The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-02-22
CAPITOL CORRESPONDENCE.

CAPITOL CORRESPONDENCE.
COLUMBIA, S. c., Feb. 20, II.
The General Assembly for 1911
has passed into history, and 1t
was one which Will furnish much
food for thought and differences
Of opinion. Harmony prevailed
throughout, and Notwithstanding
the disappointments Of those who
insisted on giving to the Uni
versity ali it wanted it was rec
ogn;zed that the members who
differed from them were actaated
by a patriotic purpose.
Governor Blease has had his
eye fixed upon the work Of the
legislature, and when be saw 1t
was doing those things which ne
promised the people should rot
bedone he did not fail to be heard
from. Ee broke the record By
the numoer of his messages, and
he was the first governor to diff
fer with the general assembly IN
the matter Of making appropria-
tons. Never before since I can
recollect has a governor taken
the responsibility to veto items
in the appropriation budget, but
Governor Blease did it, and lam
sure his action will be endorsed
BY the masses. The Columbia
correspondent for the News and
Courier seems to have been taken
by surprise and claims thatlt was
said BY those close to the admin.
istration there would be no veto
by the governor to the eappropria-
ton Act. How be can make this
claim is hard to conjecture for the
reason that throughout Saturday
it was common report in the ho-
tells, on the streets, aud IN the State
House lobby that the Governor
would veto a number of items
in the bill. I heard it from sew
eral sources, and the governor
told me that he would be heard
from as soon as the appropria-
ton Act was before him for his
approval. There was no secret
about il whatever, and nc occa-
sion or excuse to think the gov
ernor would take a different ac-
tion or that he would lay down
and acquiese. True, larger
number Of the members went
home after they got their pay
certificates but this was their
own lookout, had they re-
NAMED the result would have
been about the same, with a
probability of several items
which were passed over the veto
getting the same fate Of those IN
which the veto was sustained.
The only member of the Clare2-
don delegation absent frcm the
final session waS Mr.. Mitchum;
the others remained to the last.
I voted to sustain the governor
on all of his vetoes except the
Confederate Home school, the
water rent, and the S45o for the
additional work Of the Code
Commissioner for this year. On
the fnaoce committee, the ne
iority cut ont all appropriations
for the permanent building at
the colleges, and these items
were crt out, but when the bill
went TO a free conference the
conferees reinserted t 4 e e
items, and when their report
came back to the senate for
adoption there was a hard fight
to reject it, but the free confer
ence report was adopted by one
majority. Had all the E.embers
been present I am satisfied the
result would have been reversed,
although it would have necessita-
ted another week to enact an
other appropriation Act. voted
against all the items for new
buildings, and was somewhat
surprised when I found the gov
ernor permitted the item for
Winthrop and the Citadel to re-
main, out when ! remembered
that the Citadel had been ex
cee6ingly modes. IL its requests
and the crowded condition Of the
institution, I came to the conclu
sion the governor was right n
letting it remain. An Act was
passed and approved giving to
Winthrop a science hall and the
governor could not consistently
disapprove Of this item. The
other building wanted for Win
throp vas very properly reject
ed. / did not vote against the
appropriations from any spirit
Of antagonisu towards the !nsti
tutionS Of higher learning but
because it was my Judgment
that there was money being
spent too fast and, if there was
no check put upon them, there
would be a sentiment aroused
against them which would Grip
pie the institutions, and | Sc sta
ted on the hoor There is no
doubt these institutions are do
ing splendid work, and the
people are getting ful! value for
every dollar spent but think it
is for their best interests that
they should give the people q
breathing spell and wait :; little
while for the additional improve
l.