Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1899-09-28
I eoyeraa. a. ia,S q d 8 i aswesnoy.I5

- Is y
~ Fer ~. e 81 { B ~ s;.ts the liter
| has had dsthe pleasure Of personal ac-
quaintance with s Governor N, B.
| McSweeney. Of South Car,,lins. n
the memorable deadlock congress
sional convention at Aiken, where
Dir. McSweeney was q adeyoted cham
pion of Congressman George D. Till
msn, we first came to know him we'll
as hard fighter, a loyal friend aud
a man Of good judgment and cool
load. Since then we have known
him in the conservative conduct OF
his newspaper, the Hampton Guar
dian, as, representative Of his peo-
pie in the general assembly as presi-
dent of the, senate, as the popular
lieutenant governor Of tho State, and
more recently as its chief executive.
There chanced to como within
our knowledge tho prudent, consid-
crate and self-respecting course of
tho lieutenant-governor during the
days preceding the death of the
governor, when he fingered for a
week or so on the verge of thu grave,
There were letters and tele,srams
calling him to Columbia to assume
the office of governor because of the
disability of Governor Ellerbe, which
would have been entirely permissible
under the law. We shall not soon
forget the manliness and sincerity
OF his speech in the presence of a
few intimate friends at that time.
81 am free to confess my ambition
to hold the Office of governor" said
he, "but before would 60 to Co.
lumbia and hang around like 1 was
waiting for poor John Ellcrbe to die,
or before l would seize the the office
while he is on the verge Of the grave,
| would rcnounce it forever. The
executive Office has got along thus
far during the long weeks of his ILL.,
ness, and it can continue to do so
until the end. <Governor Ellerbe
will die in harness without having
the honor stripped from him by me-"
That is not fairy tale, nor is it
hcarsay. The manly and consider
ate speech was made in our hearing.
When the end came, and M. B. Nc
Sweeney succeeded to the Office of
governor, he did so with aconscicnce
void of offence and with honest sym
patby for the man who had fallen a
victim to insidious disease. With
what credit Governor McSwccney
has borne himself in the high Office
is known to the people Of South
Carolina. During the past week it
has chanced to be our fortune to be
thrown almost constantly with Gov
ernor McSwccncy for four days, un-
der conditions free from restraint and
promotive Of intimacy. We found
him absolutely unspoilcd by the high
honor that has come to him. While
not unmindful of the dignity of his
position, there is no trace of AFRO
gance or affcctation in his dcport-
ment. The friends of Editor Nc
Sweeney, of the Hampton Guar
dian, arc the friends of Governor
McSwcency, and the humblest &C
quaintance he way have will find 90
change in his greeting now that ]e is
governor.
Justly proud Of the honorable
position he holds, he is equallyproud
of the complimentary manner in
which the people Of South Carolina
made him lieutenant governor by
their votes. A plain and unprctcn-
tious man of the people he claims to
be nothing more, but with an earnest
devotion to duty he is discharging
with simple dignity and sclf-rcspcct-
ing manlincss the obligations of his
high office. While he has worked
his way up from the bottom through
arduous toll, and cannot lay claim
to the educational advantages and
social graces of some of the courtly
men who have filed the chair of gov
crnor of South Carolina, nevcrthc-
less the Palmetto State will never
have occasion to blush for Governor
McSwcency. lie is clean and honest
and manly-proud 0! his State and
loyal to his friends.
"Princes and lords arc but tho breath of
kings.
An honest man is tho noblcst work of
God" Augusta Chronicle.
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NJ IA It. iii A.