South Carolina gubernatorial election, 1910
Encyclopedia
The 1910 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1910 to select the governor
of the state of South Carolina
. Coleman Livingston Blease won the Democratic
primary and ran unopposed in the general election to become the 90th governor of South Carolina.
and his followers. Many of these poor farmers escaped the fields to the relative prosperity of a mill town. Coleman Livingston Blease, a lawyer from Newberry
, sought to portray himself as the candidate for the downtrodden and oppressed white man who had not benefited from the Tillman era. Blease and prohibitionist candidate, Claudius Cyprian Featherstone
, emerged as the front runners in the South Carolina Democratic Party
's primary
on August 30. Featherstone and his conservative allies attacked Blease for his coarse behavior, similar to A.C. Haskell
's attacks of Tillman in the gubernatorial election of 1890
, but once again the attacks only strengthened the candidacy of the antagonist. On September 13, Blease won by just over 5,000 votes in the runoff
to essentially become the next governor of South Carolina because there was no opposition in the general election.
without opposition. Being a non-presidential election and few contested races, turnout
was much less than the previous gubernatorial election
.
| colspan=5 |Democratic
hold
|-
Governor of South Carolina
The Governor of the State of South Carolina is the head of state for the State of South Carolina. Under the South Carolina Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the South Carolina executive branch. The Governor is the ex officio...
of the state of South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. Coleman Livingston Blease won the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
primary and ran unopposed in the general election to become the 90th governor of South Carolina.
Democratic primary
By 1910, the Tillmanites had split into two factions: the well-to-do farmers with ties to Clemson College and the tenant farmers who largely did not benefit from many of the proposals instituted by TillmanBenjamin Tillman
Benjamin Ryan Tillman was an American politician who served as the 84th Governor of South Carolina, from 1890 to 1894, and as a United States Senator, from 1895 until his death in office. Tillman's views were a matter of national controversy.Tillman was a member of the Democratic Party...
and his followers. Many of these poor farmers escaped the fields to the relative prosperity of a mill town. Coleman Livingston Blease, a lawyer from Newberry
Newberry, South Carolina
Newberry is a city in Newberry County, South Carolina, 43 miles west -northwest of Columbia. The charter was adopted in 1894. In 1890, 3,020 people lived in Newberry, South Carolina; in 1900, 4,607; in 1910, 5,028; and in 1940, 7,510. The population was 10,580 at the 2000 census. It is the county...
, sought to portray himself as the candidate for the downtrodden and oppressed white man who had not benefited from the Tillman era. Blease and prohibitionist candidate, Claudius Cyprian Featherstone
Claudius Cyprian Featherstone
Claudius Cyprian Featherstone was a lawyer and judge in South Carolina. He was born in Laurens County and educated at the Patrick Military Institute. Afterwards, he undertook the study of law in Anderson where he then practiced law for a year. Featherstone returned to Laurens and practiced law...
, emerged as the front runners in the South Carolina Democratic Party
South Carolina Democratic Party
The South Carolina Democratic Party is the South Carolina affiliate of the United States Democratic Party. The Democratic party thrived during the Second Party System between 1832 and the mid-1850s and was one of the causes of the collapse of the Whig Party....
's primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
on August 30. Featherstone and his conservative allies attacked Blease for his coarse behavior, similar to A.C. Haskell
Alexander Cheves Haskell
Alexander Cheves Haskell was a Colonel in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War and a Democratic politician in postbellum South Carolina.-Early life:...
's attacks of Tillman in the gubernatorial election of 1890
South Carolina gubernatorial election, 1890
The 1890 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 1890 to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Ben Tillman was nominated by the Democrats and easily won the general election against A.C...
, but once again the attacks only strengthened the candidacy of the antagonist. On September 13, Blease won by just over 5,000 votes in the runoff
Two-round system
The two-round system is a voting system used to elect a single winner where the voter casts a single vote for their chosen candidate...
to essentially become the next governor of South Carolina because there was no opposition in the general election.
| Democratic Primary | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic Primary Runoff | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Coleman Livingston Blease | 56,250 | 52.6 | +20.9 |
| Claudius Cyprian Featherstone Claudius Cyprian Featherstone Claudius Cyprian Featherstone was a lawyer and judge in South Carolina. He was born in Laurens County and educated at the Patrick Military Institute. Afterwards, he undertook the study of law in Anderson where he then practiced law for a year. Featherstone returned to Laurens and practiced law... |
50,605 | 47.4 | +18.9 |
General election
The general election was held on November 8, 1910 and Coleman Livingston Blease was elected the next governor of South CarolinaGovernor of South Carolina
The Governor of the State of South Carolina is the head of state for the State of South Carolina. Under the South Carolina Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the South Carolina executive branch. The Governor is the ex officio...
without opposition. Being a non-presidential election and few contested races, turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
was much less than the previous gubernatorial election
South Carolina gubernatorial election, 1908
The 1908 South Carolina gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1908 to select the governor of the state of South Carolina. Governor Martin Frederick Ansel faced state senator Coleman Livingston Blease in the Democratic primary and emerged victorious to win a second two-year term as...
.
| colspan=5 |Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
hold
|-
See also
- Governor of South CarolinaGovernor of South CarolinaThe Governor of the State of South Carolina is the head of state for the State of South Carolina. Under the South Carolina Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the South Carolina executive branch. The Governor is the ex officio...
- List of Governors of South Carolina
- South Carolina gubernatorial elections