Lexington dispatch-news. [volume] (Lexington, S.C.) 1917-1919, 1919-02-05
NEGROES DO HONOR
TO COL. ROOSEVELT

Cole I. Blease addressed between
400 and 500 negroes yesterday after
noon at the Sidney Park A. NJ
Church in Columbia, when memorial
services in honor of the late Theodore
Roosevelt were held. Mr.. Blease was
introduced by DIR J II Goodwin, negro
physician OF Columbia.
DR.. Goodwin was presented to the
audience by Henderson Mobley as a
physician Of credit to the race and
also as stpolitical aspirant."
In introducing Mr.. Blease, DR.. Good
wyn addressed the negroes as "felloW
citizens "I may live in a country
where all privileges are not granted
me, but that doesn't say | am not a
citizen. I don't want to be circumscrl
bed in any way he said.
Mr. Blease was the greatest power
South Carolina ever produced. He
had acted the part of a man while
chief executive. The negroes could
get a hearing and hundreds of the
race had been liberated, for which act
alone the negroes ought to hold him
in high estimation. Mr. Blesse was
still aspiring, and Goodwin believed
that South Carolina would further hon
or him. The negroes had but few
friends but Mr.. Blease was one and
the best one they had.
aIr. Roosevelt was chara acterized by
Mr.. Blease as the greatest American
the country has yet produced. Ehe
ex-president could not be killed poll
ticaIly because he had character.Tne
war with Germany would not have
been necessary if Mr.. Wilson had fol
lowed the policy he laid down Tor MI.
Roosevelt in a book written by MI,
Wilson while president Of Princeton
University. Mr.. Roosevelt had asked
a negro to dins with him, but that was
not to be mentioned in the same
breath with the conduct of a man I re-
Gently elected to high Office in South
Carolina. The Wilson administration
was largely a duplication OF the Koose
yelt program in the extension OF ted
eraY encroaehment of States rights.
The Democratic party had taken over
the railroads, the telegraph and teie-
,phone lines, and was regulating the
food and clothing supplies. IT the
noliey was continued, the time would
come when it would DE a federal
crime to spit upon the side walk
The War Between the Sections was
fought to preserve State rights aao !.
not to perpetuate slavery.
Mr.. Blease advised the negroes TO
stand by their leaders, An editorial
in The State Thursday morning OF OF
last week commenting on the negroes
deiegating their ministers as pohtlcal
agents to register the negroes, had a
1rpused Mr.. Biease Very much ihe ls
speaker advised his audience to foiio"
their leaders, and not let what appear
ed in The State prejudice them AGAIN
st their preachers.
zDalring the course of his speech, MI.
Blease reiterated his friendship for
Bishop Chappelle. ssHess my frlend
and I'm his friend through thick ana
thin. the speaker said. The negroes
generously appIauded many points OF
aIr. Bleasess speech.
At the concluhion of the speech Bash
,op chappeli made a brief talk IN
which he expressed his warm admira-
tion for ar. Blease for whom he mad
voted and wose friendship he greatly
priced.
W, Royd Evans Of Columbia occn-
pied a place on the rostrum with MT.
smease. Negroes on the stand were:
Bishop Chappelle, Dr.. N F HaSood,
pastor of Sydney Park Church; Ut.
GOODWIN and Henderson Mobley.