The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1886-12-08
GOVERNOR RICHARDSON.
THE INSTALLATION OF OUR NEW
EXECUTIVE.


Governor John Peter Richardson was
duly inaugurated on Tuesday the 3oth
nit, in the Opera House at Columbia.
After taking the oath Of Office, Governor
Richardson made his inaugural address,
rs follows:
Gentlemen Of the Senate and House
of REPRESENTATIVES,: 1t is with deep
sense Of the responsibility and obliga
ton assumed that l have Just taken in
this solemn presence the constitutional
oath of office as Governor OF South Car
olina.
With no ordinary emotion, and with .
heart full OF gratitude TO the people OF
this State, through whose partial kind
ness am the recipient OF this exalted
honor, l this day enter upon the dis
charge of It's high duties, to the faithful,
honest, vigilant and patriotic execution
Of which pledge the honor OF 4 devoted
son OF Carolina.
Sincerely distrustful OF my OWN abiii-
ties, confidently rely upon you, their
chosen representatives, for such wise,
liberal and conservative action as Will
render the progress OF the State III
material prosperity rapid and the execu-
tive administration Of her affairs easy.
To the most unobservant and indiffer-
ent it must be apparent that these are
times fruitful OF vast and pressing
problems, social, industrial and econom-
5c, both in State ana national affairs,
which demand for their solution the ablest
talent and most unselfsh patriotism.
Notwithstanding the dual nature OF our
institutions and government, investing
the citizen, as it does, with varied duties
and interests, the peculiar condition OF
our State, socially and politically, during
the dark days of reconstruction, rigldly
confined the attention OF our people to
the seemingly hopeless and Herculean
task OF wrestling from a chaos OF cor
ruption and venaity in all their hldeous
forms, and of universal maHeasance in
official life, such as had never before dis
graced the annals of civilized comnlu-
nifty, order and good government.
How successfully, how marvelously,
this has been accomplished, need l at
tempt to describe? Surely. it can never
be possible that the deep, soul-burnins
huniliations, the crushing tyranny. the
ruinous taxation we SO long endured, the
bold efrontery of loathsome vice IN high
places that stalked in open daylight
through the streets OF this beautiful
capital, have SO soon passed out OF mlnd
and been forgotten like the idle terrors
of dream, amidst the quoting, rcstful
surroundings OF the renewed peace, order
and good government we now so oountl-
fully enjoy. TO the people OF Carolina,
I verify believe, one OF the greatest mis-
fortunes that could occur would be an
oblirious disregard of a former expert
cnce that, upon the least cessation OF
vigilance on their part, might, and would
almost surely, again become a terrible
possibility. The same clements OF evil
are here, the same forces present, though
latent: but to this generation, who are
the witnesses Of and the sufferers from
certainly the most anomalous and ex-
traordinary condition OF political and
social life under which a people ever
lived, do not think there can ever come
any deluge Of Lethean waters so over
whelming as to sink into oblivion the bit
ter memories of the past. Sad, indeed,
would be the sure results of criminal for
getfulness OF lesson SO roughly taught.
so heroically learned, No, this can
never be. We are again in the house OF
our fathers, as masters and rulers, and
We are here to stay as such for all time;
but TO stay inspired by the true instincts
of liberty and animated solely by a high
and patriotic purpose to dispense even
handed justice, to maintain the purity
of our institutions, and to secure to all
classes and conditions of our citizens
every legal, constitutional and inherent
right OF man.
With the inestimable advantages Of
good and honest government once more
surrounding us, like Efe-giving atmos-
phere, how bright the prospect fora rapid
advance in all the arts Of peace and N
the accumulation OF the wealth to which
our wonderful resources Of soil and
climate so Justly entitle us, True, We
are lust at this time in a condition OF
great business depression, common to
every interest of the whole world, and IN
no way peculiar to ourselves, save, per-
haps, ID complications arising from the
transition phase through which our
agricultural industry is now passing. 70
this great interest We should certainly
give promptly that attention which its
Importance 10 the general welfare so I'M
peratively demands We should APP
proach its consideration with that calm
ness of Judgment and freedom from pas
sion so essential to reaching wise conclu-
sions. The Department OF Agriculture,
to whose charge its interests have been
intrusted, and whose development has
been the object Of such earnest, faithful
and successful efforts, should be sus-
tanned and fostered. AL laws upon our
statute books tending to the retardat!on
of its development, OF calculated to
direct its energies into nnprohtatle
channels, should De at once repealed,
and such measures only as are absolutely
needed for its proper encouragement
Should he enacted.
Perfect freedom Of action and iudg
ment is the most efficient incentive to
successful eNertion il all the occupations
of life. This il is the duty Of any govern
ment to insure to any citizen, whether
walking IN the paths OF commerce, tol-
lowing the professions, or gathering the
wealth of nature from our teeming for
ests and causing our fruitful fields to
yield their abundant increase. speak
us farmer, who loves his calling with
an ardor inherited from ancestors devoted