Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-12-07
Gov. of South Carolina
Makes No Hit in Insult to
Constitution; Conference
Urges Uniform Laws.
CAROLINIAN MADE
sCORCHING SPEECH
Declared He Wouldn't Call
Out Militia to Save Black
Criminal and Pictured
Himself as Protector.

Richmond, Va, Dec. GA sweeping
resolution repudiating the remarks o.
Governor Blease of South Carolina ir
support of lynch law was adopted BY
the governors conference today by 8
vote Of IA to 4. Governor Blease, de
Tending himself, snapped his fingers In
the faces Of the other governors and
declared that he cared not one whit
what the conference did or left un
done.
-Four times this morning has my
life been threatened for my utter
ances," declared Governor Blease. ~
was quoted yesterday as saying 'tc
hell with the constitution say now
to all the governors Of all the states
and to all the people Of the United
States what I said then" -
The conference hall was thrown
into an uproar.
Governors Of Alabama, Wyoming
Missouri, New York, Maryland and
Wisconsin, denounced the South Caro-
linian in strong terms for his utter
ances. Governors Of North Carolina
Arkansas, Connecticut and Idaho
voted against the resolution.
I The Resolution Adopted.
The resolution adopted was intro
duced by Gov. Mann OF Virginia. as ar
amendment to one offered by Gov
O'Neil of Alabama. 1t reads as fol
lows: ~
Resolved, that 1t is the sentiment
Of the governors conference In ses
sion at Richmond, Va, today that the
whole power of the several states
should be used whenever necessary to
protect persons accused of crimes on
womanhood, against the violence OF
mobs, and to provide for speedy, or
derby and impartial trials by courts OF
competent jurisdiction to the end that
the laws for the protection Of life and
property be duly enforced and re.
spected by all the people"
Says Life Was Threatened.
IT hold in my hand" said Gov.
Blease, when he rose to defend him
self, "the fourth letter threatening nv
life that I have received today It
was handed me Just now by some one
did not know and 1t was addressed
me In care Of the governor Of Vir-
ginia." ,.... ........
"I know nothing Of the letter SIR
retorted Gov Mann of Virginia. ~
never heard Of it before; I did not re-
ceive it; know nothing Of its con-
tents" ... ..
'sIt does not matter" continued Gov.
Blease. ~ Ispeak nobody's opinion but
my own, The newspaper headlines
have misrepresented me. When I smoke
about the marriage OF Jack
Johnson in Chicago did not saw he
would be lynched in South Carolina.
I did say that the law Of nv state for
bade the marriage and I did say that
I did not know, if the marriage had
been performed in South Carolina.
the law protecting him would
have been possible Of enforcement or
not.
"Now, what want to say to you is
this:
Is Sure OF His Future.
"I done care one whit whether you
adopt this resolution or not" Blease
asserted. "You may expel me for all
I care. On the 21st day of next Janu-
ary will begin my second term as gov
ernor. On the fourth of March. 1915
If God spares me will be sworn in as
a member Of the United States SEN
ate. I snap nv fingers at your reso-
luton for all the resolutions and all
the motions you may act on will not
avail to keep me out.
"Long after MANY Of you gentlemen
here today are resting in the shades Of
private life I will be reaping the re-
wards of public service. Long after
you good governors are no longer gov
ernors, the white women Of South
Carolina will pray for me with their
arms around their girls, and will arise
from their knees to kiss their hus-
bands and beg them to go to the ballot
box and vote for Blease to protect
them from their daily terror"
Would Not Protect Brute.
"when said never would order out
the militia to protect the black brute
who laid his desecrating hands upon
\ white woman. I spoke the truth I
say 1t now again. That is my position,
gentlemen, and if you don't agree
with me- in the words Of the great
Go to it,"
The four governors who voted
against the resolution declared en-
phatically that thew. opposed mob vio-
[ence. They voted in the negativ they
said, because they thought they would
Continued on Pare s