The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1914-02-03
GOVERNOR REPLIES TO
SANATOR CHRISTENSEN
SENDS SPECIAL MESSAGE TO
THE STATE SENATE.
Senate Then Goes Into Executive SeS-
sion, Excluding the Public From
It's Hall.

Columbia, Feb. 2.-The Herald and
News has already published in full
the special message Of Governor
Blease in regard to white teachers and
white trustees for negro schools, and
the reply of Senator Niels Christen-
sen, of Beaufort, to this special mes
sage Of the governor.
On Thursday night, Governor Blease
sent the following special message to
the senate in answer to the remarks
of the senator from Beaufort:
Message No. II.
Gentlemen of the Senate:
notice from the journal that, in
rising to a question of personal priv
ilege, one Niels Christensen, styling
himself senator from the county Of
Beaufort, has seen fit to say that l
v-2:; once trustee of negro COLLEGE.
This is true. but when he says | was
a candidate for the job ,1e is mis-
taken. The facts are that some years
ago some friends of mine came to
lne and stated that on account of the
fact tlat,I was opposed to white peo-
pes mohey being used to educate
/ egroes, they wanted me to go on the
oard Of trustees of the State Colored
college. After conversation with
t.c..I. finally agreed, fer the purpose
OF c2ile,y Il IS IS 20 :l1;y;cc aED:opria-
tions for that institution. | went to
the board and found there as good
men as South Carolina has ever pro-
duced, and none WAC had been the
captain or son of the captain of
negro company in the Union army
who led charges with negro troops
against the white soldiers of the
Southern Confederacy.
That, however, in my opinion, is
quite different from being trustee Of
q private negro school. believe
practically every board Of white trus-
tees in tie State are also trustees Of
negro public schools, but l do not be-
leive that those TRUSTEES would for a
moment accept the trusteeship of a pri-
vate negro school. Nor do believe
they would give negroes as their ref
erences.
To day am ex-oficio chairman Of
the board of trustees of the negro col
lege of this State Every other gov
ernor has. been since that college was
established. Therefore. any man wno
would refuse 70 be ex-oficio trustee
of a negro college, would have to de-
cline to be governor of the State. But
this is quite different from being the
trustee of a private negro school and
giving negroes as references.
Very respectfully,
(Signed) Cole. L. Blease,
Governor.
Columbia, Jan. 20, 1914
Following the receipt of this mes
sage, the senate went into executive
session. The following report in re-
gard to the executive session is taken
from the News and Courier:
COLUMBIA, Jan. 29.-Behind locked
doors tonight the senate Of South Car
olina engaged in a heated debate on
whether or not to expunge from its
records a message from Governor
Blease on Senator Christensen and a
statement by the latter along with the
governors first message on the mat
ter, while the LOBBY of thu capitol was
full of visitors wondering what the
senate was doing and waiting to see
what the outcome might be.
"The situation tonight was the re-
suit of two messages sent to the SEN
ate by Governor Blease, in which,
among other statements, the governor
referred to Senator Christensen as
trustee of a negro school at Port
Royal, in Beaufort county. The state
ments were resented by Mr.. Christen-
sen and his friends, who construed the
governors message as an attempt TO
reflect upon the integrity of the sena-
tor from Beaufort.
"a motion to expunge the governors
message meeting with opposition,
friends Of the Beaufort senator re-
PEELED the insinuations against their
colleague and demanded that justice
be accorded him. While the discussion
ragged different motions were offered. a
resolution proposing the confidence Of