The Sentinel=record., 1912-12-06
SOUTH CARoLlNA'S oBSTREPER- GUS GOVERNOR CREATES FU-
 BORE IN CONVENTION.
DEFENDS LAW OF MOB AGAIN
"To H. With the Constitution" Says Blease, and Many Ladies Rise and Leave the HaIl-Governor Gill
 christ Reproves Him.

Richmond, Va, Dec 5.-Fully half of the 50 women in attendance at the conference of governors this after noon hurriedly departed from the meeting when Governor Cole L.. Blease. for the second time defend ing the policy of lynching negroes guilty of criminal assault, shouted, ITO hell with the contsitution."
 Governor Blease's declaration was made in response to question asked by Governoi Joseph N. Carey, of Wy know if the South Carolina executive had taken an oath to uphold the con stitution and laws of his state, and if these laws did not protecs negroes as well as whites.
 T will answer that question" re piled Governor Blease. When the constitution steps between me and the defense of the virtue of white women of my state, l will resign my commis- sion, tear it tip and throw it to the breezes. As 1 have said before, to hell with the constitution.
 When several women present arose and left the hall, Governor Blease ceased speaking. Among the women who made their exit were the wives and daughters of several governors at tending the conference.
 Governor Albert w Gilchrist of Florida took exception to Governor Blease's remarks. Rising 10 his feet, he declared:
 "The first thing that indicates a manly man or womanly woman is Ithoughtful consideration for other people
 His remarks were greeted with cheers from the audience
 Referring to the lynch law doe. Urine, Governor Jofa F. Shafro1h said one mob can do more injury to SO ciety than 20 @urderers, because lynching permeasFs the entire com munity and produces anarchy The influence Of mob rule is most repre- hensible. When laws are made. it should be the duty of the governor to enforce hem, whether he approves or not. When the law prescribes hang ing for an offense and a man is found guilty he should be hanged whether waite or black, and there is no ex- cuse for mob laws I conceive it to be our duty as governors to declare for law and order"
 Duing the afternoon session papers were read by Governors Tasker l.. Oddie, of Nevada, and James P. flaw ley, of Idaho on uniformity of divorce laws. This subject was under discus sion when Governor Blease spoke. Afser defending the law of South Car olina, where no divorce is permitted, he proceeded to discuss the race 9roh- lem and declared that the inferior race always is swept away by the su- perior race. Governor Blease also again defended his pardon record.
 Governor w. w Kitchin, of North Carolina, announced there had not been a lynching in that state in six years, and expressed the belief that there should be convictions in prac- tically every case where there is a lynching.
 Governor Mann, of Virginia, stated that he would call out every militia man in the state, if necessary. to pro- tect man under arrest and give him a fair trial.
 Movements for the improvement of rural life and the upbuilding of ag-  riculture were discussed by Cover nors Adolph o. Eberhart of Mime. sota; Herbert s. Hadley, of Missouri. W. H. Mann. of Virginia Governor George W. Donaghey, of Arkansas, and Joseph M. Brown, of Georgia. Divorce law problems were also con. |sidered by Governors Joseph NJ. Car ey, of Wyoming, and Simcn E. Bald win. of Connecticut.
 Miss Mary Johnston. the novelist, addressed the conference on equal suffrage.
 It was announced that Ambassador Myron T Herrick will be one of the speakers tomorrow cn the subject of rural credits. He will personally rep resent President Taft.