The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-12-08
DEATH OF EX.GOV. PERRY.
AT THE AGE OF EIGHTY-oNE YEARS TEE
CAREER OF THE DISTINGUISHED
CARoLINIAN IS ENDED.
Wise Beyond His Fellows. Imperious
in Disposition, Honest in Princi-
plc, Positive in Character. COur-
aGeous in Action, He Carries with
aIim to the Grave the Love and
Respect of all South Carolina.
[GreenrilLe Ne,us, SnttrdQu, DEC. All

There has been general 1pennS III HTccn-
VILE That Ex-Governor b. F. Perry would moi
recover from The illness with which he Nt'
been suffering during the past mon'h. MS
age and the serious character OF m ms m,nS nrS
longcd. Nevertheless there was a general eN'
preston of surprise, mingled with the lnvol'
uRLary one tf sorrow, when the ,act Oh MS
death became known on yesterday.
He died at half past one O'Clock Yesterday
morning. During the early part OF the night
he was restless and complained of pains In
governors daughter, and Representative w
II. Perry, his oldest son, and colored woman
who was employed as nurse, remained at the
bedside, Later the governor became eaS!e er
and Mrs. Beattie and Col. Perry retired. At
about half past one the nurse noticed that the
governors breathing was hard and called Mrs:
Perry's attention to it. lie turned on his right
side with assistance and the nurse hastily
went out to call Mrs. Beattic and Col Perry.
During her absence the governor made Il
gurgling sound and stopped hreai hln@ instant,
ly, giving no indication OF suffering aao
without the least struggle. When deaih flnal'
iy came it was as sudden as stroke oi light
ming.
Governor Perrys last illness may be said TO
have begun on Sunday, November 1th. Oh
that day ne was attacked with vertigo wnlie
on the stairs leading TO the second story or ms
residence, and fell, bruiSng himself slightly
DR.. 4. T. Earle, the family physician, was I'M,
meliately sent for and his treatment resulted
in a partial restoration OF the strength ana VI
tally for which the patient was So rcilark;l-
Bile during the latter years of his life. On the
9th of the same month the governor suffered
another and Il more serious attack. Dr. f.afiS
was absent and Dr.. Geo. h. TreScott was ca LIED
In. He saw that the governor Was then Suftef,
ing from valvu.ar disease of the heart ana
that it had reached such q stage thar ~ was
likely to end his life suddenly at any tlme.
The members of the family were candldly IN
formed of the facts and warned to be prepnr-
cd. and the result was, therefore, less OF a
shock than II would have been in different
circumstances. The general cause OF death
was failure of the vital functions, caused by
old age. The governors heart had heen AZ
fected many years but he had gwen IL litl'e
attention, his general health being rcInarka-
bly, good and his physical and mental strength
wonderful for Il man of 81 years. 1t Is Thought
- that the cold weather hastencd his de'''h
somewhat.
Governor PerTy's full name was benjamin
Franklin Perry. lie was born November .oth
1895 in what Is now Oconee county but was
then part OF Ppndet0n district. lie was OF
revolutiOnary,Stock, his father being native
az Massachusetts of English descent who
fought in the Continental army and his moth
er Miss Foster, Il daughter of John Foster, OF
Virginia, who was iiemtenant IN tne resn,;.i inrl
Amcric: N army. one of his fathers brothcrS
was the ancestor of the distinguished Coni'
modore Oliver Perry. -
Governor Pcrry's father came from Charles
ton, whittier he wen. In lTSi, met his vic III
<sreenvilic and was married mere. lie r.
moved to Ocunce and engaged In farming. B.
+. Perry worked on his fathers farm and went
to schCol until he WIS siXt teen, when lie was
sent to ASheviile, y. c., where he studied Fam
guagcs, making astonishing progress by the
great capacity for labor and the rctehtive
memory developed even ut that carry age.
lie came to Grecnvile, then SmHl! back.
woods village, in lS2I aad began the study OF
law in the office of Judge Earle.
In 1921 he was admitted to the bar. having
finished his course under Col. James Gregg, CT
Columbia. He returned to Grccnrilie and be-
gan the practice OF law for the western CIR
cult. :.
In 1892 he first became conspicuous in poll.
tics and appeared as IL leader in the fight for
The preservation of tic Union that he contin-
ucd to wa:e twcnty-ci=ht years agant inc
overwhelming sentiment Of the STATE lie be-
came the editor of the N0uRtdnccr and quick
ly made 1t the recognized oT.an OF the union
party of the State. immense mHJurilies o.;
the people Were against him, led hy ;tlt:oSl III
the talent, learning and social ana political
pnwer, with John Z. Calhoun, the idol OF me
State, at their head promu! eating MS thcofltS
uf nulliiiration and finding almost un;inl-
AIous endorsement. Gov. Perry was dele
gate 10 the union convCDtion held ut Column
bia in lS32 and represented this county, DcinS
elected ut the head OF The ticket in the gcner,
al convention of the people of the State called
in the fall of the same year.
1t was during this period that the famous
duel with Bynum occurred. 1t was caused hE
political quarrel and with the spirit and the
code of morals of the time IL could not nc
avoided. Gov. Perry rarely alluded TO ithitcr-
ward anu then always with sorrow, but IL Is
understood that the quarrel WAS accepted hy
him as Il deliberate test OF his caGrdge. ln1cn"-
cd 10 destroy his influence II he failed To en-
Nurc IL SucCeSSluIlJ. All accounts 'S!tc |iH'I
he bore himself! with good temper, unial;cring
courage and dignity and tha. whtir he drplor-
ell the unfortunate result To III" end OF his ilie
and from that time pciSistcn:ly refused to- en-,
gage In aT.irS OF honor he could justly he held
b'imeleSS.
la 1881 Gov. Perry. then twenty-nine years
Old, was the union nominee FOR CongreS%S IS IN
rem r. Davis and WAS defeated hEa majority
of 80 IN POLL OF 7,WD. Davis dying before lie
could take his sea-, Governor Perry again be-
al
Thompson, but was disabled by an accident
early in the canvass and again suffered de-
feat.
In 1Sf6 he was elected to the state Legis-
i.tNre without opposition. There he main
Gained and WAS he leading exponent ol me
principles he had always held lie opposed
The agitation o! the slavery question and was
4 warm and conspicuous advocate OF the
Louisville and Cinrinnati Railroad. lie WAS
reelected in 1888 and as chairman ol the COM
miitcc on claims became noted ior his cease.
less guardianship of the States Interests ana
his nnrecnting hostility to all that was faint
ed with eNtravagance "r subject To SuS ricinll.
On the floor H. wdS the leader OF the element
that persistently demanded and iouHht lol
changes in the system of State government
and the increase of the power OF the people.
All prisoners We're then confined in the c0un-
ty iailS, the governor and presidential elccto Is
were chosen by the Legislature, and by the
parish system the lower part of tho state was
given what Gov. Perry and those who follow
eI him believed to be undue representation in
the Senate. Against all these things Inc
fought, urging the establishment of II peDitcn
tiury, the choice of governor ind clccior by
popular vote and the equal Za,inn of the rep
rcScntaiion OF the up country and low cnun'
Try. He was almost invariably defeated N
the Legislature, but retained the confluence
and support of the people he represented.
In 1871 he was elected To the state Senate
and while a member of that body voted alone
against the resolution ordering the expulsion
from the state Of Mr.. HOar, VINO was sent here
by the State Of Massachusetts,. livery Other
senator voted for it, but Gov. Perry spoke eli
erge,ically against 1t and had his solitary vote
recorded on the nesativc side. declaring MAJ
hostile najorities had no terroIS for hin
while he was conSricntiouSly performing hi:
duty. He was defeated by Gov. Orr in an"th
er contest for Congress, tine stand OF the iattrl
in favor of Gen. Taylor securing for him tht
wbig vote in addition to the part of the Dem
ocratic vote he commanIcd. Gov. Perry wn'
chosen by the Legislature an cicctnr at larGt
for this state to vote for CaSS tor President
lie was: one of the fathers OF the Greenvillt
and Columbia Railroad and his powerful in
1luence and untiring energy contributed
much to its success >ful building.
In lS59 the secession feeling was tremendous
in the state, ana the people seemed 10 be p:;tc
tically unanimous. The sentiment was vl0
icnt and the enthusiasm great and the unI"i
party had no existence but among Il scattered
and powerlrss few. In face %! all this Gov
Perry established at Grccnvilc newspaper
the .SDit,hern Itnr:Ot. hDid and aroWcd In il!
advocacy OF the union c'uS". the one nrWSin'
per in the State maintaining tnOS" principles
He was again elected 10 the legislature an,
he and his two Colleagues frrai THIS county
were the only union men in III" body, this he
ing the one county that Stnnd for that side
IT. TIE House Gov. Perry Gelitrrcd a rim. ing
bold speech defending the union ana GrhOdnc
ing the efforts TO break it and declared that 'i'
intended ~ have that speech printed and pub
lsncd and handed down rs Il legacy to hi:
country and his rhildrcn-a premise which Il,
faithfully kept. 1t WIS tho first cheek The Sc
crssiCn movement received in this State d
. that time and was copic;l and quoted from
of - Il