The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1896-09-16
Governor Evans Coed Bye.
at May be for Years and 1t May
Forever.

over and the result officially declared
I feel it my duty TO thank my friends
and supporters and to say a few
words to the public at large. I came
t. the Governorship of the State
with the policy Of the Reform move
nent thoroughly outlined aud given
to ne by the Reformers who had
nominated me and l have been con-
fronted by many difficult and i'm
poltant problems for solution. These
problems were political, Legislative
and judicial. and while not altogether
of my own making it was my duty
as the leader Of my faction to shirk
nc duty imposed upon me by my
party, my predecessor in ofice or the
General Assembly. Under such cir
cumstance, there was but one course
open to me, which was to carry out
as faithfully and as earnestly as pos
sible, and with all the means placed
in my hands, the laws OF the State
and The expressed will of the ma
iority.
In the performance of my duties I
met with most serious difficulties and
necessarily made mary enemies, more
political than personal, for the reason
as IS we'll known there has been from
the beginning Of the Reform move
ment up to the present time a MI
nority faction which have been &C.
tive, vigilant, bitter and untiring;
ready to take any course or adopt
any measures calculated to make my
admins istration failure and restore
them to power. From this faction
I could expect nothing save implace-
able opposition to my administration.
7, of course, was not surprised at
their bitter opposition to my election
as United States Senator, but I did
expect tbe support and hearty co
operation of at least the beneficial
ries of the Reform movement. Had
I known at the beginning what was
to occur during the campaign, 1
might we'll have said, "Save me from
my friends and I will take care OF
my enemies" No doubt many
changes had taken place in the minds
If Individuals on matters connected
| with the Reform movement and the
State government. The final result
of this election, unfortunate as it is
to our faction and to me, is due, in
the first instance, to the thorough or
garization of the Conservative MI
nority, which fought me with all
the bi'terpess and vituperation, not
for the reason, as is sought to be in
culcated by their newspapers, Of any
unworthiness on my part, bu' simply
because I represented the Reiolm
movement, aud the principles which
they had fought since 1890. This
was made TO succeed by the co opera
ton of my so called friends aid
members CT my political family who,
while pretending to support me and
ny administration, were really stab
bing me in the back ard finally
united with the opposition, which
was powerless without their help, to
accomplish my defeat. Ii the Re-
form party has been injured by this
campaign or my defeat ''is the be-
ginning Of the end" let the blame
rest upon the heads of the traitors
and false friends in our own ranks
without whose help it could not have
been accomplished. Who these
! pa,tes are need not state here, for
late developments have exposed some
Of them and time will uncover the
others to the public.
l can find no words with which to
fully express my deep appreciation
| OF the adherence and steady devotion
and love of principle of the forty
thousand Reformcrs who remained
50 LOYAL to Our cause and to me, re-
sardlvss Of all the SANDER, misrep.
reSentation aud abuse that have been
heaped Upon US by open foes and Sc
cret enemies. When we take into
consideration the persis!ency with
which slander and misrepresentation
were repeated, though so often re
fntea, net only by individuals, but by
a partisan ana unscrupu!ous press,
which seemed bent upon making our
people believe the statements of men
in whom they had no confidence and
reports with out any foundation, it
seems wonderful that a crater hum
! bec Of our people were rot made to
believe them and to vote against ne.
1t is beautiful example, however,
and will ever serve TO make me az
preciate and have confidence in the
honesty CT the masses. II shall be
the Droli les. rec ELECTION OF my life