The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-01-22
ATTACKS TILLnAN
BIEASE WOULD ALSO MUzzLE TIE
STATE PRESS

STATE PRESS
ASKS FOR new LIBEL Law
Attacks the Senior Senator for the
Letter he Wrote to Harrison Fer
guson During the Last Campaign
and the Newspaper Men for Print.
ns the Same.
In special message 70 tho General
Assembly on Thursday Governor
B,ease made a bitter attack on Sem
ator Til,man and the press Of the
State. The message. was entitled
.'0ne transmitting certain facts in re
conduct Of newspapers. Senator B. r.
Tulman and W. E. Gonzales, and urg-
ing restrictica upon newspapers. !"
It consisted OF a printed document
sixteen pages long, and the sravrm
of It was the letter Of senator B. 3.
( iiinaan. during the progress OF the
last campaign, to Mr.. Harrison Fer
guson, OF Spartanburg. It will be
remembered that in the setter the
Senator gave his reasons for declin-
ing tossupport Blease for Governor.
The message related to the enact
ment Of a more rigid libel law for
this State and reeitsd at some length
alleged incidents OF the summer cam
paign. in which the Governor declar-
ed that he had received Unfair treat
ment at the hands OF editors and re-
rorters. Senator TiHman was the
object OF severe criticism at the
hands OF Governor Blease for his
position during the recent campaign.
MI. Rembert moved that the mes
sage be received as information and
spread upon the Journal. Ar. Stew
enson objected to spreading the mes
sage on the Journal until Senator
Tillman had been given an opportun-
ity to reply. Mr. RemDert then sug-
gested that the message ne referred
to the judiciary committee. This was
made In the form Of motion By OR.
Stevenson and was passed.
As soon as the message was read
and it was complete surprise to
the members Mr.. Rembert moved
that It be incorporated IN the per-
manent Journal Of the House. Mr..
Courtenay Of Edgeaeld, suggested
that it might be held to allow Sena-
tor Tllman the opportunity OF . re-
ply.
Mr.. Stevenson, however, offered as
substitute motion that the whole
matter be referred to the committee
that was to consider Mr.. Rembert's
bill. and the committee report back
the message submitted BY Governor
Blease. together with any reply that
Senator Tillman might elect to make.
and that the House then would ect
upon the matter OF printing 1t in the
Journal.
In other words, the entire matter
was referred to the judiciary commit
tee and Will BE reported in cenjune-
ton With the committees report on
the bin. This was acceptable to Mr..
Rembert and he withdrew his sugges-
ton that the message be printed IN
the Journal at this tine.
The burden OF the complaint made
by the Governor is that he was denied
access to the columns OF the snewspa-
pers for his statements, and that
there was practically conspiracy
formed against him. He urges the
passage Of an Act. and along this line
Mr. Rembert has introduced a bin
which provides for Imprisonment
without the option Of fne II q
newspaper refuses to print state
ments for publication
In moying that Senator FilIman be
heard before any action was taken
Mr. Stevenson stressed the fact that
he is neither the personal nor joliti-
cal friend Of either Senator T1liman
or Governor Blease, but said that the
interest Of fair play demanded that
this be done. He also called atten-
ton to the fact that the General As
sembly is spending much OF the
States money in having printed
many messages which could avail but
little in the interest of legislation.
Mr.. Rembert said that since the
matter contained In the message e2-
plains in some measure bill which
he introduced. the message should
properly be referred to the judiciary
committee to which his bill has been
referred. The bill introduced by Mr.
Rembert would practically muzzle
the press Of the State, as it provides
heavy penalties for the publication
of alleged libelous articles.
In the Senate when the message
was about half way through being
read, Senator Nicholson Of Edgefeld
said that at proper time he would
ask for publication of a statement
from Senator Tillman in the journal
Of the senate Senator Carlisle had
previously suggested that the mes
sage be printed without reading. but
Senator Nicholson objected and the
reading proceeded. Senator Nichol-
son is from The home county OF Uni
ted States Senator Tillman. Without
any further interruption the remain
der Of the message wss heard with
silence.
The Governors message and Mr..
Rembert's bill will cause warm dis
cussion in the House and Senate