The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-01-19

~ press" which. with the assistance
1 "ot II number of men who call them
/ selves ministers Of the Gospel ICED
save the markD stood behind thei!
/ pulplts ana gave vent to malice and
! ISLANDERS OF the most virulcnt and ma
! l!cious nature against me; all OF these,
! combined with others. making a set OF
thieves. the mcancst and most con-
temp,iblo people known to men,
That was hot talk. for a fact; but
il was not conclusive upon any point
We really do not believe that all the
newspapers In South Carolina and y
respectable contingent of tho ministers
in that state are either liars or thieves.
and we are sorry that the now Cover
nor has wcll-nigh confirmed. by his
first official message. the absolute truth
OF at least one thing upon which tho
press and large section OF the pulpit
of his state agreed, his utter untitness
for the Office to which lie has been
chosen. we are still hoping, however
that. having gotten rid of part of his
bile, he will settle down and try as
hard as he can to do himself some
credit and the State some service. In
which event, we are sure the news
papers that he denounces and the
clergy whom lie contcmns will be
pleased to applaud him as they are
with abundant reason now compelled
to distrust him.
In, trI f,,r
yations Of the Governor OF South Caro-
lima are the uttcranccs OF the Governor
OF New York, a state III which the lIb-
crty OF the press has often lcgoncratcd
into the widest license. and where the
mnck-raker has committed his most
vicious outrages. Speaking to the edt-
tors and publishers of the Associated
Datlies of New York upstate papers
at their annual meeting at Albany on
Tuesday, the very day on which Gov
ernor Blease poured GU, the Walls OF
his wrath upon the South Carolinians,
Governor Dix said:
Whatever may be said of the defects
OF modern newspapers. It cannot be de-
MED that they are great corrective
forces In our system of life and of gov.
eminent. Without the criticism and
indeed the guidance of newspapers that
are conducted with n View to serving
the people and focusing the light on
every public deed ana utterance, self
government would he impossiblc
1T Is tho fashion at times to COM
plain of unfair treatment by news.
papers and their representatives. But
this l personally am compelled 10 say,
that never once in my career. not even
during the strenuous political cam
raiSn from which ! have jus, emerged.
havc been consciously misrepresented
or deliberately ana maliciousIy treated
with unfairness by single newspaper.
regardless Of politics or party"
II is true that there is wide DIFF.
ference between these two Governors.
and that they really should not be
mentioned in the same breath but
they both represent sovereign states.
and It is a hard thing to think. even
if it be harder to say. that Blease Is
as typical of South Carolina in its pres
ent unhappy political condition as Dix
is OF New York. People are Judged by
their representatives and by the pup
poses for which they stand. There is
nothing in Governor Dix Of which even
his most pronounced enemies need be
ashamed: his office is honored by him.
We have been saying and praying ana
hoping that Blease would disappoint
his enemies by proving that they had
misrepTesented him outrageously In
their bitter campaign agains: him. ANA
we are stili praying and hoping thar
he will come up TO the fun measure
Of his great opportunity; but he has
made a bad start Il he keep UP this
lick, he will confirm ,heir Judgment
of him. and for his sake. MS well as
for the sake of tie State. that would
he very bad. TO prove that they are
liars and thieves, he mus, not estab-
fish hy his official utterances and con-
duct that he is a blacksuard.