The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-06-09
Cooley BLAZE" is
ON THE STUMP
And South Carolina's Happy-Polit-
ical Foes In for Summer of
Denouncing


born Independent.
AS the boys up in the wooihat dis
rrict would put it, Coal Blaze's' hat
is in the ring, and all doubt about the
guoernatorial campaign being pink
tea affair in South Carolina this au-
tumn has passed As we write that
the Honorable Cole Livingston Blease
is again in the battle zcne, with
third term in the governorshp IS MS
goal. the mauve syringa lends its
fragrance to the zephrs of spring and
the ringing intonations Of the one
gsllus voters Of the commonwealth.
who are for Blease, first, last and all
the time.
The Blease boom came up with the
crocus, but it failed TO pass out with
the pussy willow. 1t hangs on like
high taxes and red mud in the Pied
mont section, because Mr.. Blease
known from the mountain tops OF
Dark Corners to the sands + the sea
at Charleston as 'the stormy petre
of politics." never yet has shown the
white feather. He is as fond Of 8
political battle as bulldog, and ne
never quits until his jaws are pried
or his friends succeed in carrying him
to higher channels.
When Mr.. Blease, then serving his
second term as governor, resigned
that office in 1915, he had the stage
set for him 70 step into the United
States senate, but it proved even fol
an expert politician and near-states-
man, as he was at that time, case
Of too many cooks spoilnig the broth.
And SO, instead of going to the SEN
ate, Mr.. Blease resumed the practice
OF law in Columbia. In matters Of
criminal jurisprudence, there are few
lawyers Of the capital city who know
the law as he knows it, and still few
er who can even approximately match
his wits at the bar when 1t comes to
wringing a verdict from q. jury.
Mr.. Blesse began his political ca
reer, as far as state estimation is.
concerned, in 1ss6swhen he became .
presidential3e1ector, But he had been
a membr Of the South Carolina house
of representatives,, and speaker, pro
tenn, of that body from Newberry
county, even before that campaign.
AS presidential elector, he sooa won
popularity on the stump. He has
been in office most Of the time since
he was licensed to practice law, ex-
cept during the last decade, having
been mayor of his city, representative
of his county and district in the South
Carolina house and senate, and twice
governor of the state. He is a candi-
date, /he says, now, not because It
will satisfy any personal ambition,
but because his friends insist on his
saving the state.
And when the picturesque lndivld-
ual whom the loyal Bleaseites refer to
as Coal Blaze, or just plain Cooley,
gets on the hustings, we are ready to
inform the six or eight aspiring gen
tlemen who also have their hats in the
gubernatorial ring, that they Will
know that they have been in a fight
when the smokescreen lifts next No
yember. For be it known that the
Honorable Cole Livingston Blease IS
the equal of the late Representative
(Private) John Allen of Mississippi,
when it comes to repartee, as witty as
the eminent Senator John Sharp Wll-
liams in political story telling and as
vindictive as Thomas Bracket Reed
ever was in debate.
With these splendid equipments on
the stump, coupled with the fact that
Nr. Bi6aSS kIOWS ttIS pViHlA>e<i iAt~SN-'
Of practically every public man in
South Carolina, he is well-nigh I'M
pregnable. And as he has announc-
ed that he will speak in every county
in the commonwealth before the pri-
maries close this year, the rank ana
file of the men voters are predicting
hot time in the old state this year
As far as the women voters are con-
cerned, there is an element Of doubt
but Mr.. Blease says he calculates to
get his share of that vote because ne
vss a consistent opponent Of woman
suffrage, but warm supporter of the
law when the majority put 1t across.
The strength of Blease, by long
odds the most talked-of man in South
Carolina, and the causes Of Blease-