The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-12-01
inaugural Address of Gov. r. K. Scott.


dorsement of my own administration of the
affairs of government during the past two years.
am well aware thatsit is in greater degree |
intended as an endorsement Of the principles |
and measures of that great party of which l
am simply the chosen representative The |
campaign through which we have passed has |
been heated, and in some particulars very bit |
ter and acrimonious. Doubtless many things |
have been said by the advocates of both par
ties which had better have been left unsaid. !
Of one thing the people of the State may be !
assured /; 80 far as my course as public officer |
is concerned, the examinations, and recrimina-
tions of the political contest are forgotten; and
while shall not fail in allegiance to the prin-
cip1es of the party represent, as Governor of
the State, entrusted with the execution Of its
laws, Z will know no party or class but shall
endeavof most earnestly to protect and secatre
the rights and privileges of all. r. & =
The Constitution and laws of our State give
to the Executive large powers, and these pow 4
ers carry with them corresponding responsible,
ities He would, indeed, be bold man who,
having occupied the position which it has been
my lot to hold for the past two ereHtfal years.
should elaim fos himself freedom from mig
takes, or even serious errors, in the administra-
tion of the affairs of Government. I certainly
make no such claim. But'L do claim that the
general scope and aim of my administration
has been good and that il has BEEN measure
bly, free from the errors incident to- all human
governments. I
A charge freely made against my adninis'
tration has been that of the incompetency of
its appointees to the various County and other
offices. The charge is not entirely without
| truth. But recurrence to the history of the
two years just past will offer some justification
for such appointments. When the administra-
tion Just closed came into power, the citizens of
the State, who by education and experience
were best fitted to fill the various Offices in the
gift of the Executive, either openly opposed or
silently, but persistently, st6od aloof from the
Government. Persons whose services the State
would have been glad to secure, refused to quail
| ify for the positions which were offered them;
while, on the other hand, men were urged upon
the Executive, whose opposition to the Gov
ernment was so well known, as to make their
appointment, so far as the execution of the
laws was concerned, farce. In addition,
many, if not most of these appointments, had
to be made Immediately; the exigencies of the
public service were such as to preclude the pos
sibility of thorough investigation into the char
actcr and fitness Of the persons recommended
by those upon whom the Executive was COM
PEELED to depend for information. In the na
| ture of things, it has been, to great degree,
| impracticable for him to know fully the quail
fcations of those who have been urged upon
him for appointment. am satisfied that,
without doing injustice to the claims of any
one, the large experience which we have all
gained, combined with the accessions which
have been made to the ranks of those who are
both actively and passively friendly to the ad-
minstration, will enable us to cure this evil in
the future. 1t is not necessary to enter into an
argument to show the impossibility of carrying
on the affairs of Government without compe-
tency on the part of those selected to perform
its duties the thing is self-evident. 1t is my
purpose, so far as the responsibility rests with
me, to secure such competency; and, in this
effort think may confidently look for the
support of the people of the State of all class
| es.
Fellow-citizcns, our State has made great
progress in all respects within the last two
years Two years ago large class of our peo-
pie were a unit almost, in their avowed deter
mination not to recognize the validity Of the
Reconstruction Acts of Congress, or of the gov
ernments established under them. To-day,
| these are all treated as accomplished facts, by
all classes of the community, so far as public
utterauces have any value, and we have good
! reason to believe that the number of persons
| who cherish either the hope or the desire to
disturb the existing political relations of the
people, is very inconsiderable.
Our material progress has kept pace with the
political. 1t is true that the European war, by
| depressing prices, has made our people feel
poorer than they hoped to be, but, nevertheless,
there are Indications of life and energy all over
the State. New branches of industry are being
opened up, and all things promise, with peace
and good order, prosperity to the people. The
! to the casual observer, has been made in edu-
cational matters. In this direction 1 would
urge increased interest and activity on the part
| of the people. The Government can do much,
but it cannot do all /; and without earnest and
constant effort on the part of the people, any
school system will prove q falnre.
Fellow-citizens, do not care to inquire
| whether this favorable condition Of things e1-
lists as q consequence of our administration Of
affairs, or in spite of it. tits enough to- knew;
that thus much has been secured, and we will
leave it to the future to decide what measure
of praise or blame belongs to each and all of
us. ' .''-' -
I In the few words appropriate to this occasion
I cannot indulge in detail, but confne myself
to general reference to what / believe to be
the condition of our State, and to the policy
which / hope to enforce in the administration
Of its affairs in the future.
| Am asking too much when call upon the
people of the State of all classes and parties,
I to stand by the Government in every right eff
fort? There cannot be prosperity in the State
unless there is peace; there cannot be peace
unless there is respect for law and for therights
of all, no matter how objectionable to some of
our fellow-citizens. we may be who nsake and
administer the laws; or how hateful may be
those who, from time to time, have had their
lives and liberties imperilled.
A little forbearance a little of that good sense
which we all claim as our heritage, will sayeus
from the dangers which threaten the peace and
prosperity of the, State. A bene6cent Proyi-
dence, by unerring signs is pointing outa path