two would endorse each other. However, Tillman betrayed this promise several days before the election by releasing a letter denigrating Bleasism. Post-governorship and pre-Senate political life Failed campaigns for the Senate In 1914, before Blease's tenure as governor was over, Blease was so confident that he would be elected to the U.S. Senate if he ran that he visited the Senate chambers in Washington to choose his desk. However, after numerous blunders including his speech at the 1912 National Governors' Conference in Richmond, Virginia, Blease's popularity had waned and the incumbent, Senator Ellison D. Smith was able to secure re-election by 15,000 votes. In a show of spite for progressive governor-elect Richard Irvine Manning III, Blease resigned five days before the end of his second term on January 14, 1915, so that he did not have to attend Manning's inauguration. Lieutenant Governor Charles Aurelius Smith succeeded to the governorship and performed ceremonial functions during his five days in office. After leaving office, Blease moved his criminal law practice from Newberry to Columbia and continued railing against his political enemies. He occupied his time giving speeches in rural towns and discussing his use of the governor's parole power in national forums. Further, he spoke out against Governor Manning's policies regarding prohibition (Blease popularly said he would not enforce the dispensary laws in the wet cities, Charleston and Columbia) and Manning's newly created administrative agencies which he called useless. In 1917, Blease denounced America's entry into World War I. However, he recanted this position the following year. Nonetheless, his statements came back to haunt him when he ran for the 1918 Democratic nomination for the Senate after Tillman died. President Wilson declared that Blease was no friend of the administration, and former allies of Blease failed to endorse him, both occurrences led to Blease losing the race. Post-World War I Following his loss in 1918, Blease was inactive politically for the next three years. But as the political climate turned more reactionary after 1919, when the state and nation suffered with postwar economic adjustments, Blease's popularity rebounded. Blease did not run for any public office in 1920. However, Blease threw his hat in the ring once again in 1922 when he ran for governor. Blease failed to capture a majority of the votes and lost to Thomas Gordon McLeod in the run-off by over 15,000 votes. In virtually all of his campaigns,