New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-06
They Leave Governors Confer.
enCe as South CaroIlnlan
Shouts ITO He'll with
the Constitution"
REPROVED BY COLLEAGUES
Other Chief Executives De.
nounce Lynching and Mob
Rule and Declare Law and
Order Must Always
Be Enforced.

Richmond. Va, Dec 5.-Aany women
| in attendance on the governors con-
ference to-day hurriedly left the nail
when Governor Cole L. Blease OF
South Carolina, for the second time de-
Tending his doctrine of lynching
negroes guilty of criminal assault,
shouted: ITO hell with the const!tu-
tion,"
This sentiment was in response TO a
question by Governor Joseph y. Carey
of Wyoming, who asked If Governor
hold the constitution and laws Of his
state, and if these laws did not protect
negroes as we'll as white men.
II will answer that question: replied
the South Carolinian, "and / hope the
newspaper men will get it right for in
my campaign in South Carolina they
found that I am a fighter, and cold
blooded fighter. When the constitution
steps between me and the defence Of
the virtue of the white women of M!
state. will resign my commission and
tear it up and throw 1t 10 the breezes.
I have heretofore said: To hell with
the constitution
When women, some Of them wives
and daughters Of governors, left the
hall. on hearing this. Governor Blease
subsided.
Governor Albert ". Gllchrist Of
Florida. who answered Governor
Blease, declared, "the first thing that
! woman is thoughtful consideration FOR
other people"
Mob Worse Than Murder.
Governor John f. Shafroth OF Colo.
RADIO referred TO the lynch law doctrine,
saying:
One mob can do more injury 20 society
than twenty murders. because a lynchng
permeates the entire community and pro-
dnces anarchy. The inhuenee OF mon rule
is most reprehenslble. When laws are
made II should be the duty OF Governor
TO enforce them. whether he approves
them or not. When the law prescribes
hanging for an offence, and man IN
found guilty, he should be hung whether
white or black, and there Is no excuse
for mob law.
| conceive II to be our duty az Gov
ernors TO declare for law and order
Papers read by Governors Tasker l..
Oddie OF Nevada and James II. Hawley
OF Idaho on uniformity in laws govern
ing divorce were under consideration
when Governor Blease spoke. He de
Tended the position OF South Carolina,
where no divorce is permitted for any
| cause. and reverted again TO his pardon
record, boasting that he had pardoned
and paroled more negroes than all other
governors Of his state combined since
1916
Announcing that there had not been
lynching in North Carolina for six
years, Governor w. w. Kitchin OF that
state said the sentiment for standing
by the laws daily gained in strength.
He believed there should be convictions
in nearly every case when there was a
lynching.
Governor Mann OF Virginia declared
he would call out every soldier in the
state, IL necessary. to protect a man
under arrest and give him a fair trial
Dix in the Chair.
Governor Dix Of New York presided
at the conference. which began the
days session with a discussion Of the
income tax question. Governor II. f..
McGovern of Wisconsin declared the
Wisconsin income tax had succeeded as
strikingly as the old personal property
tax had failed in compelling persons Of
means TO pay their just share to the
support Of the state government. 1t
had succeeded, he said, because OF the
Wisconsin commission and the Wis
consin law. He attributed failure Of the
plan I'm other commonwealths to lax
administration.
The Wisconsin law, according to Gov
ernor McGovern. is SO drawn as to pre-
vent positively all efforts at evasion
either by corporations or individuals.
He said well known Wisconsin lawyer
spent two months in an attempt to find
some loophole In the statute that would
permit of evasion. and then admitted
that the law was "airtight."
Ex-Governor Augustus f. Wilson of
Kentucky criticised the proposed in
come tax amendment to the federal
Constitution as an encroachment on
states rights and a positive impair
ment of the vitality Of the several
states. At the same time, he had moth
ing but commendation for the state in
come tax, which, he declared. is the
hest fairest and oldest Of all taxes, If
collected for home use in the locality
where other contributors live and know
something OF each others circum-
stances
Would Cut State Revenues.
Nr Wilson declared that the ratifi-
cation of the income tax amendment
to the federal Constitution would
..hinder. if not exclude, all state gov
ernments from raising any revenues by
income tax, and add to the federal gov
ernment taxing power this new and
vast revenue producing tax. which is
now an unquestionable right OF the
states" He added
see no difficulty in starting another