Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1911-02-23
GOVERNORS VETO SAVES STATE
MANY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS

D'O,OOO W
certain sections of the appropria-
ton bill of the General Assembly.
Items in the appropriation bill
amounting to about $50, 600 which
were vetoed by the governor re-
main in the bill, the General AS
sembly having refused to sustain
the veto. Governor Blease's rea-
sons for vetoing certain sections
Of the bill are in part as follows:
L do not veto the entire act,
but in obedience to pledges made
to the people of South Carolina in
my campaign for the Office of
governor, and doing what | be-
lieve to be right and for the best
interests of all the people, feel
to redeem those pledges and to
do my full duty that must eXer-
else the right given me under the
constitution. | do not disapprove
all of the items of said bill. but
mention specifically those which
| do disapprove.
South Carolina pays upwards
of S20,0 each year interest for
borrowing money to pay appro-
priations which are made in eX-
cess of the amount which is
collected from her levy. If you
are going to make the appropria-
tions, you should make the levy
sufficient to meet them.
Furthermore, South Carolina
has to borrow from New York
each year one-third of the money
that is appropriated to run her
government. Now. gentlemen,
behold our condition in debt,
heavily already, borrowing and
paying large interest still max
ing appropriations to do what we
are not compelled to do, and bor-
rowing money and paying inter
est to meet the deficiency This
would be disastrous INN ediately
TO private industries and must be
sooner or later to our grand old
Palmetto State. Suppose, gen
tlemen, that we were to strike a
panic like we had in 1907 and
could not borrow this money,
what a pitiful condition our proud
mother would be in unable to
meet her obligations and unable
to borrow sufficient to meet them.
Humiliation would follow and dis
aster would be the result. You
may say that the panic is not
coming. None Of US thought so
in 1907 The gambling and spec
ulation which is now going on in
this country. with a few men
controlling the entire money in
terests, may throw it upon us at
any moment. The wise man
guards against such contingent
cies. Shall we be wise, or shall
we be like the foolish virgins,
with our lamps not trimmed and
burning?
See the amount of appropria-
tionS for 1911; compare with that
the fact that your revenue for
this year from indirect sources
ESTIMATED by your comptroller,
who should know from his long
experience i'm that office) is $24E,
700. Your taxes, at a levy of
53-4 mills on $297, 755, 600 (ac-
cording to the estimate by the
same party will bring in 81, 573,
62l. making YOU a grand total
of 81, SIC, 321. Now, gentlemen.
look on the other side of the bal
ance sheet and see what amounts
this bill appropriates. Where is
the money? How can we pay it?
The people of South Carolina said
to me: Check it. The people
of South Carolina are saying tC
you: Relieve us from our bur
den; the yoke is heavier than we
can bear
Gentlemen, you have seen fiji
not to do it. L do not criticise
you. You are a separate anC
distinct department of this gov.
ernment, but | said on every
stump in this State that what was
needed in the executive office was
man who had the political cour.
age and the backbone to veto
these appropriations when they
were eXtravagant, and that if
was elected | would do it. The
majority of the people of South
Carolina believed me and | must
be true to my trust, let the con.
sequences be what they may. The
responsibility will not rest on me,
but those who have brought about
the conditions which | attempt
to avoid. When all of us agair
appear before the sovereign peo.
pie, they must pass judgment