Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-02-13
WHITE TEACHERS OF NEGROES

WHITE TEACHERS OF NEGROES
Governor 6lsass Sends Senate Mes.
sage on the Subject.
Governor Blease on Tuesday after
transmitting the picture showing white
teachers at Benedict college. negro
institution located in Columbia, stand
ing up to be photographed with color.
ed people. The governor also called at.
tention in this message to one Of the
negro preachers whose picture is al
legged 20 be in the photograph and to
this mans lurid career as pastor Of a
colored church in the city Of Columbia.
II have been informed that one Of
the white men whose likeness appears
in the photograph has been playing
on the negro football team of this COL
lege." says the governor
II have been informed that the ne
gro boys dormitory Of this institution
has a white matron, whose likeness
appears In this photograph.
II have been informed that the ne
gro boys in this d6rmitory have the
pictures of white girls and Of white
women in their rooms
II have been informed that at a re-
ception or 'sociable,' as my informant
called it, given or held on the campus
Of this college recently, white women
teachers mingled on terms Of equality
with negro boys and negro members Of
the faculty. and ate refreshments at
the same tables.
II also beg to call your attention to
extracts from a letter which have re-
ceived from the town Of Beaufort:
1.-The president Of the board Of
trade Of Beaufort, Charles E. Danner.
handles the funds of the Matha school
q .gro), the white teachers Of which
attend negro churches with their negro
pupils. The secretary. George Water
house, Is the son Of a woman who
came here to teach and taught in Penn
school, on st. Helena island (negro
school, white teachers). It was at
Warehouses; request that Colonel
Thomas recommended the appoint
ment of Rosa B. Cooley as a trustee in
st. Helena township"
Il also beg to call your attention to
a quotation from another letter receiv-
ed from Beaufort, in which 1t is stated:
lone Miss Marion Harmon No. "a
Prospect avenue, Wollaston. Mass,
came to Beaufort to teach In this Ma
tina school, some week or two ago. She
came understanding she was to teach
white school, and didn't know that It
was a negro institution until she ar
rived at the school. She was forced to
stay in same house with negro teach
ers, as there are both negroes and
white teachers in this school, This wo-
man will gladly furnish you some val
liable information relative to true con-
ditions existing in this institution
THE purpose Of this message is to
call your attention to the serious con-
dition in this state at these negro in
stitutions where white people are
teaching, notice the press has made a
great hurrah, and some people have
had great deal to write and say
about the Fortner bill.
Knowing conditions as do, having
seen with my own eyes and having
heard with my own ears, and having
talked to people, I say to you gentle
men that the situation is a very seri-
GUS one. The matter Of few white
women teaching negroes in the City OF
Charleston may not be so bad, and
shall not express, in this communica-
ton, my opinion as to what think Of
any white woman who will teach ne
groes anywhere.
But the conditions in Charleston
are possibly quite different from what
they are in these schools where white
people are teaching negroes. sleeping
in the same rooms with negroes, eat
ing at the same tables with negroes,
going to the same churches with ne
groes, and associating with them gen.
erally-which Is teaching the negro to
look forward to social equality, and
which is putting in their hearts, as the
pictures Of these white women hang
ing in their rooms show, their desire to
come into closer contact with white
people.
THE preachers-some Of them-and.
the newspapers-some Of them-may
rant, but South Carolina is going to re-
gret the day when she allows these
conditions, and IL these conditions con-
tinue you will have more lynchings,
and more stigmas upon the fair name
Of our state.
81 appeal to you once again to pass
the Fortner bill. II Charleston Is so
terribly interested in her pet white
teachers who teach negroes. let
Charleston be exempted from the bill.
She seems to be exempted from all
other laws in this state, and l don't see
that it would do any harm to make her
an exception in this matter.
LAS governor, have sounded the
note of warning. I have done my part.
If you fail to do yours, you and you
alone are responsible. Some Of you
will not be in Office when the legisla-
ture convenes again, but 1t Is fact
that you have a heart and consci-
ence, and by not helping to relieve
these conditions the day may come
when you will regret 1t.
There are sections Of South Caro-
lima where things that are being per-
mitted in other sections would not be
allowed any longer than 1t would take
to blow a horn and congregate a few
people"
Cole L. Blease,
"Govarnor"