The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-04-09
sign SCHOOL Note.
GOVERNOR BLEASE GAVE IN At
LAST MINUTE
SCHOOLS WILL NOW RUN
The Governor Had to Come Across,
Couldn't Stand the Gaff," Says
Comptoller.G General Jones-Supt.
Swearingen and Treasurer Carter
Severely Arraign Governor.

Swearingen and Treasurer Carter
Severely Arraign Governor.
"Celey needn't try to twist and
squirm. We put the ring in his nose
all right and rope il the ring. /
am not at all surprised at his signing
the note, as we put 1t up to him and
he had to come across. He couldn't
stand the Gaff," was the comment OF
Comptroller A. ". Jones, Thursday
afternoon, when shown the interview
Governor Blease gave out accompany
ing his statement that he had affixed
his signature to the note for $4,000
in borrowing money for the rural
schools, the Comptroller-General and
the State Treasurer having previous
" signed their names.
The Palmetto Bank Thursday in
formed the Governor that the note
was not negotiable unless signed by
him along with the Comptroller-Gen-
eral and the State Treasurer. He
signed the note and the Palmetto
Bank on the note signed by these
three officers loaned the State the
$4,000 necessary for the common
schools to finish out their term this
year.
In an interview, the Governor
charged that the Comptroller-Gen-
eraI, the State Treasurer and the Su-
perintendent Of Education had tried
to injure him politically in this mat
ter by hoping that he wouldn't sign
the note and thus be able to say that
he closed the schools. It was in re-
ply to this criticism that the Comp
eroller-General made the comment
quoted when asked If he had any
statement to make.
Swearingen's Views.
State Superintendent Of Education
Swearingen was more emphatic in his
characterization Of the Governor.
Said he:
"Politics have not Influenced my
course in this matter. Finding that
he had to sign the note for $4,000
or to bear the reproach Of closing the
schools, the Governor quit his crazy
foolishness and affixed his signature.
I am compelled 10 believe that he did
80 with reluctance. No intelligent
man will claim that the money could
have been borrowed without the Gov
ernor's signature. He waited month
to give it, although I have asked
him once in person and twice in writ
ing to lend his cooperation. He
imagined that the note would never
be presented to him. He tried every
means to avoid signing it His bull
fighting interview is not the shout or
the victorious matadour, but the dy-
ing snort Of the vanQuished bull, suf-
fering from the ring in his nose plac-
ed there by his own folly.
"The spleen and billingsgate OF
the Governor do not vex me. He tried
to defeat the one-uill school tax by
vetoing the law. Fortunately the leg
islature passed it over his veto. He
tried to nullify the operation OF the
law by refusing to borrow the money
to make it effective. He has failed
second time. The cry Of politics Is
made simply because the Governors
political ambition will probably suffer
because Of his self-centred statesman
ship.
"The school trustees Of Anderson
meet May 5 to discuss this situation,
and the school trustees Of Greenville
meet May to have the same discus
sion. The country people whose
schools may now run six or eight
weeks longer should feel grateful to
the Chief Executive for the benevo-
lent interest he has been forced to
manifest in the educational welfare
of their children"
Carter's Comment.
In similar vein State Treasurer S.
r. Carter fays the Governor: He
says:
1.-THE Governor, as usual, has so
distorted the facts that his interview
is hardly worthy Of note. 1t is a
question as to who put the ring in his
nose, but it served the purpose. The
Governor is probably chafng from his
failure to stab the Comptroller-Gen-
eral and State Treasurer in the back,
behind closed doors, when he sent a
request to the Senate finance commit
tee asking that others be put on the
borrowing committee in their place
and because he went openly before
the Senate and asked that his request
be complied with.
eff this last circus performance is
g sample of the lessons taught by
the Governor, he will have to con-
tinue his school
After quoting copy Of the letter
of Washer Matthews, Of the Palmetto
Bank, to him, and the cashier to the
attorneys Of the bank and their reply
which, in substance stated that the
note to be legal and binding on the
State must be signed by the State
Treasurer, Comptroller-General, and
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