rests
not on physical but mental grounds,
and that stagnant white race liv-
ing with progressive black race
must inevitably yield the reins.
Compulsory education must be the
issue In this campaign. The people
are tired of ''isms," they appear
weary OF personalities. I believe they
are ready to listen to reason.
No Doubt.
Louisville Courier-Journal.