The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1912-04-03
TELLS Of HIS WORK
Why CREIGHTON Wis EMPLOYED
By GOV BLEASE.
WAS 4 PATRIOTIC DUTY

WAS A PATRIOTIC DUTY
Which Was to Gather Information
Touching the Violation Of the
Criminal Laws of the State, the
Nor-Enfor, ement Of the Same and
Report to the Governor.
In the last issue Of his paper, the
Christian Appeal, C. ". Creighton
makes the following statement un-
der the caption Of Personal, in
which he tells Of his appointment oy
Governor Blease to some kind Of an
Office with a good fat salary attached:
In the closing days OF March OF last
year we received letter from Gov
ernor Blease requesting US TO come
TO Columbia. We went and met the
Governor in his Office. The Governor
told US that he needed trustworthy
man to assist him in the enforcement
Of the law throughout the state and
explained 10 Us in detail what our
duties would be in case we accepted
the position. After a thorough un-
derstanGing Of the work we were e1-
pected to do we accepted the position
and the Governor fixed the salary and
gave US our commission. We entered
hopefully upon the work and have
done what we could in the way OF
discharging the trust reposed in US:
Our chief duty has been to gather
information touching the violation OF
the criminal laws Of the state, the
non-enforcement of the same and re-
port the facts to the Governor. 10
our mind this was a patriotic duty
thatevery law-abiding man would
gladly perform.
little thought will make clear
to every person the importance OF
such information 20 the Governor IN
the enforcement Of the law and the
great benefit to the state and society
generally.
In this state there are to-day only
six counties in which the sale OF IL
ouor is legally authorized; the oth-
ers are strictly speaking prohibition
counties and in these counties We
knew the law was on trial. In these
prohibition counties the enforcement
Of the law originates with and de-
wolves upon the Governor, and yet 1t
is in the power Of the local authorl-
ties to seriously hamper his efforts
ard defeat the law.
We have always had an earnest
desire to do something to aid in the
enforcement OF the law against the
Illegal sale Of liquor and when Gov
e-nor Blease gave authority to look
after the enforcement Of this law 1t
was like the realization Of cherish
ed hope long abandoned. We hne"
that we would have the Governor
and his constabulary and every coun-
tv officer that he could reach at our
back and we believed that cur ef-
forts would not be without benefit 70
the state and society and IN this we
have not been disappointed.
Our duty was not confined to this
particular sphere Of activity but IN
Guided the whole field and we there
fore gathered information and report
o5 m me enforcement Of other laws.
The fact that we were employed
70 assist the Governor in this way
was not published to the world; a
man following up the enforcement o.
the law does not take a press agent
along with him and yet it was known
The warrants for our salary ana
vouchers we're on fle in public OF
fees and showed that they were
paid from the fund for the enforce
rent Of law and order. This was
enough to show fair and impartial
men that we were employed in that
dara-tment Of the public service.
But a few papers in the state have
tried to create sensation over the
fact that we were paid a salary oy
the Governor. The State newspaper
went so far as to ask US to state the
nature of our services. This We
fatty refused to Go; it was piece OF
;rnpe-tinance and an efor. to lntruae
into our private business. That pa
ier went farther and insinuated that
there was something mysterious IN
oar ;elation to the Governor's Office
and the payment Of our salary. We
fnd it utterly impossible to command
language 20 properly characterize
that ins:n"ation. However, when
Governor Blease gave out an inter
view in which he detailed our en-
clovroent. our duty and services rem
daraS there was but one thing left
for that paper as an honorable jour
ral 10 Go, and it has not been done.
Some Of the papers referred TO
have not lifted hand or voice to as
sis. in the enforcement OF the law
aut every day food these prohibition
counties with liquor advertisements,
not even excepting the Sabbath.
thereby Offering men every induce
men 10 violate the law. These same
oapers viii be crying out later, pro
hibition is a failure.
We have undertaken a. patriotic
but laborious duty, just the duty that
every law-abiding man who feels an
interest in the elevation Of public
morals and the promotion Of civic
righteousness owes to his state.
Those who feel as we do and agree