The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1914-03-24
GOVERNOR BLEASE ON
COUNTY CAMPAIGN PLAN
WILL GO BEFORE THE PEOPLE
IRRESPECTIVE OF RULES.
Believes the Servants OF the People
Should Account to the People,
And Will Do SO.
Special to The Herald and News.

Columbia, March Ex-Governor
Blease, who has been out Of the city
for the past few days, was asked up
on his return if he has anything to
say in reference to the rumors in re-
gard to attempting to do away with
the county-to-county campaign. In
reply, Governor BleaSe said:
'4n the first place, l can not con-
ceiTe that this matter is being dis
cussed seriously, for hardly any man
with any good common sense, who is
a candidate for any Office, would en-
deavor to keep from going face to
face before the people of South Caro-
lima and discussing questions which
are of vital importance to them. The
man who would endeavor to keep
from going before the people would
be at once denounced as fearing to
face the people, and it would prove
disastrous to him and his cause.
Therefore, do not think that this
matter is being seriously considered,
but is merely newspaper rumor.
81 have made several county-to-
county State campaigns, and l think
some of them, at least, it will be ad-
mitted, have been just about as siren
uous, and under just about as warm
circumstances, and in just about as
not weather, as any other man has
ever undergone or ever will undergo,
and 1 have never seen one which was
any special hardship, and even if such
a campaign is some little hardship on
the candidates, it is certainly the only
way to reach the people, and the peo-
pie are not going to submit to its be-
ing abolished.
However, if those in control were
to be so foolish as to abolish it, that
would not interfere with my plans in
the least. L would simply arrange an
itinerary of my own, just as the State
executive committee does, and have it
published as paid advertising-as I
presume that would be the only way l
could get it in most Of the newspa-
pers. I would also forward it to my
campaign manager at each county
seat, and have him to announce that l
would be at his county seat on a GER
tain day to deliver an address, and
those who wanted to come to hear me
could come, just as they do now, un-
der the present rules, and those who
did not want to come could stay away,
just as they DO now under the pres
ent rules, and in this way l would go
to every county seat in South Caro-
lima this summer, on my own initia-
tive, regardless of wnat the State ex-
ecutive committee or anybody else
might do. And 1 would send a polite
invitation to each of the candidates
who might be in the race for United
States senator, and invite them to
meet me at the county seat of each
county on the day that I would be
present, and offer to divide time with
6hem in the discussion Of the issues.
OF course, if they declined-which I
have no idea they would do would
simply go on, anyway, and deliver my
speech. I propose to go before the
people and tell them what have done,
and why 1 have done it, and no crowd
OF political ringsters can keep me
away from the people
What do you think Of the rumor
that there will be an attempt to form
separate party if your friends should
control the clubs or a majority Of the
clubs throughout the State?' Cover
nor Blease was asked.
''Of course" Governor Blease re-
piled, 81 pay absolutely no attention
to that. I have heard, and I got it
pretty straight, that some people
have advised some other people to go
to their club meetings in April, and
if they found that the Blease men had
3 majority, to Withdraw and form a
separate club and elect separate set
of delegates to the county convention
and that they have been further ad-
vised, when she county convention
meets, if they fad that the Blease
neo have control Of Sh he county ooO-
ventior, to hold 3 separate county
convention, or through the machinery
that they now have in their hands to