As far as we know, Coleman Blease (and someone came up with a website just for him!) the SC Governor and US Senator, known for his populism and his racism was NOT an Universalist.
(1868-1942) He was quite an interesting figure, but not one most folks would want to stick on their list of highly admired folks.
We did we wonder if he was an Universalist? Well some of the Bleases from Coleman were universalists.... and Coleman Blease was from Helena and Newberry SC, and tied in with other SC universalist families....
All the SC Bleases are descendants from Thomas Wainwright Blease who emigrated from England to South Carolina, and died in the late 1830s, leaving 7 children. Thomas' wife Bethany was converted and baptized by the Baptist minister Basil Manly in 1823 in Edgefield South Carolina.
Their son, Henry Horatio Blease was the father of Gov. Coleman Blease.
Another son, Thomas W Jr; was the father of Luther Blease
Luther's wife and their son were Universalist -
Dunno about Luther Blease himself.
So at this point we can say that Coleman Blease's cousin Luther's family were Universalist;
but there is no evidence that Coleman himself was.
... because, Coleman Blease may be a Methodist. Or at least somebody claims him for the Methodists.
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From The Demagoguery of Coleman Livingston Blease, unpublished master's thesis by Lynn Fuller York, Western Carolina University, 1976, page 76, "'I used to go to church once in a while' said Blease, who was a M\ethodist by birth, 'but I soon found out that all they preached about was Blease and prohibition, and I was for one and against the other, so I quit going.' On another occasion he said that he refused to enter the church 'because I know that there are hypocrites and scoundrels at the communion table who are a disgrace to God Almighty.'"
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