The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-09-08
REPORTED SPEECH OF COLE l. BLEASE
DELIVERED IN 1916

We're enumerated 30 sustain this as
sertion, the names Of those wronped
being tactfully withheld.
In urging that the negro student,
mitch their wagons to star. the race.
Just up from slavery, was cordially
commended for its entrance INTO pro.
1esslcns and the varied phases of
SoHmerGlal MT. You are coming into
higher things, they were told. They
can hold you back despite what |
OF any other man may say he said.
while the auditorium roared with
cheers of approval.
Is. w. Nance, president of the uni.
Verslty was reared in Newbcrrv coun.
~, and the Newberry negro was the
choice of Mr.. Blease to head the state
negro college at Orangeburg when ~;
attempt was made to oust Miller. me
president of that institution, during
the DieaSe administration. Nance
h'mSelt took occasion at the conciu-
SION OF MIR. Blease's speech to deliver
ahoVher laudatory speech in which he
rScalled the early efforts of Mr..
biease at the Newberry bar, .wnen
Cromer and Johnstone and Schum-
pert and Welch and the late lamented
rope were the giants in the legal
profession there These had OWN
dled into the proportions of mere
pygmles' In comparison with Mr..
biease, before Mr. Blease was eleyat
ed to the governors chair, Nance ar
gued. The president of the school
commended the examples of Mr..
blease and Bishop Chappelle TO the
Students as worthy OF emulation.
no.h, ne said, were knowh through
out the United States and it was only
though their zeal ana adherence 20
nllGnnSES hA, l.,
able 10 carve their way through un-
coward circumstances.
Inc samaritan Herald, negro pa
per carried the following report Of
che same speech:
Alien university opened last We'd
nesday with about 400 students. Er.
q. W., Nance, the new president,
seemed to know his business. as
though he were whole term. We,
as trustees, were hospitably enter
tanned with what the appetite could
Dear. Bishop w. ID. Cnappelle, the
new bishop, knows his business, and
performs hls duty like a hero. He Is
His own dictator. Ex-Governor Blease
was present, and was introduced to
speak oy the bishop, who prefaced as
.ollows:
Mr.. President and Board of Trus
ices: feel tnat we are complimentcd
@ 90 nave or one OF the strongest white
men III South Carolina, in the person
Of Ex-Governor Cole L. Blease, to
speak TO this PEOPLE. In asking the
protection for our people, / watched
carefully the record of ali the COVER
nors, and decided on Ex-Governor
61sass a,4s s;,a We e. want Si }hs friendship Of
am going to ask HIM for it to help
MT up our people. don't believe tnat
Cole l.. Blease will insult my wife,
or no ether colored lady, any more
than he would like for any one to
insult his wife, or any of their white
ladies.
The bishop now introduced Colonel
Blease. whose rose and said in part:
MIR. President and Members of
the Faculty and My Friends: | want
10 congratulate you for having such
an able Christian gentleman as your
president, If his face is black. | nave
known him from his boyhood and al
ways thought he would make a great
man. would trust my daughter in
ms hands as well as you are trusting
yours. They said that l am against
the negro. Nay, am friend of the
negro. You are robbed out of your
rights by the unjust laws of this state
How will the Judges and jurors stand
before God who will take advantage
of powcrlesS race? What kind of
IA law has this state that will not al
low negro representation on the
any way? If this state would give
you all of the moneys from the tax
paid by your people, you would have
better schools and longer terms.
am not against educating the negro.
but only wanted the taxes Of each
ace set aside for its intermediate
HNposc. les, IN state Is rotten
.hCy're rohting you out of your
lights, but there's God above that
Will bring them into judgment.
have never insulted colored woman
. The man that would insult woman
is worse than the darkest cloud that
ever held over the armament. Girls
, and boys, your charaI ter Is what God
gave you, and can never be taken
away. But your reputation is what
YOU make it, and what the world says
~ you. If justice W, $ given me, |
would have been your governor today.
But it is white people that is stealing.
But the negro is now out of it, and
who is now doing the stealing?
am Methodist, and will never leave
! my church, but I do not attend be
cause thieves and robbers are at the
communion table, and | am not going
to associate with them. What is the
use for jails, penitentiarieS, chain-
gangs and the church, too. If all of
the leaders of the people were right
eous, there would not be any use for
prisons, for the leaders of the people
nave caused them to err.