Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1912-12-11
WIVES AND GOVERNORS FLEE
When Governor Blease Begins to
Shout Profanity.

hurriedly left the hall when Cover
nor Cole l.. Blease, Of South Caro-
lima, for the second time defending
his doctrine Of lynching negroes
guilty OF criminal assault, without
trial, shouted his platform, "To hell
with the constitution"
Question Angcrcd Bleasc.
This sentiment was in response to
a question hurled at him by Cover
nor Joseph N. Carey, Of Wyoming,
who desired to know If Governor
Blease had not taken an oath to up
hold the constitution and laws OF his
State, and if these laws did not pro-
tect colored men as we'll as white
men.
81 will answer that question:" re-
piled the South Carolinian. "And |
hope the newspaper men will get it
right. for in my campaign in South
Carolina they found that am
fighter-and cold-blooded fighter"
he added, grinding the words be-
tween his teeth. when the consti-
tuition steps between me and the de-
Tense Of the virtue Of the white wo-
men Of my State, will resign my
commission and tear it up and throw
1t to the breeze. l have heretofore
said, TO hell with the constitution
When Women Fled Blease Subsidcd.
At this point fully twenty-five wo-
| Nf
ters Of Governors, lett the hall. See
ing this, Governor Blease subsided.
| Governor Albert w. Gilchrist, Of
Florida, instantly uttered a stinging
rebuke. "The first thing" he said,
that indicates a manly man or
| womanly woman is thoughtful con-
sideration for other people" He was
cheered.
The greatest applause Of the ses-
sion had previously greeted Cover
nor Carey's question.
| Later Governor John r. Shaforth,
Of Colorado, referred to the lynch
law doctrine.
"One mob can do more injury to
society" he said than twenty mur-
derers, because a lynching permeates
the entire community and produces
anarchy. The influence Of mob rule
is most reprehensible. When laws
are made it should be the duty Of
Governor to enforce them, whether
he approves Of them or not. When
the law prescribes hanging for an
offense, and man Is found guilty,
black, and there is no excuse for
mob laws. | conceive it to be our
duty as Governors to declare for law
and order"
Blcase Brings Up Race Problem.
| Papers read by Governor Tasker
l.. Oddie, Of Nevada, and James II.
Hawley, Of Idaho, on uniformity in
laws governing divorce were under
consideration when Governor Blease
| spoke. He defended the position Of
South Carolina, where no divorce is
permitted in any cause. He pro-
ceeded to discuss the race problem,
and said that when an inferior race
gets in the way OF a superior race
the former is swept from the face Of
the earth. lie reverted again to his
pardon record, boasting that he had
| pardoned and paroled more negroes
than all the other Governors Of his
State combined since ,S76.
Announcing that there has not
been lynching in North Carolina
| in six years, Governor w. w. Kitchin
said the sentiment for standing by
the laws daily gains strength. He
believed there should be convictions
in nearly every case where there is
a lynching.
Governor Mann, Of Virginia, added
that he would call out every soldier
in the State if necessary to protect a
man under arrest and give him a
fair trial.
RcprOvcd by the Governors.
Richmond, Dec. GA sweeping
| resolution repudiating the remarks
OF Governor Blease, Of South Caro-
lima, in support Of lynch law was
adopted at the Governors Confer
cnce Friday by vote Of II to f.
Blease, in defending himself, snap
ped his fingers in the faces Of the
other Governors and declared that
he cared not what the conference did
or left undone.
-Four times this morning has my
life been threatened for the utter
anccs," said Bleasc. 81 was quoted