The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1916-10-12
NEGRO STUDENTS
HEAR c | blEASE,
SOME ALUMNI HAD OBJECTED
BECAUSE OF Mr. BLEASE'S LAM
GUAGE REGARDING NEGROES.

Cole L Blease was the chief speak
er yesterday at the opening eXer-
ciSes of Allen university, large ne
gro school in Columbia, despite the
protest of Tuesday morning by
alumni and former students, who
petitioned President Manse and the
faculty that the invitation be with
drawn, as it will greatly embarrass
our wives and daughters to have ex-
Gov Blease speak to them, since ne
has spoken so harshly in the courts
and on the stump against the virtues
of the negro women and the respect
ard decency of negroes in general. -
MIR Blease made no direct refer
ence in his speech to this petition,
but the Rev w D Chappelle, D D,
bishop of the African Methodist
Episcopal church in this State, who
introduced the Ex-Governor as the
strongest white man in the State Of
South Carolina" and one whose par
doning record had removed all sting
in things said on the stump" was
somewhat scathing in his denuncia-
ton of those who presumed to die
tate the policies of great church. !"
Who are they. anyway" Chappelle
asked. Then in answer to his own
query he remarked, They aren't
known outside of their own back
yard" The harsh things said on
the stump. the bishop observed,
were only to tickle the ears Of the
voters and thereby gain their sup
port.
Ten minutes were consumed by
Bishop Chappelle in his speech of
introduction. generously seasoned
with superlatives.
In asking the Ex-Governor, he had
sought, he said. to get the strongest
man in the State. He had gone
carefully over the records, careers
and deeds of all the Governors of
South Carolina. and Mr. Blease, he
said, easily held first rank. Several
pardon cases, where the former Gov
ernor by a single stroke of the pen
set that negro Free" were cited.
One of these was that of IA year
old negro boy sent up for life. The
congressional controversy between
the negro, George Washington Muir
ray, of Sumter and a white man, Col
Noise, of the same district, was also
reviewed by the bishop in all its
ramifcations. Later in his speech
Mr. Blease reminded the bishop that
it was he (Mr Blease) who had made
Murray the Congressman from this
State instead of the white man. Mr.
Blease was then a member of the
canvassing board and cast the decid-
ing vote. If l had got justice
three weeks ago and if the board had
been as honest" he said yesterday,
Il would be the next Governor of
South Carolina. He had always
sought, he said, to do justice to the
negro, regardless of his color.
Much speculation had been en-
gagged 10 by the negroes themselves
as to the character of speech Mr.
Blease would deliver, but the speak
er throughout his discourse spoke
guardedly and with moderation. He
said he had been misunderstood by
the negroes, whom he greeted as
my friends" In politics he had
always urged that taxes negroes paid
should 60 to the support of negro
schools. School boards, he said.
chiseled the negroes out of their just
proportion when making apportion-
ment for the schools of the two races.
Christian citizenship was earnestly
commended to the students of the
school. Il don't make much profes-
sion myself. l have been so hound
ed, vilifed and abused that | often
go by my own church, refusing to
antar hecanse I know that there