The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1916-02-02
WILL COOPER RUN
FOR G0yERNORPHIP?
Question Repeatedly Bobs
Up in Columbia
COOPER SILENT
ON THE SUBJECT
Although being Urged on Many Sides
to Enter the Race and Advised by
Others to Stay Out, He Gives no In
timatiOn Of What lie Intends 10 Do.

Others to Stay Out, He Gives no III
timation Of What lie Intends TO DO.
| The question Of whether Solicitor
Robert A. Cooper will run for Governor
this summer is again being agitated,
and no one will be able to decide that
question until Mr.. Cooper makes q
statement himself about the matter,
wrote w. f. Caldwell, the Columbia
correspondent, in the News and Cour-
icr Monday. This talk was heard from
last summer, but appeared to quiet
down. However, that it is again being
agitated is evidenced by the following,
which appeared in a recent issue of the
Anderson Daily Mail:
On returning from Columbia to-
! day Anderson citizens who had
spent some time around the halls
! of the General Assembly declare
that the Robert A. Cooper for
governor sentiment has come boldly
and strongly to the front again, and
| they firmly believe that the Laurens
solicitor will be in the race when the
| gong rings.
The Cooper sentiment is general
! throughout the State, according to
information that has radiatcd into
| Columbia from all sections, and it is
growing stronger. Great pressure Is
being brought to bear on him, and
there seems to be no doubt in the
minds Of many but that he will be O.
candidate this summer. The race will
| then be a three-cornered one, with
| Governor Manning asking reelection
and MIR. Blcase and Mr.. Cooper" de-
clarcd one Of the Columbia visitors.
Now since Mr.. McLaurin has been
reelected State warehouse commits
sioncr it is practically certain nc will
not make the race for governor. He
recently intimatcd that he would
run, should he be defeated for re-
election as commissioners"
There can be no doubt that there
is something in all this, but just how
much is largely a matter Of individual
opinion. Some OF those who are urg-
ing Mr.. Cooper to run for governor arc
sore" on Governor Manning and Still
others, according to all signs and Somo
additional information, and affiliated
With the BlcaSc faction, anG arc whiS-
Ipcrng this information into Mir. Coop
Cr'S ear, hoping to get him into tho
race TO SPLIT the Manning vote, and
I ,I,,,, ,,i,-
they figure that solid vote behind
| Governor Manning leaves absolutely
nothing but certain and swift defeat
for Mr.. Blcasc in race between he
and the governor alone.
or course, Mr.. Cooper is a Very pop
ular man, but it is significant that a
great many Of his real friends, those
who arc interested in Mr.. Coopcrs po-
Ililical future, and arc sincerely dcsir-
Gus that he do the right thing, are adj
vi8ing him moi 10 run. but 10 wait un-
Ill 1918, when he can win in q walk.
according to all the indications. They
don't want to sec bin slaughtered in
l9lG and they don't hcl'rvc that he
will yield to the Establishments of at
least some Of those urging him that
wish to crush Governor Manning and
care nothing for Mr.. Cooper.
Those who worked for the popular
and able solicitor in 1914 are against
him running this summer, for they be-
iieve the fight will be straight and
clear between Governor Manning and
his constructive policies on the one
hand and the opposition which is at
tempting to get behind Mr. Blease and
run him.
knowing from the bitter experience
, OF 1914 that house divided against
itself cannot stand, efforts are being
made by the opposition to divide the
Meaningless and at the same time to
avoid any split In their own ranks.
They are trying to get the Hon. w. A.
i Stuckey, Of Lee County, at least some
OF them are, to take second place on
the ticket with Mr.. Bleasc, but there
Is a large part OF the opposition who
think that Mr.. Stuckey should make
the race for Governor. He has said
himself that he will not run for Lieu.
tenant Governor, and pressure is being
brought to bear on him to make the
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