The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-12-09
GOVERNOR RICHARDSON.
Inauguration OF the New Governor

Inauguration OF the New Governor.
Governor Richardson vas inaugurated
in the Opera House at Columbia on
Tuesday, 9Oth ult., in the presence Of
both branches of the Legislature and q
large crowd Of spectators. After taking
the oath, the Governor delivered the
following address:
Gentlemen Of the Senate and House Q,
Representatives 1t is with deep sense
of the responsibility and obligation
assume, that / have just taken in this
solemn presence the constitutional oath
of Office as Governor of Snuth Carolina
With no ordinary emotion, and with a
heart full Of gratitude to the people Of
this State, through whose partial kind
ness l am the recipient of this exalted
honor, I this day enter upon the dis.
charge Of its high duties, to the faithful
honest, vigilant and patriotic execution
of which / pledge the honor Of devoted
son Of Carolina.
Sincerely distrustful of my own abili.
ties, l confidently rely upon you, their
chosen representatives, for such wise,
liberal and conservative action as will
render the progress of the State in ma
terial prosperity rapid and the executive
administration of her affairs easy.
To the most unobservant and indiffer.
ent it must be apparent that these are
times fruitful of vast aud pressing prob
lens, social, industrial and economic,
both in State and national affairs, which
demand for solution the ablest talent and
most unsel6sh patriotism. Notwithstaud.
ing 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, rigidly confined
the attention of our people to the seem.
ingly hopeless and Herculean task of
wrestling from q chaos of corruption and
venality in all their hideous forms, and
of universal malfeasance in official life,
such as had never before disgraced the
annals of civilized community, order
and good government.
How successfully, how marvelously,
this has been accomplished, need attempt
to describe? Surely, it can never be
possible that the deep, soul-burning
humiliations, the crushing tyranny, the
ruinous taxation we so long endured, the
bold effrontery of loathsome vice in
high places that stalked in open daylight
through the streets of this beautiful
capital, have so soon passed out of mind
and been forgotten like the idle terrors
of dream, amidst the auicting, restful
surroundings of the renewed peace, order
and good government we now so bounti-
fully enjoy. To Tie people of Carolina,
I Ycrily believe, one of the greatest mis-
fortunes that could occur would be obliy-
ious disregard of former experience
that, upon the least cessation of vigilance
on their part, might, and would almost
surely, again become terrible possibility.
The same elements 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 extraordinary con-
dition of political and social life under
which people ever lived, | do not think
there can ever come any deluge of Leth
can waters so overwhelming as to sink
into oblivion the bitter memories of the
past. Sad, indeed, would be the sure
results of criminal forgetfulness of a
lesson SO roughly taught, SO heroicaily
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 tho truo instincts of liberty
and animated solely by high and patri-
otic purpose to dispense even.handed
Justice, to maintain the purity Of cur
institutions, and to secure to all classes
and conditions Of cur citizens every legal,
constitutional and inherit right OF man.
With the inest;ulablo advantages Of
good aud homes! government once more
Surrounding US, Ike a life giving atmos-
phere, how bright the prospect for rapid
advance in all the arta of peace and in
accumulation Of the wealth to which our
wonderful rosourcoi Of soil aud climate
SO Justly cn:itle US True, We arc just at
this tins 10 condition of great business
depression, COMMON to every interest Of
the whole world, aud iu no way peculiar
to ourselves, save, perhaps, in complica'
tio1s arising from the transition phase,
through which our agricultural industry
is Cow passing. To this great interest we
should certainly give promptly that at
ton:iou which its importance to the gen.
eral welfare SO imperali;ely demands.
We should approach its consideration
with that calmness Of judgment and
freedom from passion so essential to
reaching wise conclusions. The Depart
ment Of Agriculture, to whose charge its
interests have been entrusted, and whose
development has been the object of such
earnest, faithful and successful efforts,
should be sustained and fostercd. al!
laws upon our statute books tending TO
the retarda!ion Of its development, or
calculated to direc. its energies into an-
profitable channels, should be at once
repealed, and such measures only as are
absolutely needed for its proper cncour,
agerlent should be enacted.
Perfect freedom OF action aud judg
ment is the most efficient incentive to
successful excrtion in ali the occupations
Of life. This it il tlc duty Of govern
mcnt to iusure tc every citizen, whether
walking in The paths Of commerce, To-.
lowing the professions, OF gathering Tie
wealth Of nature from our tearling forests
and causing our fruitful fields to yield
their abundant Increase I speak as a
farmer, who loves his calling with an
ardor inherited from ancestors devoted
solely to the tiilage Of the soil, aud
whose instincts, a!fnities end sympat!ies
a,e, Therefore, naturally and warmly
enlisted il The successful furthersnce Of
that first, grsndest and mobiles! Of pur
suits. A lai. field, untrannc!od oppor
tunities, exact justice, freedom from
Discriminating legislation, and such
encouragement as is entirely within the
legitimate sphere Of government, is all
the American citizen asks or needs, and
constitute the very fundamental princl-
pies of the iibert; for which Washington
fought and conquered, aad il defense of
which our heroes crirsoncd the countless
hills and valleys Of The Sunny South.
May the genius CT liberty preside for.