THE CONGRESS: Primary Season

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"People familiar with South Carolina say the State goes stark, staring, raving crazy about every thirty years. In 1801 it voted solidly and persistently for Aaron Burr for president. In 1830 it undertook to nullify the tariff laws of the United States and was called to order sternly by Andrew Jackson. In 1860-61 it first seceded and then fired on Fort Sumpter and forced the rest of us into a hopeless civil war. In 1891 it threw out of the United States Senate Wade Hampton, the greatest soldier it ever has produced, and the man whose magnificent and daring leadership delivered it from the horrors and oppressions of reconstruction, replacing him with a very ordinary politician.

"We rather hope the people will make their job complete by nominating and electing Cole Blease. . . .

"On the other hand, Blease, unless awed to silence and helplessness by the traditions and dignity of the Senate, would be a continuing scream, a clown without cleverness, the most perfect specimen of the cheapest kind of cross-roads orator, such as we see in the comic strips, the Senate ever has known —an endless delight to the humorous section of the press gallery. He would draw on the State abundantly the shame and ridicule it has earned justly."

President Wilson remarked that Governor Blease did not require "any extended comment or commendation."

Blease began his career at the State University. He won a gold medal in an oratorical contest in which he spoke on the life of Robert E. Lee. He was then charged with having plagiarized part of his remarks; and the gold medal was taken back. He was expelled from the scholarly precincts. But his friends gave him a gold watch-chain and elected him to the Legislature.

It was as Governor (1910-14) that he first got his great reputation. He pardoned convicted criminals by the score, 2,704 of them altogether. Finally, he resigned from office five days before the expiration of his term, in the midst of a political fracas. He bitterly opposed President Wilson and the War, although he changed his ground somewhat after War was declared.

At one time he was quoted as saying "To Hell with the Constitution" while defending the prohibition of 'divorce in South Carolina. He corrected this quotation: "Seventy-five thousand white men of my State indorsed it as I said it, and here is what I said: 'If the Constitution of my State causes my State to blush and allows her women to be forsaken, then I say to Hell with the Constitution.' We stand alone on this proposition and we are proud of it and we have no apology to make to any one."

Besides having been great in turning men out of prison, he has also been great at keeping them from getting in—a very successful criminal lawyer.

Ever since leaving the Governorship he has been trying to enter the Senate. In 1914 he lost the nomination to Senator Smith. In 1918 he lost it to Senator Dial; in 1920 to Senator Smith again. In 1924 he won. The Senate has another fire-eater to look forward to.

In Massachusetts, Frederick H. Gillett, Speaker of the House, 73, carried off the Republican nomination for Sen ator. He took it from three opponents by a good margin with the support of William M. Butler, Chairman of the Republican National Committee. Nine years ago, at 64, Mr. Gillett married. Five years ago, at 68, he was elected Speaker. He said then: "I have reached the