Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1916-09-27
COLE l.. BLEAsE "ANALYzED."
Former CarOlinian Gives His Ideas
as to Blease's Popularity.
tLetter to the Editor of the New
York Times.)


One Of your yesterdays editorial
articles begins with the following
| questions: "Will some calm ANALYST
IN South Carolina. familiar with it's
political and social conditions, inter
| pret to wondering outlanders the
| Hon. Cole Livingston Bleasc, twice
Governor Of that State and last week
candidate iii the primaries for a
,, third terr,?"
am somewhat familiar with the
political and social conditions of
South Carolina, and | have decided
TO venture to qualify as "calm
Analyst and attempt to answer your
question.
1t is not surprising that those un-
acquainted either with Blease or with
the conditions in South Carolina
should wonder at the persistent and
widespread popularity Of such type
or politician. 1t was ncomprehensi-
BILE to me, though a native South Car
hold on the people lie obviously had;
but my return to the State three sum-
mers ago and my attendance, during
the summer just past, upon one of
the campaign meetings at which
Bleasc spoke, have thrown some light
upon the situation. am not at all
sure that my analysis is correct, but
! dope" it out this way:
BleaSe Is man Of very remarka-
bic ability in a very limited sense.
lie IS not statesman in any sense Of
the term; he wholly lacks the states
mans point of view, his own vision
being always blurred by partisan
narrowly partisan-considera
But, so far as his vision goes, it is ex-
traordinarily clear. He knows very
explicitly what he wants. he has
clearly definable idcas--all the more
easily defined because they emerge
from consideration Of only one
side OF the question: And this clar-
ltS or Ideas produces in the man
dogmatism and self-conceit which
have hitherto hardly deemed posi-
Die even In a politician. Even those
who are most bitterly opposed to
Blease's way of thinking feel the
weight Of his tremendous, his mag
niticent, dogmatism; and doubtless
many are affected by it; while the
voters who are not in the habit of
thinking for themselves are dazZled
by the clarity Of Blease's views and
assume they have been convinced
when. as a matter Of fact, they have
only been blinded. Among this class
OF voters Blease's omniscience is not
argued-it is admitted.
In the art OF certain tyne of cam
paignng Blease is past master. In
the use and abuse Of question-beg-
ging epithets-"poor mans friend"
cause Of the people," "inalienaDle
rights OF the individual" etc, in the
ability to place misconstruction
upon generally admitted facts and
draw false differences from them; in
the ability to make the worse appear
the better reason Blease surpasses
any man | have ever heard speak.
Certainly, in the campaign Just
closed there was no one to compare
with him in these respects. And
there are thousands Of voters, not
only in South Carolina, but in every
state in the Union, who are won by
such tricks, especially when they
are accompanied by the mes meric in
huence Of an overweening dogma
tism. With the gaping rustics
around, and with a man like Cole
Hlease on the speakers stand casting
his spell over them, making them be-
lieve and vigorously maintaining that
black is white. the onlooker who still
keeps his equilibrium is almost
tempted to doubt whether a democ-
racy can long endure the Test.
Blease is almost a genius at or
ganization Of political forces. BY his
extraordinary pardon record he has
bound to him certain class as with
hoops Of steel. His henchmen are
scattered over the State, and the
promise Of the spols OF victory spurs
them to work for their leader tooth
and nail. Particularly are the cot
ton mill districts solid for Blease. In
the home county Of Cooper. one Of
ho ii