Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-01-14
LOOKS LIKE MIX.UP.

AS the result Of a mistake of the
county Democratic executive commit
tee last fall in certifying the primary
recommendation for the appointment
of Joseph w. Smith and White w.
Jackson up to the state Democratic
executive committee instead OF to the
county legislative delegation, there
has developed a situation that might
have led to quite serious complications
had 1t not been discovered before the
trouble went too far.
In the last issue of The Enquirer ap-
peared this paragraph. '"The first
business Of the session was the swear
ing in Of the new men, Messrs. Joseph
w. Smith and White w. Jackson, who
were recommended in the primaries OF
last August and. September and who
were duly appointed by the governor
without awaiting the convening Of the
general assembly" 1t was this para
graph that has brought about investi-
cations that are important In their
bearing.
Seeing in the statement that
which might be enormously construed
as reflection on the administrative
ability Of his chief, Mr.. w. H. Black
burn, Of the governors office, wrote
the editor of The Enquirer a personal
letter in which appears the following:
"As secretary, having immediate
charge of such matters, beg leave to
call your attention to the fact that the
commissioners Of election or your
county, Messrs. Neil, Byers and Kirk
patrick, certified that these commits
soners were elected in the general
election, each receiving 1856 votes,
thereby making them elective officials
and not appointive. Upon their GER
tificate to the secretary Of state, that
official issued commissions which were
duly signed by the governor-this be-
ing a matter entirely without the dis
cretion Of the governor, they having
been elected, and 1t only being In his
power to commission"
From facts with which The Enquir-
er has been cognizant ever since the
recent general election there Is no
question Of the correctness OF Mr..
Blackburn's statement; but In view Of
this statement, and for the sake of the
correctness of the record, it Is now
proper that the whole story Of the
matter be published.
Under the law, section 93S Of the
civil code the county commissioners
are elected in some of the counties and
in others they are appointed by the
governor on the recommendation OF
the county delegation in the general
assembly. York Is one Of the counties
in which the governor appoints the
county commissioners upon the recon-
mendation of the county legislative
delegation. The commissioners have
been so appointed since the enactment
Of the present law, and although the
supervisor elected by the people, goes
into office on the first Tuesday In
January. next, after his election, the
new commissioners have not hereto
fore been taking office until after they
have been duly recommended by the
legislative delegation and appointed by
the governor, which has usually been
some time in February.
Although when he went to vote in the
general election, the editor Of The En-
quirer learned that the names Of the two
gentlemen who had been recommended
in the primary for appointment by the
governor as county commissioners,
were on the regular county ballot, he
said nothing about 1t at the time. He
was aware of the fact that the raising
of the point would have made the
whole ticket illegal, and as there was
no way in which the error could be
corrected at that time, 1t was thought
best to let it go, and for reasons that
were good, there was no published
mention of the fact that county COM
missioners were being voted for.
The editor of The Enquirer was
present when the board Of election
commissioners convened as a county
board of canvassers, and incidentally
mentioned the fact that the county