The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-07-01
BLEASE WRITES TOLBERT
ABOUT STATE POLITICS
Charleston American.

South Carolina for the loaves and
fishes. In letter to Hon. J. w. Toll
bert he expresses his amaZement at
Mr.. McLaurin's boldness in making
the Republican party believe that he
can lead any one in the Palmetto
state.
A local reader has furnished US with
copy Of ex-Gov. Blease's letter to
Mr.. Toloert. As it is not without
news value we beg to publish it in
full:
Columbia, S. c., May 2lst, 1921.
Hon. j. w. Tolbert, St. James Hotel,
Washington, D. c.
Dear Sir: Yours of May 18th, ask
ing for certain information received.
| will answer you frankly.
AS to C.. c.. Campioell of Columbia,
S. c., the common remark / hear
around here, and have heard parties
make from other parts of the state is:
Some people in South Carolina may
want to go to new party, but they
are not going in as followers Of
Campbell, who is Yankee; for you
remember that it was the northern
renegades and scalaWags who took
the nigger and used him that gave US
all of our troubles from 1865 to
1876" Therefore, you will see that
his leadership will not 60 far in South
Carolina.
AS to J. l.. McLaurin, presume it
is unnecessary for me to make any
remarks. His record in the senate
of the United States, the Archbold
letters, his attempted deal of 1912,
his complete breakdown as candi-
date for governor in this state re-
Gently, and his general political rec
ord, are as we'll known to the people
in Washington as they are to the peo-
ole Of South Carolina. 1t would DE
absolutely impossible for him to
build up any following in this state
of any considerable proportions.
If the patronage of this state should
be given to Campbell or McLaurin,
they could not build up a corporal's
guard, that would go outside of the
Democratic primaries, where they
would be deprived of voting for their
county officers as we'll as their United
States senators and congressman and
their state officers, to follow those
people into the Republican party.
Consequently, as far as have been
able to learn, very little credence is
given to the Campbell-McLaurin talk :;
in fact it is looked upon as a joke by
those who have any influence and who
know that these men cannot break in
to the Democratic ranks.
| certainly can state that you have
been lifelong Republican; that you
have gone through strenuous times
and that your life has often been at
stake, and that through it all you
have been.tried and true and if, after
all these years of service and devotion
to your party, the Republicans would
now kick you out, can hardly think
that they would have much of an op-
portunity to get anyone here to fol-
low them, because the people here
would realize that no matter how de-
voted the service they might render,
their labors would not be appreciated.
| can hardly see how, after thorough
investigation, it could be possible for
you to be turned down as the leader
of the Republican party in this state,
and as for the forming of new par
ty with Campbell or McLaurin or
both, such talk is a myth, farce and
plain damned foolishness.
You are at liberty to read this let
ter to whom you please, or publish it
if you wish as presume everybody
knows that | speak what | think re-
gardless of consequences. | have
written you freely as you requested
me to do. am a Democrat; not a
Wilson so-called Democrat but JEFF
fersonian Democrat, who rejoiced at
Harding's election and the downfall
of Idealism, which gave us nothing
but fresh-made graves, widows, or
phans and billions of dollars taxes,
under the guise of liberty We have
less liberty now than we have ever
had and fewer privileges as result
of Wilson and his henchmen.
If you see my friend, jim Davis,
secretary of labor, give him my love,
and tell him that if Cole Blease can
do anything for him, to ''holler" and
he will hear an answer.