The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-03-22
The Governor and the Wind-Up
Commission.

The Governor and the Wind-Up
Commission.
On January "a Governor Biease
sent to the General Assembly a spe-
Cial message in which he bitterly as.
sailed the record Of the winding-up
commission Of the old State Dispen-
sGry. rehearsipg various reports to
their discredit which he stated had
teen poured into his ears, and ex-
Crting the legislators that "A thor
ough investigation of this entire mat
of satisfaction to your constituents"
There are those" he continued
who believe that the State has lost
more through the winding-up COM
mission than it has ever lost through
the State dispensary system. Wheth-
er this be true or not, it is not for
me to say. 1 hold my belief as to
corruption, but the people Of South
Carolina are entitled - the fullest
and trcest Investigation ON your part.
before the report OF these men isl
received ana they are discharged as
public officials"
Against this demand for a turning
on Of the light that the public might
tc fully advised as to all that the
commission had done and it's reasons
therefor not a dissenting voice was
raised. The commission or various
members Of it insisted that all that
they had done should be fully prob
ed. The legislature provided for the
investigation sought.
So far as the public is advised.
however. Governor Blease has never
signed the Act ordering the investi-
cation. Instead, he called upon the
commission for certain information.
which was promptly furnished. and
now he does the very thing which h .
warned the General Assembly against
doing-undertakes himself to pass
'N"oiNh' upoh tie WOTK OF the
commission. The Governor in sum-
marilw removing the head of the
commission is acting within the scope
or MS authority, but he is utterly |
violating every suggestion Of decency
in the circumstances. Having him
self preferred charges against the
commission, having himself appealed
to the Legislature to provide the
means for determining whether the
commission had discharged its obli-
cations honestly and patriotically.
his present procedure must be regard
ell as being as arrogant as his course
In general has been vacillating.
Meantime, it is we'll to bear in !
mind the purpose for which the wind
lng-up commission was formed and
the circumstances under which the
various members Of the commission
were appointed. The State disnen-
sary had been repudiated by the reo-
pie Of South Carolina as utterly rot
ten. The task remained Of clearing
away the fetid remains. 1t was nastv
work and it was only by appeaIine
to their patriotism that Gov. Anso,
prevailed upon men like John Me-
Sween and Avery Patton and T
Steele Brice to undertake It. We
shall not believe, whatever mistakes
the commission may or many not have
made, that its members have been
animated In the discharge Of THAR
duties as commissioners by anv
spirit save that OF lively sense Of
their obligations to the Common.
wealth. For Governor BIease to nm
dertake In this manner to blacken
their reputation or that OF any ona
or them is an outrage. Why has no
refused TO permit the official investi-
cation for which he clamored? Ia
nc AFRAID OF the Vcrd'cto Ys tborc
anything in the record which ~
doesn't wish To have como cuto