The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-05-22
DANyILLE GIVES
BLEASE OVATION
Was Guest of Honor and Principal
Speaker at State Convention OF
i..c1 Men.
Charleston American.

Charleston American.
Columbia, l1ay 18.-Former Cover
nor Cole l.. Blease, leader Of the re-
.ocm party of South Carolina, was
given a great ovation in Danville, Va,
this week, according to the reports IL
the Danville Bee and the Danvilie
Register, on the occasion Of his visit
to that city as the guest Of honor and
principal speaker at the state conVen-
ton of Red Men of the Old Dominion
state.
"Fully four thousand Red Men and
citizens OF Danville last night heard
an address by Hon. Coleman Living
ston Blease. former governor OF
South Carolina AMI almost national
figure because of the many striking
acts performed during his term Of
Office" says the Register.
Mixing humor, pathos and serious
thoughts on the tenents OF the great
American organization he delivered a
striking address which. combined with
his personal magnetism swayed the
big audience and in a measure ex-
llained his popularity in his state.
Although Mr.. Blease has not been
heard of for some time he still show
ed the fire that won him name
before the public and there were so1r-
daring and striking utterances. One
Of his boldest assertions was COM
narison of Robert E. Lee with Jesus
Christ: another was the simple plea
for the disgraced woman, others being
the vigorous assertion that had he
been a congressman or senator during
TIE present session he would have vo-
ted against war and against conscrlp-
ton
"a lengthy torchlight parade took
place from rhe halls in North Dan
vile to the tabernacle.
after the Red Men had taken the
seats reserved for them the citizens
among them many women, poured IN
at every door and very soon all the
space except that reserved usually Tor
the colored people had been taken.
The band played several selections and
when the speakers of the evening ar
rived the tune turned to Dixie anc
instantly hundreds Of American 1ags
we're being waved.
Clifton J. Parrot, Of the local lodge
of Red Men. introduced the ex-goV-
ernor and paid glowing tribute to Nv
fearlessness-i fact he termed him
"the most fearless in the nation
Mr.. Blease spoke for ~ minutes
He also expatiated on Redmanshlp anG
went at length into the principles on
which the order is founded. he
weayed into his discourse incidents o.
his own career as governor where ne
gained fame as the liberator of nun
dreds of felons from the penltentlary
Freedom was the first principle and
this naturally paved the way to al
explanation of his letting down the
bars to the imprisoned. He pointed
out religious freedom Of thought as
) essentials upon which the nation Is
founded. Freedom of the mind and
conscience he said cannot be given by
man, but bodily freedom can De- anu
he said that he had seen men IN
shackles freer with the consciousness
of serving an unjust sentence, tnan
many a man of great means Whose
conscience told him that he should De
the man to wear those shackles. he
enlarged upon the freedom of the Uni
ted States. Friendship and brotherly
love as taught by the Red Men, Cover
nor Blease said, was responsible lor
his releasing so many prisoners during
his career. He sought to justify nli
acts as governor saying that he kne"
eh had suffered criticism. Il ha.
had hurled at me from public speakers
and newspapers the vilest epithets
ever applied to a man, but thank God
that can stand and say 1 have given
not freedom of conscience and hear:
but freedom OF body to more men than
any one other man in the American
nation" A roar of cheers went up
my name has made men happy' ?: me ne
continued, "andethe principle OF free
toNpn1