The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1911-08-15

il one Of you, whether you be my poll
teal friend or not, believe that Cole.
Blease would insult woman without
cause or provocation, 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
mature of remarks to the effect that
he ought to know the people of New
berry did not believe any such thing,
and expressions of confidence IN the
governor. Governor Blease said:
"My friends, thank you; God knows
I do.'' That charge, he said, had
hurt him when none Of the others
could, 'because," he said, IT had as
good mother as any boy ever had, and
1 had as good step-mother as God ever
gave to family of children, and
whenever I stoop so low or get so
cowardly as to insult a woman I hope
God will paralyze my tongue"
Negro Secret Societies.
In congratulating the Red Men up
on the fact that there we're no negro
lodges Of the order, the governor said:
"And, my friends, in this connection
a great many of you belong to the
farming class me to call your
attention to matter that deserves
your serious thought, and that is the
organization of secret lodges among
the negroes, Vf South Carolina. I
have in my possession the positive
proof that there are nan and his
wife living in a distant State who are
organizing throughout the Southern
States among the colored people a
secret society which claims to pay
benefits in cases Of sickness, in cases
of death and in cases Of distress, but,
mark you, before a negro can become
a. member Of that society he has got
to sign an oath that he will not work
but eight hours a day, he has got to
sign an oath that he will obey the
mandates Of his superior officers, and
he is being taught in those societies
that he is the equal Of the white man
along social lines. Now, my friends,
I have made this statement before and
have been. criticised for it. and they
have charged me with being unfriend-
~ to the negro. But I tell you, you
white people, you may sleep If you
please, in your quiet beds; you may
rest, if you please, quietly at home,
and when you ask the watchman
upon the watch tower, What of the
night? he may answer that all is
quiet; but I tell you that it is not all
quiet in South Carolina. Why? Be-
canse, my friends, so long as you can
get white women and so long as you
can get white men TO 60 into the
school houses Of this country and
teach negroes and associate with them
side by side, so long you will have,
along the lien Of Your secret orders
among that class Of people, trouble,
and it will become serious. Not long
since in passing by an institution IN
South Carolina a very handsome white
woman-no slouch, no piece Of 1gnor-
ance, no bundle Of humanity couched
in dirt, but a. handsome, Intelligent
woman-was walking across the cam
pus of that negro school with one
arm around a negro boy and another
around a negro girl. That happened
the city Of Columbia- teaching to
them that they are your equals, teach
ing to them that they have right to
stand upon the face Of this Carolina of
ours in social equality with the white
people. And when l call attention to
that 7 am told that I am stirring up
strife, and that am one who is light
ing the negro race. call it to your
attention, my fellow-citizels s, not only
of Newberry but Of all the c>unties OF
South Carolina, and tell you t. watch
what you are doing. expect II rec
ommend at the next session OF -our
legislature the passage of an act pHo-
hibiting any one to teach in the schools
of this State who has not recelVes. a
certificate from the State superinte nd-
ent Of education and the governor "
Pardons Granted.
Governor Blease in speaking of the
work Of the Red Men in the interests
of suffering humanity, spoke at some
little length of his pardon record
saying:
nfT