The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-08-24
BLEASE And COOPER
HAVE NOT TRADED
WILL RESPOND TO DEMANDS OF
FRIENDS AND RUN FOR GOV.
Makes This Statement in Letter to
Beard in Answer to Charge That
He and Cooper Have Traded.

Gov. Blease makes the positive state
ment that he will be a candidate for
governor in the campaign Of 1916. He
says the demands for him to do so
come from all parts Of the State and
that they are so strong he can not
afford to deny this demand from his
friends who have stood by him so
many times. Personally he Las no de-
sire to make the race or to be gov
ernor, because his ambition in that
line mas been satisfied by having
served two terms. But if it is the
opinion of his friends that it is his
duty to lead the people in TIE fight
which is to be made next year, he
can not give deaf ear to such a call
and ne will respond.
His statement is brought forth by an
article which Mr.. W. P. Beard pub
lished in tie Scimitar few issues
back, and the letter is to Mr.. Beard
in reply to the charge in that article
that there had been a deal between
Blease and Cooper. Gov. Blease leaves
little doubt as to his position in regard
to a supposed deal with Mr.. Cooper
and as to his attitude in tie campaign
next year.
If Mr.. Blease should enter the cam
paign next year it will not be dull
campaign, but there will be something
doing at every meeting. There seems
now to be no doubt that ne will enter
because his friends from all parts OF
the State are demanding that r. make
the campaign.
The following is the letter from Gov
Blease to Mr.. W. P. Beard:
Columbia, S. c., Aug. 2O,1915.
Mr.. W. P. Beard, Abbeville, S. C.
Dear Sir:
In your issue of August the 18th,
under the caption, "Have Blease and
Cooper Traded?" you state: There
is an understanding between Governor
Blease and R. A. Cooper to the effect
that if Cooper will run against Man
ming next year Blease will not, but
if Cooper don't run, Blease will
l desire to answer your question in
order tat you and your friends mas
have no misunderstanding in refer
ence to the matter. In the race for
governor last year Mr. Cooper on the
stand throughout the State would
preach law and order and peace and
harmony. On the railroad trains and
around the l2otels he would denounce
Blease and Bleaseism in more bitter
language than any other candidate for
governor on or off the stand Some OF
Mr.. Cooper's friends went among my
friends and told them that Cooper was
a Bleasite that Blease had helped MIN
to be elected solicitor and was sup
porting him for governor, and many
of my friends were led to vote for Mr.
Cooper from tat statement, as can
be easily verified, if it is necessary. /
do not charge Mr.. Cooper, personally
with his friends action, but I dc
charge his friends with carrying the
message and thereby gaining him
many votes from my friends, which ae
would not have otherwise gotten.
However, I think it due my friends
to state, since you have raised the
issue, that Mr.. Cooper has never been
political friend of mine and possibly
never will be; and 1 presume it en-
tirely unnecessary for me to add, that
under no conditions or circumstances
will l ever vote for any man who
fights me, nor will make any trade
with him. l will remain private cit
izen the balance of my life and die and
be forgotten by all Of my friends and
my family before I would trade with
any man politically, or with any fac
ton politically, and thereby prove
traitor to those who have stood by me
in my political fights and for whom
am still fighting. Some people have
been elected to Office by one set OF
men and after they got in Office be-
trayed their friends by selling out to
the other side, and today, while they