“B” is for Blease, Coleman Livingston (1868-1942)

“B” is for Blease, Coleman Livingston (1868-1942). Governor, U.S. senator. Born near Newberry, Blease obtained a law degree from Georgetown University and was admitted to the bar. In 1890 he was elected to represent Newberry County in the S.C. House of Representatives. In 1905 he was elected to the state senate. Blease ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1906 and 1908 but won the office in 1910 and was reelected in 1912. While critics considered him a demagogue, “Coley” became the champion of mill workers who had little use for progressive “do-gooders” or government regulators who intruded in their workplaces and homes. He was an obstructionist who blocked legislation that threatened the ability of mill workers to “manage their own affairs.” In 1924 Coleman Livingston Blease was elected to the U.S. Senate but lost a bid for re-election in 1932.