Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

CAUSES OF CONFLIC THE Hecoi'ds' Presented by Oue Who Knows On Breach Between Got. Blease and the Members of the House and Senate?Points Out How Clash with <Chlef Executives Started with Message On February 7th, 1911, after being >in office twenty-one days, Covernor Blease having become embroiled with the Supreme Court, because it designated Duncan. Ray to hold Richland court, when the Governor wanted his t tt .t f!?idwell of Newberry 11 t^UU W * w. -w ? _ appointed, sent a message to the legislature (page 508 of the Journal,) saking the legislature to pass on the question (page 508 House Journal.) He uses this language (page 510:) "I liope that you will refer this matte .to the Judiciary Committee of your respective bodies and that they will take the matter under consideration '' i .and decide it, not upon what their political views are toward the Chief Executive of the State, or what their personal feelings are toward the Su? preme Court of the State, hnt upon the law, and give such a decision as the court will sustain." Up to that time there had been no break between the legislature and the Governor. ? Ulr, TH House lmineaiaieiy tuimcu u? :suggestion and jrefered ittotheJudiciary Committee. It decided adversely to the Governor's contention, and its report is found on page 480 of the -Journal, and is a most courteous and respectful statement of the law and was received by the House and printed I the Journal. It was concurred in 5by' every member of the committee, many of whom had bee nsupporters of the governor during his campaign. It was also sustained by the Court, State v. Davis, 88 S. C., 2^)4. So it conformed to the requirements of the Governor. It was not political or perHE-sonal, but legal and was such that the ^^^HirtH would sUbTaTTT? prepared by a sub committee CJUOiscing of H. K. Osborne, F. B. Gary and "W. F. Stevenson. Its conclusion also was adopted by the Senate Committee {page 599), J. R. Earle alone dissent* Jng., On the 12th day of February a interview was given out by the Governor .as follows: "The Judiciary Committee * -of the House violated the very section of the constitution ad statute by having on their sub-committee a brother of a justice of the Supreme Court. 'The other tow members are kown of all men to be two of my bitterest enemies, and <jf course from them 1 could expect nothing. Report IVas Adopted. The entire committee adopted the report, and its memoers were: 1. u. Frasier, A. Yader Horst, A. G. lirice, L. M. Gasque. A. C. Tobias, Jr., B. H. Brown. W. L. Daniel, J. S. Bowman, Gary, Geo. S. Mower, L. J:. Singleton, J. F. Williams, T. F. McDow, ,7. B. j Wingard, H. K. Osborne, P. T. You-j mans, J. E. Davis, W. H. Earle, J. M. j Daiel and J. J. Evans, many of whom! had voted for him, but voted to adopt; the right. This was a retllection oil; the integrity of the men on the subi committee, and on the whole committee. to whom he had asked that the' question be submitted. It was a charge that they had allowed personal feeling to decide a legal question, and was an insult to the subcommittee; ad the interview was signed by him. Not satisfied with insulting the committee that had done as he requested, decided i' according to law. he smt a message to the house (page -"'.to) in which the following occurs: wuuemen. the report, of pour house judiciary committee on my message. No. 11. is not at all surprising, as you will note in said message I said. M hope that thp oommjttee ould act 'upon the matter, not according to their political views toward the Chief Execuitvp. or their personal feelings toward the Supreme Court.' " * ? "Now, gentlemen. 1 am serious ahout this matter: I have asked you to avoid a conflict; it is up to you. I know my duty and when the time comes I am going to do it, as T was elected to do. I have no relatives in your body, but I hope T have some political friends.'' This was an admission that when he TWITH GENERAL ASSEMBLY I asked that the matter go before th< ! judiciary committee he was not seek ' ing law, but political buncombe, and t j charge that the house and committet | had acted wrong from personal anc j political motives. Up ro that time tkt majority of the house v.ere his poli tical friends. Probably more tha nhal of them had voted for him and al were trying to treat him right, but be cause he didn't get the decission h< wated he Insulted, first, the commit tee to whom It was refered at His reuuest, and then the whole house who stood by the repo~t of the cou: mittee. Again, on February 1"> (page 797 o: the Journal) he sent a message to th< house which covers 12 closely printet pages, and took half an hour to read I in which he endeavored to drive th< legislature to his view. During th< reading one of his strong politica friends in the election moved to prin without reading, which motion wai opposed by Mr. Stevenson as discourt eous tu the Governor, and with drawi on that ground, and it was orderec printed in the Journal after beinj read, on motion of Mr. Osborne, ant thus the two members of the subcom mittee who had been insuted by th< interview interposed and prevente< discounts-} to hi* Fxtei ency (Ses J nirnal. Then came his veto of many items in the appropriation bill, including tb< | salary of the stenographer in the Stats I treasurer's o..ce, an absolute neces ; sary expense, and the pay for factorj inspection which he called a "useless expense." Then he appointed his press agent, L. M. Green, to make th( factory inspection at $200.00 a mo^th though the regular inspectors got onl} ^xuu.wu ana expenses. u^eeu uiaui hiB Teport up from statistics gotter | from the department of agriculture and made no effective inspection, bu collected his pay from the Governor'* fund for the enforcement of law. A1 these matters galledthelegislakire^ | the iuud such a purpose. As a result he dtt not have as many political friends ir the house as forme.lv, at the begin ning of the session of 1912. Conduct Tov.aid Senate. In the senate he ht;l oeen even mori ( "Tensive. The const'.f,jfion requirei j magistrates to be appointed by ant ' with the consent and advice of th< senate. In certain counties where th< j magistrates and certain other office : | recommended as usual we-e men whe i had not voted for him, ho refused tc I appoint tin ro or nr.y one else unti ; the senate adjourned and then appoint.-'1 iiis fijends instead of the mer regularly recommended. Tots was ol course re-i!*..3! oy the senate and has aucsed great oonf'iv.a' and niuca litigation. Consequently his niessagj of IPli was PXpPCUl 10 oe ui H l.in,imiw (onp. was found so to he, and was received with disfavor, and his ehar acterization of a report made ahoul tlie State loan by R. H. Jennings, State Treasurer and a gallant soldier, whose empty sleeve and spotless cbaractci give him the respect and esteem of all who know him. as "a malicious falsehood." caused a further felling hetween him and the legislature and all other State officers. Then came on January in a message on the "Libel Hill." so-called, which starts out as follows: "I return this act to you without my signature, because in my opinion it is the most iniquitous measure that has ever passed a Democratic legislative hodv." The measure then for seven pages dealt in language and illustrations that the house deemed unfit to print in the permanent Journal. and it was expunged. The house in self-respect could do nothing else. Then came over many vetoes, among them a hill to give the Dispensary funds to the common schools, and a hill to investigate the State Dispensary Commission. Iff? had exnll"'Ul' "el'iwl fh<? l?<ricl;>f urn ?/% this last bill and then vetoed it and did his host to kill it. Hjs position was arbitrary and his course offensive to both houses, unless they would accede to his demands in every respect. For instance, he sends message No. 20 (page 274. House Journal) to correct the spelling of explanatory, it being spelled by the printer "explani tory." He sayB, "I presume there will be some objection to correcting your journal, etc. * * * *1 understand who prits your House Journals, and 4 I am not at all surprised that errors continue to occur, while I understand l the Senate Journal is printed by anj, other party and such errors do not j appear therein." The reference was due to the fact that the State corai pany was printing the House Journal - but the incorrect spelling had been f done by a typewriter in the house, j These are only fair samples. He started out with a majority favorable to him in the house, but by hectoring ; and scolding them and finally by sending a message which was not 3 only unfit to print, but which was a insult to the House, he alienated the members until twenty members was the full measure of his following f in the House and about five in the ' Senate. 1 Refused to Make Appointments. He again refused to mane tne ap' pointments recommended by the Sen3 ate, and in defiance of the Supreme * jCourt and all law and precedent] 1 overrode the recommendations of 3 the Senate and appointed those called his friends. Now, can a man be 1 right when he starts out with the 1 power of the governor's office and the ' dignity going with it, and with the * majority of the legislature favorable to him, and winds up after a year of 3 domineering, scolding and hectoring * with 85 per cent, of both houses ' against him and every member of the State administration opposed to him? 3 Is he right and everybody else wrong? 3 Does perfection abide in him and fool3 ishness and knavery with the balance of the government? 7 Again, he lost the confidence of the 3 house when he talked so loudly of 3 ecbnomy, actually telling them in ad3 vance that they would need two-thirds ' vote for large appropriations and af7 terwards tried to help through the 3 State house job of a million dollars, 1 giving his friend Todd of Charleston ' in his sworn statement before the 1 committee (page 1,047, House Jour3 nal, 1912); "I said tJhat if the legis1 lature of South Carolina adopted |jTodd's ' to those plans we would have the 1 finest State capitol of any State in ' the union, and it would give me pleasure to sign the bill. I say that today, sir; and if the legislature will 3 go up stairs and pass it I will take off 3 my hat to them as having done, in ' my opinion, the best thing that they 5 1 ? j ~ Pornltna clnf*A j n fi V0 UUIIU IUI OUIUU vui VKUW Wf.ww 5 j they have been members of the leg51 islatnre." And this was the bill to } I spend $1,000,000 on the State house, ' | $60,000 to go to his friend Todd of ' J Charleston as architect's fees. This "jshook thp confidence of the legislature 1 in his sincerity jn his professions of ^ economy. 5 Again', when thp legislature was " ready to adjourn he sent word by his (! friend Appelt that he had sent all bills ' to the secretary of state's office to become law except one or two. which he 1 would dispose of in a certain manner. The legislature was about to adjourn ' when a member called attention to the i fact that if it did so not one of tho ! bills would be a law until the second day of the term next January. That ' the county supply bills would be no good, and many other important measures would be hung up until next I year. Did he know this and set a 1 trap for the general assembly? They 1 thought so ;iml were forced to stay mi ' session three more days to insure all 1 i Ills becoming law. It developed that the hill abolishing the dispensary commission and separating it from $2$.000 which it was spending, fining nothing, was not even sent to the sec' rotary of state's office, ad as it was known that he had tried every means to kill this hill, search was instituted 1 fop it. He couldn't produce the receipt from the secretary of state for ' it. and the clerk of the senate produced his receipt for it. showing that Til 5f Sr>nrch for it his of-1 i >1 film- utiu ?.. ? fico resulted in finding it in the bottom of a drawer i the desk of his elerk un' der other papers. How did it get there? The assembly generally coneluded that it was desiged to he lost 1 and thereby killed. Mavhe this was not correct. Tt was lost, and if it had not been found it would have been dead. Is it surprising that the legis' Inture lost confidence, and therefore respect for him? One Who Knows the Facts. MM J ANNOUNi I We recently succ I Smith in the m; ? pee Dee Iron V I thoroughly equ partments to give and satisfaction ( trusted to us. I Auto department of parts and skill* ly will handle y< with us for repaii I In our Machir prepared to do chine work and c a complete line Iings, mill supplie "PRICES ARE PEE DEE IRJ | THOMAS & STO ENDORSED AT HOME. Such Proof as This Should Convince Any Cberaw Citizen. The public endorsement of a local citizen is the best proof that can be produced. None better, none stronger can be had. When a man conies forward and testifies to his fellow-citizens, addresses his friends and neighbors, you may be sure he is thoroughly convinced or he would not do so. Telling one's experience when it is for the public good is an act of kindness ^^^houh^A appreciated. The folof CherHHHK^e more to Cases of Home Endoraemei^^Hch are being published about DoP^Ttldney Pills. eRad,it. J. N. Stricklin. Green St., Cheraw, S. C., says: "I have no hesitation in saying that Doan's Kidney Pills are; a remedy of merit for the purposes! or which their use is intended. I have Jtaken this remedy for backache and other symptoms of kidney complaint and it has given nie relief." For sale by all dealers. Price HO cents. Foster-Milburu Co., Buffalo. New York, sole agents for the United States. Remember the name?Down's?and take no other.?***0 DR. E. H. KERRISON, ' 1) E X T I S T Opposite the Evans Co. CHE RAW, 8. C. Phone "Welf, take care of yourself," said | Hicks, when the count was complete. J He thrust the roll of bills Into his pocket and moved to the door. Alone again, the planter collapsed 1 into his chair, breathing heavily, bat his terrors swept over him and left him with a savage sense of triumph. This passed; he sprang up, intending to recall Hicks and unmake his bar- i gain. What had ho been thinking or j ?safety lay only In flight! Before he ' reached the door his greed was in the ascendant. He dropped down on the edge of his bed, his eyes flxed on the window. The sun sank lower. From , where he sat he saw It through the upper half of the sash, blood-red and ! livid in a mist of fleecy clouds. It was in the tops of the old oaks j now, which sent their shadows into | his room. Again maddened by his , rormra T>o etartrd and harked toward VI,V""v ? ? I the door; but again his greed, the I one dominating influence of his life, vanoulshed him. He watched the sun sink. He watched the red splendor fade over the river; he saw the first stars appear. He told himself that Hicks would soon be gone?if the fire was not to be lighted he must act at once! He stole to the window. It was dusk now, yet he could distinguish the distant wooded boundaries of the great fields framed by the darkening sky. Then In the silence he heard the thud of hoofs. (TO BE CONTINUED.) ' CEMENT J eeded Mr. J. D. I inagement of the I /orks and have g; ipped both de- ft : prompt service 1 >n all work in- I We carry in our | a complete line ft ;d mechanics on- 1 xir car when lett H s. I le Shop we are | all kinds of ma- I :arry at all times I of fittings, cast- ? :s, etc. ? IN REASON" I ON WORKS, I GNER, Managers | I It My Fall and Winter Woolens are now on display. Gome in and look them youi measure for ^nevr^H Suit or Over Coat. * DR. J. E. FUNDERBUBK, Denial Surgeon, Phones: Office 138; Residence 174 Office over Merchants & Farmers Bank STEVE > S 0 X & PBIXCB Attorneys nt Law Merchants & Farmers Bank Building CIIERAW, . . - S. 6. Fresh Beef and Pork and Pork Sausage at 14 A Rnrrh's Market lt< i. JLTU1 VII ~ >?/ . PHONE SO Covington Hotel Building Second Street Cheraw, S. G. C. S. Lynch REAL ESTATE Gheraw. S. G. The Votan Line leads every time VOTAN COFFEE J VOTAN TEA ? Each best of its kind Exclusive Agents: nORTO>* & HEBTDBEX CO,^j