The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-06-14
LIVE QUESTION DISCUSSED
IN ANNUAL ALUMNI ADDRESS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 81

that is tie presence of ancjnar race n
superior numbers with no moral prin
eiples and with practicall~ no -lncep-
:icn O. right .r wr-rg. Tney have not
the faintest conceptions of property
rights or of legal obligatioEs l, OF
course, refer to the negro. Judge
George w Gage, one Of the s.',..st cir
emit judas :. ti,is or any otE:::r sta:a
IN open court on one occasion made
she assertion that it was impossible to
get at the truth of any negro transac-
ton. Every negro school-house is a
menace to our civilization. Mark Twain
in his book, "Puddenhead Wilson,
shows that with all the advantages of
wealth, education and easy surround
ings, a negro will always be negro.
Every day spent in negro schools and
every dollar of property owned by the
negro tends to batter down the frail
barriers erected by the Southern States
against the negro votes. / shudder to
think of conditions once they get the
power to make laws without constitu-
tional safeguards. Those who remem-
her the terrible nightmare of Recon-
struction times will appreciate the
force of this objection. With their
growing Incidence and their acquisi-
tion of a smattering of learning and
their secret societies at home, and
encouraged by mischief makers at the
North, the old, old negro problem will
not down.
"6- But who would be able to put in
motion these mighty agencies of de-
struction? Certainly not the poor
man-the insignificant man. The
mighty corporations with their great
army of retainers and hirelings would
use them as engines to drag down any
man or law that might cross them in
their unholy purposes. The advocates
of these measures cunningly claim
that they would help in putting down
the reign of corporations. No man
who has looked deeply into the ques-
ton would for moment think so. If
you take up the people of the various
States upon whom the money pow
through factory employees, clerks, men
who are dependent on banks and men
with money have claims you will fin
the number of really independent men,
alarmingly small. Why, these great
corporations by their own operatives
have the necessary number of signers
TO put in the field any measure they
might wish or they might file a peti-
sion for the recall of any offcia1 OBJ
noxio@s g them. With their oM:er-
ship Al control OF so many na~s-
papers they could easily mislead the
people and have their pet schemes en-
acted into law, under the guise Of de-
Veloping the country or benefting the
people. Of course. they would not
fight their battles in their own proper
persons. No, they never do. They
simply buy the influence of A, B. and
c., loud-mouthed demagogues. and do
their dirty work through them. 1t will
require money. organized effort and
power to carry any election, whether
under the Oregon system or not
"T do not intend to enter fully into
the question Of the recall of officials
and especially Judges. An independ
ent, learned and fearless judiciary lies
at the very foundation of our liberties.
In our State the learning and charac
ter of the various circuit judges are
the great bulwark of protection, liber-
ty and property rights. They are the
real government for the average man.
They ought to be responsible to moth
ing except the law. We have ample pro-
lection in impeachment proceedings.
We in South Carolina have wisely de-
eidaI that tbs = :. cGo2 hat ought
not to be filled by election by the peo-
pie The judge stands between every
man and the law. He administers the
law to every man. Suppose that there
is a case in which there is much popu-
lar interest and where some
unpopular man has a valid, legal
claim, and that this matter comes be-
fore a judge and he knows that re-
call petition will be filed and a vote
mad as soon as he makes the decision.
IS this not burdening a judge with a
IoI,: hot OH tn hn no