Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-11-03
GOVERNOR BLEASE AT MEMPHIS.
Commercial Appeal Surprised at Not
SEEING Wild Man.

In reporting the proceedings Of the
situation recently held in Memphis,
Tenn, the Commercial Appeal of that
city, one of the leading newspapers of
the United States, gives Governor
Blease of South Carolina, credit for
taking a leading part in the confer
ence, and pays very proper tribute
to him in connection with the part
which he has taken in endeavoring to
relieve the present financial crisis in
the south. 1t comments on the gov
ernor as follows:
Governor Blease urged immediate
action. Accounts from South Caro-
lima had led many of those present to
look for horns and hoofs when Gov
ernor BleaSe was announced. Instead
they saw a tall, we'll clad man of mid
die age, who while aggressive in ar
gument, yet made one of the cleareSt
and most forceful addresses of the
day"
Then follows a comprehensive sum-
mary of the governors remarks.
In another section of the same is
sue, appears the following:
Cole Blease, governor of South
Carolina, has been denounced so often
for so many things that most of the
members of the City Club who read
about him yesterday, began to try and
pick him out of the group which gath
cred in the corridors Of the Hotel
Chisca before the City Club luncheon.
They were looking for some one
who looked and acted like the man
they had read about. They were dis
appointed, for when Governor Blease
was introduced they saw a neatly
dressed, crisp-speaking man of mid
die age whose manner OF delivery
was distinctly impressive.
Governor Blease has had rows
with many people of his state. He
has spoken freely on many subjects.
Many of those in the room had read
of his refusal to allow his militia to
serve under the United States law, his
expressions of opinion on negro lynch
ing and his radical opinions on other
matters. They looked for this sort of
man.
But when Blease arose and began
to speak, those who looked for a
crude, rough sort of yokel. changed
their minds. His speech, while oc-
casionally faulty in English. yet was
a model of forceful, expressive Ian
guage. When he had concluded it
those who heard him realized that no
matter if Governor Blease is as bad
as his enemies paint him, he certainly
is not rough and not uneducated.
"Blease. however is a man whose
face never can be forgotten. He is
handsome; his jet black hair is brush
ed from his forehead, his eyes are
black. and are set beneath heavy
brows. and his moutache covers a
firm, fighting mouth which is backed
by a strong, heavy jaw. Blease Is
extremely neat in personal appearance
and wears long, black Prince Albert
coat. a slouch hat and black tie.
when he is speaking his voice, his
hands. his arms. all seem to radiate
energy, and when he becomes excit-
ed he shoots each word as though
from a gatling gun. But those who
know him say that always when he
talks he says something, and these
something's, these persons aver. are
the cause of his being at once the best
loved and the worst hated man in the
borders of old South Carolina.
''In short, Blease, no matter what
he may be, does not resemble the
Blease one has visioned from accounts
Of his action"