The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-08-12
DLEASE FOR SECOND TERM.
SAYS HE WILL MAKE RACE IN
HIS RECORD.
Governor, Besides Announcing Plans.
Criticises State Colleges and At
tacks Attorney General.

chester. Aug. s.-The picnic at
Feasterville today. under the auspices
or the Literary club, drew 1900 peo.
pie from Fairfield, Chester and Union
! counties and MANY from Columbia.
The features Of the day was the
speech of Gov. Blease, who was the
invited guest Of the occasion.
Gov. Blease criticised the work Of
the State colleges, advocated lynch
ing for one crime, ard took occasion
to announce that he will run on his
record for another term as governor.
w. c. Clayton presided over the
! meeting and introduced the governor.
The governor complimentej the COM
munity on the opening Of the club.
Touching on education, the speaker
mentioned the higher State institu-
tions OF learning, saying their support
was becoming a burden, owing to
what he called extravagant appro.
priations by the legislature, and
stated that they were favored at the
expense Of the rural schools. He
compared them to the UNCONVENTIONAL
colleges. He declared that the de-
nominational colleges were furnishing
the judges and the men in high office
in the State.
! He said he was not opposed to the
State colleges, but was in favor Of
more money being given to the rural
schools. He stated that he had not
gone through college himself, but
, that after he had fought the world.
the flesh and the devil for 20 years
| the people had honored him with the
| office of governor. He cited this as
/ an example to show that it was not
/ necessary for boy to have a college
| education TO succeed.
Touching on his pardon record, the
, governor said he had no apologies to
make for the clemency he had exer-
J cised. Referring to the paroling Of
Otis Hilton the white rncp fronspS
Chester. who was sent to the peni-
| tentiary for life for killing a negro:
he said that he had affidavits from
men whose word he did not doubt
! concerning the facts in the case, and
[ that both from these and from the
testimony he did not hesitate to
! parole Hilton, and he would ALWAYS
dc the same where a white man is in
volved with a negro. He declared his
business was to take care of the
White people; that he was not an
enemy to the negro, but that the
negro must stay in his place. Turn
| ing to lynching, he said he favored
| lynching negro whenever he COM
J mitted the nameless crime against a
white woman, and that if this was
| standing for lynch law he stood for
: it.
He denounced the hosiery mill in
the State penitentiary, calling it the
tuberculosis factory" He said mis-
enemies were saying he was opposed
to Yankees" because the promoters
| cf the hosiery mill were Northern
rlen. He said he was not opposed TO
Yankees, but was trying to rid the
State Of this tuberculosis factory"
and relieve the poor wretches from
their position.
| The governor referred to j. Fraser
| Lyon, attorney general, saying that IL
| Lyon wasn't wanting to be governor
himself he would have stood with
Blease in his fight against the hosiery
mill.
| Let him run for governor him
self and l will give him political tu-
herculosis," said Gov. Blease. After
| this Gov. Blease announced that he
would be a candidate for reelection
to the office of governor; that he ex-
tpected to run on his record, and that
if he could not be elected on this he
would be satisfied.
! boN. bleaSe spoke more than an
hour. and he reiterated many of his
previously stated sentiments.
The governor came to Shelton this
morning from Columbia and returned
| in the afternoon.
\ big dinner was served on the
grounds.
]. Fraser Lyon, attorney genera,
Wheh informed last night what the
governor had said at Foasterville
said that he hid ~. ...