The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-01-23
THE INAUGURAL MESSAGE.
The Governor and Lieutenant Gov
ernor are Inducted Into Office

Thursday at noon the inauguration
of the recently elected State official.
took place at the State capitol. 'rh,
oath of Office was admnisted to tho
Governor and Lieutenant Governor
elect in the hall Of the House of Re
presentatives.
Although the day was inclement, q
large crowd assembled to witness the
ceremonies, and the two hundred
South Carolina college students who
formed the governors escort were not
able to crowd into the hall.
The Columbia orchestra in the gal
lcry rendered several inspiring selcc-
tions while the crowd was gathering
and during intcrmissions in the exer-
clses.
at II o'clock Mr.. Wilson, the SER
geant-at-arms Of the House announced
that the honorable, the Senate is in
waiting" The Speaker commanded
the House to Use and receive the SEN
ate.
When the Senate had been seated
the joint assembly was called to order
by the President of the Senate. I'm
mediately afterwards the sergeant at
arms announced the Govcrnor-elect
and his escort in waiting. The Joint
assembly arose to receive the dis
tlnguished party. The orlcr in which
they came was: Chief Justice Henry
Mclver and Rev. Jno. o. Wilson, ID.
d.; Hon. Y. j. Pope, associate justice,
and Col. Willie Jones, chairman State
Democratic executive committee; Hon.
Ira B. Jones, associate Justice, and
Representative II. II. Rainstord; M. b.
McSwppnpU
tor Louis Appelt; James II. Tillman,
Lieutenant GOvernor-elect, and Repre-
sentative w. III. Parker Then fol-
lowed the other new State officials; G..
duncan Bellinger, attorney general;
M. IL. Cooper, secretary of State; Jno.
l.. Dcrham, comptroller general; Jno.
d. McMahan, State superintendent of
education; r.. II. Jennings, State trca-
surer. Capt. Jennings was accompani-
eu by the retiring treasurer, DR.. w. III.
zimmerman. AS an escort for the
State officials were Senator j. S. Brice
ana Representatives j. G.. Campbell,
w. III. Wells and j. w. Crum. The
faculty of the South Carolina college
were also in the party.
Inc GoNernOr-elect and his escort
were seated on the rostrum behind the
Speakers desk. 1t was an impressive
scene. Hon. Robt. b Scarborough,
the retiring Lieutenant Governor,
gowned in the handsome new hello
trope silk robe Of the president of the
senate, took charge of the eXcrcis
Dy his side stood the Speaker of cs.
House, gowned inroyal purple. Group
ed around them were the men who are
TO conduct the affairs of State, while
conspicuous in all this array were the
justices of the supreme court, McIvcr,
Jones ami Pope. The exercises were
opened with prayer by DR.. Wilson.
The preacher referred feelingly to the
illness of George ID. Tillman, father of
The Lieutenant Governor-elect.
MIR. Scarborough then announced.
" The Hon. Miles B McSweeney, gov
ernor elect, is present and ready to
qualify" The Governor stepped for.
ward and gave assent TO the oath of
office administered by the venerable
Chief Justice McIver.
After he had taken the oath the Gov
ernor addressed the General Assembly
as follows:
Gentlemen of the General Assembly:
In taking the oath of office for the
second time as chief executive of this
great State l feel more keenly than
ever the responsibilities which rest
upon me. L realize the poverty of
my vocabulary when | endcavor TO
express my appreciation to this people
for the partiality which they have
shown in elevating me to this exalted
position, and when | think of the
duties and responsibilities which the
position carries with it l am brought
lace to face with my own weakness.
beg that you will convey to the pco-
pie whom you represent my heartfelt
appreciation Of the honor which they
have conferred upon me and that you
will also carry to them my pledge to
give them the best service of my head
and heart in the administration of the
office to which they have elected me.
1t was, ! believe, the greatest gen
cral OF modern times who said, "The
grandest and most expressive word in
the English language is duty" Dur
ing the time that 1 have held the office
OF governor my main purpose has been
TO discharge my duty honestly and con.
scieEtiously and without fear or favor.
During the term upon which i am
now entering all that / can say is that
this same purpose will characterize my
every action.
But the same responsibility which
rests upon the executive is also laid,
only with a greater degree, upon the
members of the legislature. My prov
ince is only to execute the laws. You
are clothed with poTOr and authority
to change existing laws and TO make
new laws and by your action you can
either clog the wheels of progress or
give them new impetus.
Our forefathers builded wisely when
they provided that the three depart
ments of government should be forever
separate and distinct. 1t has been my
honest cndeayor and purpose to recog-
nize this division of our government
and TO let each department discharge
the duties belonging to that dcpart-
ment. In complying with the man
date of the constitution to lay before
the general assembly review of the
different departments cf government
and to make such suggestions as may
seem proper to the chief executive, 1
have not presumed to dictate or under
taken TO control legislation but haze
simply made such suggestions as
seemed to me just and necessary. BY
wise and careful and prudent action