The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1912-01-18
UNFORTUNATE SOUTH CAROLINA

AuSg are 6uiAbJ Ol the iatASA SCAlSAS
mistake of elevating an Improper man
to the office of governor and they are
accordingly suffering the humiliation
incident to the error. In his mes
sage tc the general assembly, which
is now in session, Governor Blease
used language as is commensurate
with his theory of the dignity of the
office and the members of the house
are making commendable effort to
expunge it from the record.
Commenting on the situation, tine
Charleston Post very wisely and very
truly says:
The recommendation of the COM
mittee on the judiciary of the house
of representatives that the shocking
expressions used by the governor in
his message on the libel bill be ex-
plunged from the record of the house
on the ground that .'self-respect for
bids that dignified legislative body
should permit it to become part OF
the records Of its acts" is natural
enough and it signifies a creditaDle
disposition on the part of the mem
bers of the committee, which is doubt
less held by majority OF the house
itself. Nevertheless, the proceeding
to expunge from the record an Off
ciaI message of the governor and to
red1ce the expression of his disap-
proVal Of an act to a form accept
able to the house and in accordance
with that body's sense of the fitness
of things is a dangerous as well as
a difficult undertaking. 1t might be
said in complete objection, that the
effort is an impossible one. No edit
ing can make the message conform
to the standards of a dignifed legis-
lative body But it is not the duty
Of The house to attemp he ask. The
governors messages are not part
len records of the legislatures
ACES IL is the privilege as well as
the duty of the executive, under the
constitution, to address the general
assembly and especially is he required
to report the reasons moving him to
veto acts submitted for his signature.
The constitution imposes no limita-
lions upon the character Of his ex-
pressions, and the obligation upon him
Is clearly to give the true and full
reason for ne disapproval of meas
ures. If the governor refuses his APP
progal of the libel law because he
thinks that more efficacious method
of preventing libel is the employment
of the magazine gun against newspa-
per editors, that persuasion on the
part of the man chosen by the people
to The highest executive office in the
state represents a state of mind that
is highly illuminative of the condi-
ton of society in South Carolina, and
it should, by all means, be made
part of the public records, for the con-
sideration of the people.
The legislature is not responsible
for he acts of the governor, as it is
not responsible for his election. The
people of South Carolina have elected
the governor and, as he himself has
truly said so often, his record was
clearly written before them and they
knew what he stood for, He has not
departed from the course he has pur-
sued throughout his career in the
public life of the state and there is
no reason why anybodp should be sur
prised or startled at his present acts
or announcements. II the people ma,
changed in their attitude toward the
doctrines he inculcates or the courses
he pursues, 1t will be for them to sig
Nifty when he offers to them for re-
election, as he purposes doing. AS
the case stands now he represents the
majority of the people of South Car
DINA and the legislature has no bus
mess to undertake a restriction of
such representation.
What the governor is he is and that
he is governor is because the people
preferred him to that office. AS he
has declared nothing can wipe out the
record of his governorship. 1t stands
for the judgment of history, and any
attempt to alter it is utterly futile.
The moving finger writes, and having
writ
Moves on; nor all your piety nor wit