Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-08-15
Mistellansous 8eadins,
BLEASE TO HOME FOLKS.
Governor Makes Speech to Friends In
Newberry.

Newberry.
Newberry, Aug. 11.-Gov. Blease's
first public address to the people of his
home county since his Inauguration
was delivered at a Red Mans rally al
Youngs Grove, near Prosperity, today
which was attended by more than two
thousand people. Governor Blease was
enthusiastically received, and made one
Iof the best addresses which he has
ever delivered in this county. He spoke
on the principles Of Redmanship," but
he branched off once or twice to dis
cuss matters connected with his ad-
ministration and personal attacks
which had been made upon him.
Near the close Of his address he said
that he felt he ought, before the people
of his home. who knew him, to refer to
the Belton incident-the accusation
that he had insulted a woman. Il shall
say nothing about her." he said. "She
may be as pure and spotless as an an
gel. but the man or the woman who
was present on that occasion and
heard what took place and tells the
truth, will tell you that did not insult
her" He said he wanted to tell the
good women present, many of whom
had known him since his boyhood days
that he had said nothing on earth to
hurt her feelings or to offend her.
"Why they concocted that scheme" he
said, "is plain to my enemies and will
be understood by my friends. They
have fought me with every kind OF
abuse, vituperation and SANDER, and
could not beat me, and they went to
that extreme to which all dirty, un-
scrupulous hounds like them will go,
thinking, now we will strike him with
a woman, we will bring him into con-
troversy with a woman" Continuing
he said: Ladies, those Of you who
have known me all their lives, If there
is one of you in that crowd that be-
lieves I would insult a woman without
cause or without provocation, / will
thank you from the bottom of my
heart if you will stand up or raise your
lhand" There being no standing up or
lifting of hands on the part of the la
dies, he said: Men, you who have
known me all my life, if one Of you,
whether you be my political friend or
not, believes that Cole Blease would
insult a woman without cause or pro-
vocation, be man enough to hold up
your hand, If you please want you
to do it If you believe that" The only
response was in the nature Of remarks
to the effect that he ought to know the
people of Newberry did not believe any
such thing, and cheers. Governor
Blease said: My friends, 1 thank you;
God knows l do That charge, he
said, had hurt him when none Of the
others could, because" he said, Il had
as good mother as any boy ever had,
and 1 had as good a step-mother as
| God ever gave to family Of children,
and whenever stoop so low or get SO
| cowardly as to insult a woman 1 hope
| God will paralyze my tongue" d.
| Governor Blease defended his pardon
record, taking up several cases, and
going into details, and requesting his
hearers, if there were any other par
dons in regard to which they would
like to hear the reasons which actuat-
ed him, or any other matters connected
with his administration which they
would like to hear from him upon, to
ask him. He said he had spoken to
between thirty and thirty five thous-
and people this year-more than had
attended all the campaigns last sum-
mer-and he was trying to get among
the people and find out their wishes
and the policies which were for their
best interests.
In congratulating the Red Men upon
the fact that there were no negro
lodges of the order, he referred to Sc
cret lodges among the negroes, and
among other things said he had posi-
tive proof that there were a man and
his wife living in distant state trying
to perfect organizations throughout
southern states among the negroes
claiming the societies formed would
pay benefits in cases Of sickness or
death or distress. but before any negro
lcoud become a member of the society
he had to sign an oath that he would
not work but eight hours a day and
would ODey the mandates Oh superior
officers, and he was being taught that
he was the social equal Of the white
man. He said it was not true that he
was unfriendly to the negro, when the
NEGRO was in his place, but he wanted
to sound a word of warning. $50 long
as you can get white women and white
men to go into the school houses OF
this country and teach negroes and as
sociate with them side by side, so long
will these secret orders flourish among
that class, and so long will the white
people have trouble and it will become
serious" Not long since, he said, he
had passed by an institution in South
ICarolina and had seen a handsome
white woman walking across the cam
pus of a negro school with one arm
around a negro boy and another arm
around a negro girl. That happened
he said, in the city Of Columbia He
said he expected to recommend at the
next session of the legislature the pas
sage of an act prohibiting anyone ia
teach i'm the schools of this state who
has not received a certificate from the
state superintendent of education and
the governor
The greater portion of Governor
Bleases speech was along fraternal
lines, only the few diversions of a po-
llitcal nature being here given. He
was frequently interrupted by applause
land he said this afternoon that the
warm reception which he had receiv-
ed at the hands of the people of his
lnative county made his heart glad.
|