Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-11-18
aaisfsllaatuus gsadias.
GOVERNOR AND NEWSPAPER.
Columbia Record Told to Stay Out Of
Executive Office.

Columbia Record Told to Stay Out o'
Executive Office.
The following Is published in the Co.
lumbia Record Of Tuesday afternoon:
The Editor Of the Columbia Record,
Columbia, 8. c.:
Dear Sir: Your Mr.. DAILY came to
my office this morning, and, in the
presence Of Mr.. W. F. Caldwell, OF
the News and Courier and Mr.. Leon
M. Green, Of the Charlotte Observer
asked me for a copy Of anything
which I might have to say In regard
to the death of my friend. the Hon.
George r. Rembert. This request
was made In the presence also Of my
secretary, who was at the time pre-
pairing the tribute to Mr.. Rembert
which had been dictated by me.
notice in your paper this afternoon
that you have eliminated from the
statement such sentences as suit your
convenience. In view Of such action.
in regard to such statement, at such
time, in the very presence, as IL
were, of death, beg to ask that
hereafter you eliminate entirely the
mention Of my name in your col
umns and that you ask your repre-
sentative to discontinue his visits Of
ficially to this office. Personally I
care nothing for any discourtesy to
me, in the face Of your request for
the tribute as contained in the state
ment Of Mr.. DAILY. but do abhor
such disrespect to q man-and every
inch man-who was my friend, and
who died last night, and Is now not
able to speak for himself. -
Very respectfully.
Cole L. Blease.
To this. the Record replied with
the following editorial:
8" x Gov. Blsase's Grievances.
In our Letters From the People
column today we print letter from
Governor Blease making complaint
Of the elimination Of some sentences
from an interview given by him to
the Record and other papers on the
death of the lamented George r.
Rembert, and, as a consequence, de-
manding. in effect, that we keep his
name out Of the Record and cease
sending our reporter to the execu-
tive office for news. His exact words
are:
I'm view Of such action, in regard
to such statement. at such time,
in the very presence. as It were, of
death, I beg to ask that hereafter
you eliminate entirely the mention
Of my name from your columns and
that you ask your representatives to
discontinue his visits officially to
this office. Personally care nothing
for any discourtesy to me, in the face
of your request for the tribute as
contained in the statement Of Mr..
DAILY, but do abhor such disrespect
to a .man-and every inch q man;
who was my friend, and who died last
night, and Is not able to speak for
himself.
The sentences eliminated from
Governor Blease's interview follow:
HE often discussed with me what
he proposed to do at the next session
of the general assembly. His inheri-
tance tax bill, his bill for the taxa
ton of the water powers, and some
to the present primary
laws, making the severest punish
nent for corporations or corporation
officials who contribute money for
purposes and for any ef-
fort to attempt to debauch the indi-
vidual voter. were uppermost in his
mind, and for these three things he
would have concentrated his entire
fight at the coming session. By some
he was greatly misjudged, and he
may have at some time been consid-
cred cross or selfish, but while he was
striking some he was doing 1t for
those whom he loved, and know
that in his heart he had malice to-
wards no man, and 1t was not his in
tention to injure any, but to help
those whom he loved, and Of course IL
some were injured in his fight It was
not against them that he was battling
but 1t was for the others"
1t was because of our respect for
the memory of the dead-our under
Of the proprieties Of time,
place and circumstance-that this
appeal to politics was cut out of the
interview as the Record printed 1t.
BY the universal canons Of humanity
and of good taste both war and poll
tics observe a truce at the grave. We
my be in error in adhering to these
old and possibly exploded convention
alities that exact dignity and rever-
ance in the presence of the dead.
that raises the bar for the moment
against all personal or partisan bit
terness and pickering at the bier, but
II so, we prefer to err on the side Of
thC piopiiStlCo.
With all respect to Mr. Daily, our re-
porter, we must admit that he erred in
not carrying out the rule Of the office
that required him to submit the inter-
view with the above sentences cut out
to Governor Blease for his approval
before printing. But the Record now
and always reserves to itself the right
to observe a proper and just super
vision of the matter that it prints in
its columns. Governor Blease cannot
be excepted from the rule. We cannot
and will not abdicate our functions
even to him. Mr.. Blease's penchant,
in fact, for turning every incident and
occasion, no matter how delicate, grave
personal and political account renders
1t imperative on occasions to eliminate
irrelevant and sometime even incendi-
airy matter from his public utterances
His hard and fast rule that newspapers
shall give circulation to every utter
ance he sees fit to dictate for public
consumption Is one that no self-re-
specting newspaper can docilely assent
to. 1t Is an abuse Of and tyranny over
the press where we draw the line.
The Record has been exceptionally
liberal with Governor Blease and in the
past we have given him freely, not to
say lavishly, Of our space for every
thing he chose to say within bounds.