The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1914-01-28
REASONS WHY FOR
NUMEROUS PARDONS
Governor Submits Annual Pardon
Book to the Legislature Giving Rea-
sons for Leniency I'm Many Cases,

oVho iOI LeHlcHCS Ill MHHy SuScS,
Columbia, Jan. 22.-Why Gov. Cole
l.. Blease granted pardons, paroles
and combinations of sentence to hun
dreds Of convicts last year is set
forth IN a message transmitted to the
legislature. 1t is printed in book
Of 333 pages. Since assuming office,
three years ago, Governor Bleasc has
extended clcmency in 9S2 cases.
The striking feature of the report
is the bold manner in which he OK
presses his opinion Of negroes. He
speaks Of them as "on the order of
lower animals"
"The negro race" he asserts, has
absolutely no standard of morality.
They are, in that respect, class by
themselves, as marital infdelity seems
to be their most favorite pastime."
The governor remarks, in reporting
that he has paroled j. E. Murray, a
negro bgamist: "If every negro in
this state that is guilty of bigamy or
marital infidelity is brought up and
convicted, labor will be much scarcer
than 1t is and many acres that are
now cultivated will be idle"
Time and again in reporting the
liberation OF white men convicted Of
criminal assaults on negro women,
Governor Blcasc declares the charge
is ridiculous that such a crime can
not be committed on negro woman.
He expressed in very plain language
the belief that pure negro woman
is an unhead of prodigy.
"Did Exactly Right
In reporting that he had granted
with much pleasure" free and full
pardons to three white men convicted
Of assault and battery on two negroes
Governor Blease states that the blacks
had been engaging In dirty and SLAM
derous talk land a party Of white gen
tlemcn took these two negroes to the
woods and gave them what they de-
scrved-a genuine, lfirst-class whip
ping" These white gentlemen" tho
governor says, did exactly right"
In telling Of parole granted to
Sam Gaslin, p negro convicted Of
manslaughter, Governor Blcase says:
This negro, being engaged to negro
girl, called to sec her, and in fooling
with pistol 1t went off and killed
her. 1t seems to have been very
sad accident; however, after a second
thought, possibly 1t was for the good
OF humanity; for had they married
no doubt they would have brought
forth more negroes to the future det-
riment Of the state
Commenting on his action in COM
muting the sentence Of Stake Morris,
negro murderer, from death to life
Imprisonment, the governor says:
This defendant was convicted OF
against electrocuting or hanging one
negro for killing another; because, if
a man had two fine mules running
lopse in lot and one went mad and
kicked and killed the other, he GER
tainly would not take his gun and
shoot the other mule but would take
that mule and work 1t; therefore, be-
lieve that when one negro kills an
other he should be put in the peniten-
tiary and made to work for the state.
Notwithstanding the contemptuous
NJ urhf nj, jo "a
negroes as a class, Governor Blease,
in the message expressed compassion
for individual negroes who, he says,
have been III treated in the peniten-
tiary and frequently gives rs n reason
for liberating black cbhvicts that they
are white mems negroes"
Snys Negro Was Tortured.
IN telling Of a parole granted to
Eimeon ELLIS, negro murderer, Gov
ernor Blease submits letters to the
effect that the negro was cruelty tor
tured by the penitentiary authorities
for speaking to the governor one day
without the guards permission. Ellis,
it Is said, was sentenced to the stocks,
given 46 lasheB and tortured for more
than half hour with a strong clec=
trio battery. Ills screams and cries
and pitcous appeals for mercy" the
report says, could be heard all over
the penltentiary grounds"
Numerous other eases Of alleged