The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-06-28

dishonest man shall be put into tnal
office, and if you do not think | meas
ure up to your requirement, don't vote
for me. l say to you that if Blease's
ideals of government are correct, then
mine are not. I am, therefore. giving
YOU my criticism of his record that you
may decide which You want
AS to the suggestion tha. he favor
social equality because Of his vote on
the "Jim Crow" law in the earl? 9Gs,
Judge Jones said that any intimation
or suggestion to that e:fec.. was ma
liciously false.
why" said Judge Jones, zone of
the real purposes of the constitutional
convention was to safeguard white su-
premacy in this State, to protect the
white mans ballot and to prevent ne
gro domination, and you are indebted
to me as much as to any Of the lead
ers of that convention for that consti-
tuition which safeguarded your suf-
frage."
The speaker repeated his statement
that the separate coach law, as adopt
ed in the legislature in the COS, was
not only unconstitutional then, but
was Objectionable to the interstate
commerce commission and was impos-
sible of enforcement.
Blease's Pardon Record.
Particular attention was paid today
to the pardon record of the governor,
Judge Jones declaring that South Car
olina was near the precipice of de-
struction because of the immunity
from punishment resulting from in
discriminate use of the pardoning
power. The point was made that
Governor Blease, in dismissing the
board of pardons, arrogated to him
self absolute power which the consti-
tuition did not contemplate and, said
the speaker, South Carolina will not
stand for one-man rule,
eve will not put the criminal in the
saddle" shouted Judge Jones, eve are
going to put down the crooks and
criminals" This declaration called
forth tremendous applause.
The speaker said that there were
three phases of a situation to be con-
sidered in the use of the pardoning
power; not merely the cry of the
criminal and his family, but the means
and grief of the victims family and
the demands of the State and society
at large. The matter of granting a
pardon interested not only the COM
munity from which a criminal comes,
and where all the petitions from his
pardon are signed, according to Judge
Jones, but the State and the people
elsewhere have an interest in it. There
is an obligation to all the people in
this matter, said the speaker, and the
governor declares that he acts only
on the petitions for pardon.
"What does he do with the counter
petitions?" asked Judge Jones; "in the
Bazin case, from your own county, he
receives a petition for pardon; when
the solicitor learns that such a petit
tion is before your governor he wires
equesting that the matter he held in
abeyance until he can be heard from.
What does your governor do? Wire
back to Mr.. Wells that he may come on
if he wants to-, but that he had already
made up his mind to grant the pardon.
Governor Blease considered but one
| side of that case."
Everybody Signs 'Em.
Judge Jones declared that anybody
most would sign a petition, and that
the purpose of such a petition should
merely be to set in motion an investi-
cation of the case. To the contrary,
he said, Governor Blease makes up his
mind On one of the petitions with
out even hearing the other side at all.
"They say that Blease is the friend
of the poor man." said Judge Jones;
chat he protects the poor man. How
does he do it? Here is negro who
burns the barn of Senator D. NJ. Cros-
son, of Lexington, farmer, out in the
country, away from police protection.
The negro is convicted and sentenced
to serve twelve years in the peniten-
tiary; and yet, after five months in
io;1 Horar,or D7ooco f,,,.y,e, bi,,o 1aoco ;,