The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-01-24
The Office Clear and Slate Wiped Oil.

| De ansWTred-they are all answered,
unless it be oGa or two which have
| come in this morning. All the mes
sages which | have proposed to send
10 you have ba:n sent, possibly to
the extreme qualification Of some Of
you. The record is clear. If another
man were to go down and take charge
of the office now, he would find it
clean, with nothing on his hands. The
petitions for pardon have been pass
I'D upon And l shall try-and God
help me that I may-to wipe of the
slaue and let the past be the past. l
hold, 20 help me God, in my heart,
malice for no South Carolina citizen
! remember, l said South Carolina
clllzen | hold no malice in my heart,
so help me God, towards any true
). blooded American citizen-and only
few who are not and they are not
far from us. What | say here | am
responsible for on the streets. | often
walk the streets of Columbia by my
self. | go to the Office at 10 o'clock
and stay until 2, and go back about
=, and stay until :uch hour in the even
] ing as the business will permit me to
ave. do not hide behind the go
! yxrnors Office to say or do anything.
am personally re:po.sible for every
/ word | say, and those who think
othe. wi viii lind themselves mis-
token, if they will simo!y mako up
their minds and get the courage AMI
backbone to resent an insult. But l
have endeavored to wipe the state
clean and | shall start my new ad-
ministration aS ~ 'ernoi. tor&iVlnS
everything that has been done against
me in the past because | am taught
that if | want forgiveness ] must :or-
give. l have wiped the slate clean.
Those whose duty it is to come to the
governors office will receive the kind
est treatment. Those representatives
of the people who have reconmenda-
tions to make--their recommendations,
unless there be some good reason given
to the contrary, will receive proper
CONSIDERATION. hope to serve the
people as they would have me serve.
But, understand, gentlemen, if l am
struck l propose to strike back, and
say to the man who strikes, Lay on,
Macduff, and damned be him who nrst
cries, Hold, enough"
The Habpiest Nam Ever Created.
Tell your people, please, when you
20 back home, that you saw, at i've
minutes past one o'clock, on the 2lst
day of January, 1913, the happiest man
that God Almighty has ever created.
I worked from 1890, as an humble
member of this house, until the 17th
of January, 1911, to be governor OF
my State. That was the height of my
ambition. l could have retired at he
end of my first term and truly said
to my people that they had given me
all | wanted But when l was told
that | could not be reelected, pro-
posed TO show some astute politicians
that thsy did not k..ow what they
were talking about. But, standing
before you today. having had my term
as governor endorsed. | have received
the highest honors that can be given
any man. / would rather be governor
Of South Carolina than to have any
other position in the world, except
the presidency of the United States,
and that l do not have the slightest
idea of ever having. But, gentlemen
if one of your senator's were to resign
today. and you were unanimously to
elect me to serve you in the senate Oh
the United States, l would thank you
and decline, because can do more
for my friends as governor than can
in any other capacity. Therefore, l
say to you that start the new admin
istration, having attained the highest
ambition of my life, perfectly SATISFIED
at its end, or. if it please God, in the
midst of it, to retire forever and for
ever from pubic life, and go back TO
old Newberry. And when the day
shall come that 1 shall meet my fath-
er in Heaven, on that great Judgment
dav I can look him in the face ana
say, Father, l promised you on your
dying bed that would be governor OF
South Carolina, and / am here on thls
day of final judgment to tell you that
I was governor of South Carolina
and that I kept the faith" Then l
nrl I