The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-12-09
GOVERNOR RICHARDSON.
THE INSTALLATION OF our NEW
EXECUTIVES.


Governor John Peter Richardson was
duly inaugurated on Tuesday the Both
ult., in the Opera House at Columbia.
After taking the oath of office, Governor
Richardson made his inaugural address,
as follows:
Gentlemen of the Senate and House
Of Representatives: 1t is with deep
sense of the responsibility and oblig0-
ton / assumed that / have Just taken in
this solemn presence the constitutional |
oath Of office as Governor Of South Car |
olina.
With no ordinary emotion, and with q |
heart full of gratitude to the people of |
this State, through whose partial kind |
ness / am the recipient of this exalted |
honor, 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 n devoted
son of Carolina.
Sincerely dlstrustiul ol my own abili-
ties, ] confidently rely upon you, their
liberal and conservative action as will
render the progress of the State in
material prosperity rapid and the cXec,,-
tive administration of her affairs easy.
TO the most unobservant and inditrer-
cnt it must be apparent that these are
times fruitful Of vast and pressing
problems, social, Industrial and econom-
ic, both i'll State and national affairs,
which demand for their solution the ablest
talent and most unselish 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, rigidly
confined the attention of our people to
the seemingly hopeless and Herculean
task Of wrestling from chaos of cor.
ruption and venality in all their hidcous
forms, and of universal malfeasancc in
official life, such as had never before dis
graccd the annals of civilized commu-
nifty, order and good government.
How successfully, how marvclously,
this has been accomplished, need l at.
tempt to describe? Surely, it can never
bo possible that the deep, soul-burning
humiliations, the crushing tyranny, the
ruinous taxation we SO long endured, the
bold etfrOntery of loathSome vice in high
through the streets of this beautiful
"
and been forgotten like the idlo tcrrors
OF dream, amidst the quoting, rcstful
surroundings of the renewed peace, order
and good government we now SO bounti-
fully enjoy. 70 the people Of Carolina,
verify believe, one of the greatest mis-
fortunes that could occur would be an
oDllvlOuS disregard Of Il former expert
cnco that, upon the least cessation of
vigilance on their part, might, and would
almost surely, again become 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 cx-
traordinary condition of political and
social life under which II people ever
lived, ] do not think there can ever come
amy delugc Of lcthGan waters SO over
whclming as to sink into oblivion the bit.
tor memories of the past. Sad, indeed
would be the sure results of criminal for
8ctfulncss of a lesson so roughly taught
so hcroicnliy learned! No, this cal
never be. We are again in the house @
our fathers, as masters and rulers, ant
we are here to stay us such for all time
but to stay inspired by the true instincts
of liberty and animated solely 10y Il higl
and patriotic purpose to dispense even
handed justice, to maintain the purit,
OF our institutions, and to secure to III
classes and conditions of our citizens
every legal, constitutional and inhcrcu
right Of man.
With the mcStimnblc udynutaprs o
good and honest government once NOR,
surrounding us, like IL lifc-giving atmos
phere, how bright the prospect fora rapi,
advance Ill all the arts of peace and il
the accumulation Of the wealth to whicl
our wonderful resources of soil un(
climate so Justly cntitle us! True, W,
are Just Mt this time IN IL condition o.
great business depression, common tt
every interest Of the whole world, and in
no way peculiar to ourselves, save, per
haDs, III complications arising from the
transition phase through which oul
agricultural industry is now passing. To
this great interest we should certainly
give promptly that attention which its
importance to the general welfare 50 i'm.
pcrativcly demands. We should ap,
proach its consideration with that calm.
ness OF Judgment and freedom from pas.
SION so essential to reaching wise conclu-
slons. The Department of Agriculture,
to whose charge its interests have been
ntruStcd, and whose development has
been the object of such earnest, faithful
and successful efforts, should be sus-
famed and fostercd. All laws upon our
statute books tending TO the rotaldation
OF lts development, or calculated to
direct its energies into unprofitable
channels, should be at once repealed,
and such measures only as arc absolutely
needed for its proper encouragement
should be enacted
Perfect freedom of action and uldg-
ment IS the most efficient incentive to
successful oXertion il all the occupations
OF life. This it is the duty of any govern
ment to insure to any citizen, whether
walking in the paths of commerce, fol |
lowing the professions, or gathering the
wealth Of nature from our tecming for
e$tS and causing our fruitful fields to
yleld their abundant increase. | speak |
MS farmer, who loves his calling with
M ordor inherited from ancestors devoted
solely to the tillage OF the soil, and
WI whose instincts, allinities and sympathicy
are, therefore, naturally and warmly en-.
llStGU III the successful EuIhoror 90 |