The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-13
Put the Blame Where It Be-
longs.

| CQG OreenVlllG NEWS anu NemDCI4J
Observer, will point out to Governor
Thompson how he is to get the mo-
ney to have the enumeration made
with the Constitution so explicitly
commands and the Legislature has
so persistently refused to comply
which, we have no doubt the Governor
will be more than willing to obey the
constitutional provision. He ex-
pressly called the attention Of the
Assembly at the session before the
last to the necessity of providing for
the enumeration, and it refused to
appropriate a dollar or to make any
law for the taking Of the enumera-
ton, leaving the method provided by
the General Statutes in that behalf
without dollar to put it in execu-
ton.
When the time passed for the reg
ular discharge of the work, and it be-
came the duty of the governor under
the Constitution, so requiring him, to
have an enumeration made, he sx-
pressly asked such an appropriation
at the hands of the Legislature as
should enable him to obey the law.
In connection with this matter the
Governor said:
s'The Attorney General advised
me that such enumerations cannot,
under existing laws, be made in ad'
vance of an appropriation by the
General Assembly to defray the ex-
penses.' The Constitution imposes
upon the Governor the duty of hay
ing this enumeration made, and [
recommend that such sum be appro.
priated as maybe necessary for the
purpose"
What more could the Governor do !?
What more can he do now? He has
no right to draw dollar from the
Treasury without an appropriation
granting it.
The Constitution says, Article 2,
Section %:
"No money shall be drawn from
the Treasury but in pursuance of an
appropriation made by law
Again, singularly enough, it re-
peats in Article 9, Section 12: +.
"No money shall be drawn from
the Treasury but in pursuance of ap-
preparations made by law"
Section 10, same Article, provides {:
mo scrip, certificate or other evi,
dence of State Indebtedness, shall be
issued, except for the redemption of
stocks, bonds or other evidences of
indebtedness previously issued, or
for such debts as are expressly au-
thorized by this Constitution"
Article 16 of the Amendments pro-
vides: ITO the end that the public
debt of South Carolina may not here
after be increased without the due
consideration Of the people of the
State, the General Assembly is hore-
by forbidden to create further debt
or obligation, either by the loan of
the credit Of the State by guarantee,
endorsement, or otherwise, except for
the ordinary and current business of
the State, without first submitting the
question as to the creation of any
such new debt, guarantee, endorse
ment, loan, or loan of its credit to
the people Of the State at a general
State electian.''
In view of all this, what right has
the Governor to raise any obligation
against the State, or to draw dollar
from the Treasury to defray the ex
penses of the enumeration? Is it
not plain that the Legislatures re-
fusal TO appropriate the money need
ed has precluded the possibility of
the Governor obeying the precept Of
the Constitution? And who would
consent to do this work without a
title of evidence showing the indebt-
edness Of the State for the service
rendered, and to rely for payment on
Legislature which had already re-
fused to grant dollar for the work?
The Governor may execute law, he
can't make one. And if the people
of the State fail TO send a Legisla-
ture here prepared to obey the COM
mands Of the Constitution, the Gov
ernor can't make them do it. He
may veto an unconstitutional law,
but he cannot force the Legislature
to enact law, however needful it
may be, to enable him to discharge
the functions of his Office. This is q
grave matter, in which the Governor
is in no wise to blame, and the people
may as we'll understand at once where
the blame does lie. A greater out,
rage was never perpetrated on lawful
government than the persistent re.
fusal of the Assembly to comply with
tho Constitution in this solemn mar.