The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1914-07-10
/, MASTER p0LITiCiAN.

=.
GreenvilIe Piedmont
\ seIf-imposed disadvantage o. tie .
leaders + the opposition to Cole, L.
Blease is that very :ew Of them give
him credit for brains He carries (
under his striking pompadour some
hing more than appreciation Of sell. .
As a politician there IS not is equal
in the State and aas not been since I
John /. NJ Ir5y died. He has been .
heavily handicapped but has succeed /
ed beca&se. o. his genius for initia-
tive and organization. He brought ais I.
organization up to the pcint OF elect
ing him governor in 1910. The per-
fection of his organization was never
better shown than in the last two o.
three days Of that memorable cam |
paign when, without assistance from
the newspaper, he got information
to nearly all of his followers through
out the State, meeting and counter
acting a serious attack made on him
at the last minute Is there now or
he there ever been such an organiza-
ton among his opponents?
And, his initiative? That is cou-
pied with a remarkable political
boldness, though audacity would be
the better term. One of the shrewd- !
est moves he ever made in his whole
career was his successful candidacy
fer mayor of Newberry. The odds
were against his election to that Of
flee, because his strength had been
in the county ratler than in the city OF
Newberry. His closest friends and
lieutenants advised against his may
orally candidacy, saying he would be
defeated and that defeat would end
him as a factor in State politics, as
his 1910 gubernatcrial candidacy
would mark the high tide of his State
following if he failed Of election
that year, and that he could net hope
to succeed in the governors election
of 1910 if he entered the campaign
after having been defeated for may
or of Newberry.
Blease realized all this even better
than those who so advised for he has
broader political vision than any Of
his lieutenants, with the possible ex-
ception of F. H. Dominick. las a
man gambling might wager his last
dollar on the turn of a die, Dlease
deliberately risked his entire politi-
cal fortunes and future on MS can
didacy for the mayoralty Of New
berry.
Had he not become mayor of New
berry, he could never have become
governor of South Carolina, but his
election as mayor more than Offset
him governor of South Carolina-and
Blease believed it would do so when
he risked going into that election.
The answer Of his friends to his
critics was that be could not be the
kind of man they pictured aim, II
the city of Newberry elected him
mayor, after the county had made
{him representative and senator. That
election as mayor more than Offset
that card of tie Newberry preachers,
which had been so telligently used
against him in a prior gu'bernatorial
campaign.
Politics is a profession with Blease
and it is a profession he has master
ed. Is there another candidate in
either OF the two parties touring the
State this summer that is capable of
such far-sighted planning as that
(which carried Blease to the COVER
nor's Office through the mayoralty OF
Newberry? There is just one-and
Blease is thoroughly aware Of that
one. And that ones name is not
John c. Richards. And The Piedmont
predicts right now that that one will
get the support of the Bleaseites ip
such way as will not pompromise
or handicap him. And this paper
also predicts that though that one
is not now generally considered IN
the real running fer governor he
will either be elected or make the
other man in the second race do some