The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-02-04
SENATOR MAKES REPLY
CHRISTENSEN ANSWERS ATTACK
MADE BY GOVERNOR.
Defends His Position as Trustee of a
Negro School Saying That Many
White Men Act on Such Boards.

Senator Neils Christensen Of Beau
fort rising to question Of personal
privilege in the senate Thursday af-
ternoon replied to Governor Blease's
special message as to the Beaufort
county negro school, Of which Sena-
tor Christensen is trustee. Senator
Christensen pointed out that Gov
ernor Blease was a trustee for some
years of the negro college "for which
he was a candidate before the legis-
lature which elected him"
Mr.. Christensen said in part:
"The propriety of my conduct as a
citizen is called in question by Gov.
ernor Blease in a special message to
the legislature. This because Of the
fact that I am trustee Of the Port
Royal Agricultural school and because
Booker T. Washington is named on a
letter head of the school as refer
ence. The said message also insiA-
yates by questions and phraseology
that whites may be teaching negroes
that social equality may be taught.
and that the school may De State
institution.
1.-THE facts could have been easily
entertained by the governor from The
same source through which he Sc
cured the partial information used in
this message. Briefly stated. they are
as follows:
"The Port Royal Agricultural
school is a private school for negroes
and uses no public funds. The four
trustees are white. The letter head in
question was printed and for the ne
gro principal at his order and for his
use and so far as I know it is not used
by any one else. The principal is a
graduate Of Tuskeegee and it is but
natural that he should refer to the
principal of that school as one who
knows him. All the teachers OF the
Port Royal school are negroes.
Nearly every school district in this
state has negro schools in It and each
of the white public school trustees Of
this district is trustee Of negro
schools. Governor Blease hmself was
for some years a trustee Of a negro
college for which position ne was a
candidate in 1902 before the legisla-
ture which elected him. So there is
no objection to white man acting
as a trustee to negro school. The
only question is the kind of school he
is in charge Of.
"The attempt by the governor to
discredit me and others through this
trusteeship is just such one as was
made in Beaufort county 10 years ago
when I was first elected to the State
senate"
Behind locked doors on Thursday
night the South Carolina Senate en-
gagged in a heated debate on whether
or not to expunge from its records the
message from Governor Blease on
Senator Christensen and the state
mert by the latter along with
the Governors first message on the
matter, while the lobby of the Cap
itol was full Of visitors wondering
what the Senate was doing and wait
ing to see what the outcome might
be.
The situation was the result OF
two messages sent to the Senate by
Governor Blease, in which, among
other statements, the Governor re-
ferred to Senator Christensen as a
trustee of a negro school at Port Roy
al, in Beaufort County. The state
ments were resented by Mr.. Christen-
sen and his friends, who construed
the Governors message as an at
tempt to reflect upon the integrity
of the Senator from Beaufort.
A motion to expunge the Govern
or's message meeting with oposition,
friends of the Beaufort Senator re-
PEELED the insinuations against their
colleague and demanded that justice
be accorded him. While the discus
sion ragged different motions were Of
fered. A resolution proposing the
confidence of the Senate in the integ-
rity Of the Beaufort Senator was
about to be introduced when COM
promise was agreed to, and a COM
mittee was appointed to consider
the messages and report what dispo-
sition should be made Of them.
A recess, after q session Of two
hours, was taken and the committee
came back, and again the doors OF the
Senate Chamber we're locked. The
committee asked for more time and
this was granted. and the matter
went over until a future meeting.
The Senate remained behind locked
doors until 1890 o'clock, and then
lifted the seal Of secrecy, and resum-
ed open session, finally adjourning.
AFTER THE STEEL TRUST.