Today -100: January 18, 1913: Of censorship, duels, white women, and royal annulments

South Carolina Gov. Coleman Blease tells the Legislature that unless it passes laws to censor newspapers, people will shoot newspaper men, and “upon your heads will be the blood of that man.” If a vilified man “defends his honor with blood, who blames him? Certainly not a Lexington jury.” This is a reference to the 1903 murder by the lieutenant governor of the editor of The State and his subsequent acquittal.

French Prime Minister Raymond Poincaré is elected president by the National Assembly, amid rumors that he was about to fight a duel with Georges Clemenceau.

Insurrection in Angola against Portuguese colonial rule, or, as the NYT headline puts it, “Carry Off White Women.”

The House passes an immigration bill, including a literacy test (in any language) (admissible aliens can bring in their wives, parents over 52, etc even if they can’t read).

The marriage of Prince Georg and Archduchess Isabella of Austria is annulled. It lasted three days. There’s probably a story in there somewhere. Georgie will later become a Catholic priest.

Don't see comments? Click on the post title to view or post comments.