The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-01-23
BLEASE TELLS WHY
HE PARD0NED 982
Gives Series of Reasons in Book
let Sent to Members Of
LEGISLATURE.
CALLS NEGROES ANIMALS
"Purc Colorpd Woman an In
heard of Prodigy" South
Carolina Governor Says.
CALLS NEGROES ANIMALS

COLUMBIA. $. C., Jan. 22.--Why Gov.
Cole l.. Blease granted pardons, paroles
and communications ot sentence TO hun
drcds of convicts last year is set forth in
a message transmitted t. the Legislature
to-day. 1t is a printed book OF 333 pages
Since assuming office three years ago
GOV Blease has extended clcmency in
49, cases
The striking feature OF tn" report is
the bold manner in which he expresses his
opinion Of negroes. He speaks oil them
as ION the order of lower animals
'The negro race" h. asserts. "has alb
soutcly no standard OF morality. They
are in that respect. - class by them
selves, as martial infidelty seems to be
their most favorite pastme."
The Governor remarks, in reporting
that he has paroed J. l.. Murray. a
negro bigamist IF every negro in this
State that Is guilty OF bgamy or marital
infdelity is brought up and convicted
labor will be much scarcer than il IN, and
many acres that are now cultivated vii
be idle"
Time and again In reporting the liberia
ton of white men convicted of criminal
assaults on negro women GOV. Blease
declares, the charge is ridiculous-that
such "A crime cannot bc committed on a
language the belief that a pure negro
woman is AN unheard Of prodigy.
In telling of u parole granted to Sam
Gaskins, a negro convicted of man
slaughter, Gov. Bieasr says: This negro,
being engaged to "a negro girl, called Ia
see her. and in fooling with pistol il
went on and killed her II seems To have
been a very sad accident: however, after
"A second thought possibly il was for the
good OF humanity, for had they married
no doubt they would have brought forth
more negroes to the future dctrment OF
the State"
Commenting on his action in commit
ing the sentence of stake Norris a negro
murderer, from death to life imprison-
ment, the Governor says:
This defendant was convicted of kill
ing another negro | am naturally against
| electrocuting or hanging one negro foi
| killing another, because If a man had tive
| fine mules running loose in lot and ON.
went mad and kicked and killed the other
| he certainly would not take his gun and
shoot the other mule, but would take tina,
mule and work il therefore, ! believe
that when one negro kills another he
| should he put in the penitentiary and
made to work for the state"
Notwithstanding the "ontemptuous at
titude which he assumes toward negroes
| AZ class Gov. Bloase In the MESSAGE eX-
| presses compassion for individual neSroes
who he says have been Ill treated in the
penitentiary and frequently gives AS a
| reason for liberating black convlcts that
| they are white mems negroes"
| In telling of parole granted to Simeon
Ellis, IA negro murderer. Gov. Blease sub
| mits letters Ia tn" effect that the negro
was cruelty tortured by the penitentary
| authorities for speaking to the Governor
| one day without the guards permission
| Ellis was sentenced to the stocks, giver
forty five lashes and tortured for more
than half an hour with "A strong electri,
| battery. His screams and cries and
piteous appeals for mercy" the report
says, could be heard all over the peni'
, Tertiary grounds"
one reason given for the paroiing OF j
| Allen Emmerson "A murderer. is that thu
| convicts sisters health has been broker
by the grief caused by his imprisonment
"Her life,' says the Governor, sis worti
more to her and her children and Il
| worth more to the citizenship and The
motherhood OF this country than the In
! generation Of her brother IL worth to thu
| State"