The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-11-01
THAT DILEMMA.

Tho Newb berry U,scrrcr uncovors tho
dilemma which 1t limited the editor Of the
| lNTEILluEScEH was in, as follows:
Tho gentleman referred to last week ns
delegate. legislator and editor ~ Hon. l.;
| Is. Murray, of A:,,lorson. We were mis-
| taken in saying that Bo nominated Gov.
| Thompson. lie was, howo|or, his Zonl-
GUS supporter before the nominating
convention. lie does not SEQ the tiiom-
mn, although ho comes worry near expos
Ing 1t himself WHOM ho snys, speaking OF
| the Commission Bill: at represented
his Judgment then. and if properly exc.
| cuted would have his approval now"
Irnot properly executed whose fault
is it? Tho Govcrnor's only, who APP
pointed the mon to execute it. So that
Mr. Murrny's Judgment" was evidently
in fault, either III the support OF Gov.
Thompson, or in tho matter Of the Rail.
road Commission bill. Either the law IL
wrong itsolf, or tho chief executive is un-
! able 10 ;iavo IL properly executed We
believe that tho chief executive Is not 80
1..nci. g: fault as tho law IN. We were
opposed to the bill from tho beginning.
Thoro woro no insinuations In our arti-
| clio; but thore wero three plain state
| monts of facts.-or what were supposed
ut tho time to bo tacts-ono OF thcm turns
out 10 10 mistake. did not cvon
| 'lnsinuato" that MIR. Murray was tho
person referred to: hut LEFT him to reveal
his own identity, II ho should choose to
| do so, feeling sure that he would.
For speaking OF Mr.. Murray 40 plainly
wo feel that some reason Is due him and
wo state the reason frankly. We under
| stand that ho is to be u candidate for
nomination to Congress from this Dis
| trict, and without taking sides for or
against him. we think it right and proper
to discuss his record for statesmanship
and political sagacity. This is not an
apology for commenting OH his record on
the Commission Bill, for we have tho
right to discuss the record OF State Legis-
lators. Mr.. Murray has tho good sense
to know this, for he IL newspaper man
himsolf-and he does not object to It /;
and we feel sure that he will not object to
u fair criticism of his course as a legisla-
tor on any public question. Any criticism
any public officer, shall be fair; at least
it shall be our wish and our purpose to
make 1t so.
The Obserrer Gays that It did not hint
that we were the person 1t referred to,
but left 1t to us to reveal our own identi-
ty. It Ia true that our contemporary did
not call our name, but 1t quoted an edi-
torial from the INTELLIaENCER. It was
not hint, but diront arraignment.
We did not object to it, but wanted tho
Ob,encr to reveal tho dilemma 1t had dis
covered. 1t has complied. and we are
not surprised at either tho dilemma sta
ted or the reason for Its publication by
the Obserrer To begin with, we would
say that we thought Gov. Thompson the
beat available man for tho Governorship
at the time of tho nominating oon yention,
and have no reason to regret TINT opinion.
This, however, docs not bind us to ap-
prove all Of his official acts. Tho editor
Of the INTELLIaENcER tries to distinguish
between the public acts of even It's
friends, and does not hesitate to approve
or criticise, as It's judgment may direct.
We were opposed to leaving the appoint
ment of Railroad Commissioners to the
Governor, and we think the Governors
appointment has boon in tho main un-
fortunate. This, however, does not
prove that he is not good Governor.
His appointeos have been honorable,
upright men, and IL we are correct that
they have not proven efficient, 1t does
not show Gov. Thompson to be an inefii.
cient Executive. His whole administra-
ton must be reviewed to roach deter-
mination Of this question. and when SO
reviewed 1t will be seen that his admin
istration Is as strong, as able and as nc.
ceptable as any the State has had since
1876. It Is true he has had the appoint
mont Of the Railroad Commission, but
any other Governor would have been as
liable to mako mistakes aR Gov. Thomp.
son in appointing the Commission. The
Commissioners were necessarily now
men, without experience. snd It Is not
surprising that they havo made mistakes.
The only thing Is, wo think. they have