Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-01-31

"Jest do your best and praise or blam
that follers that counts just tn
same.
I've allus noticed CRATE success Is mix
ed with trouble more or less.
An it's the man that does the best
that gets more blame than all tn,
rest"
Your Constitution says, In speaking
Of the governor: He shall take car,
that the laws be faithfully executed II
mercy" and I see and know Of ne
grander way to apply this than to fol-
low the rule, THAT mercy would tc
others show, that mercy show to me-
but reverse 1t somewhat, because ]
expect to say, when appeal for mer-
cy. THAT mercy have to others shown
that mercy show to me-"
Your code Of Laws, Volume II, Sec
ton sSS, reads: Tn any case that may
be deemed proper by the governor, he
may suspend sentence or parole any
prisoner upon such terms or conditions
that he may deem just In the exercise
Of executive clemency." Now, with that
section Of the statutes and the section
just quoted from the Constitution. It Is
a matter within the discretion of the
governor as to how this mercy shall be
extended, and as to when he thinks II
iuaf apd y,ropor ond ,,no,, xvhak ao,Sk
tions the parole Of prisoner should be
granted, consequently, before any fair
man or any gentleman will criticise
the governor of his state for exercising
this discretion, he will first make him
self acquainted with the facts and con-
ditions upon which the parole was
granted, and not simply. from political
write an editorial or preach
q sermon. or stand on the street cor
ner and criticise, when he knows moth
ing Of the reasons governing the gov
ernor in performing the duties laid out
for him SO plainly under the Constitu-
tion and the statute law Of his state.
But those who are blinded by preju-
dice, or those who have a wicked and
mean heart, for political purposes, pro-
ceed to condemn without knowing one
thing Of the conditions or one thing of
the petitions, or one thing Of the rea-
sons governing the governor in his
acts. Hence when the matter was pre-
sented to the people, as body, being a
Christian people, they slapped the
faces Of those who from a malicious
heart or political prejudices had ma
ligned the governor and said to him,
well done, thou good and faithful SER
want, thou shall be our ruler for two
more years" and the other crowd
sneaked into their holes and hollered
fraud" fraud" and appointed a lit
tie committee to investigate. And 1t,
the little committee although very bra
zen at first, laid down their arms,
quietly sneaked OF to their homes, and
said Nothing doing" and the whole
crowd feel cheaper and meaner than II
they had abided, as good Democrats
should do, by the majority and not
made laughing stock of themselves
not only in their own state, but outside
Of It.
Some people may say this is harsh
language, that ought not to use It.;
yet, the newspapers Notwithstanding
the fact that after the primary election
l sat quietly, said nothing and took all
that was heaped upon me, continued
their abuse, their vituperation and
their ISLANDERS, and published with great
headlines and great glee the misrepre-
sentations of speech that I made in
Richmond. Virginia. Day after day
they carried articles copied from Yam
kee hoodlums and little newspaper
pimps, and then when they were fur
nished with numbers Of papers and Of
fered hundreds Of kilograms and letters
commencing the course Of the governor
of South Carolina, they absolutely fall
ed and refused to publish them; and,
when other papers speak Of the gov
ernor in disrespectful terms, without
either saying Mister" or Governor "
but headline "Blease," for which care
nothing, because the people Of the state
have shown the newspapers that they
make asses of themselves when they
bray and re-elect to Office those whom
they fight, yet even the News and Cou-
rier goes further, not content in strik-
ing me. they headline to the world
1.-The B!eases," including even my wife.
and yet people say that I should be
quiet, should say nothing, be easy. let
1t pass. Yes, gentlemen, have let 1t
pass, 10 these many days but, how long
before patience will cease to be virtue
is a matter that rests in the hands OF
my God.
Herewith I hand you full state
ment Of all the paroles. communications,
reprieves and pardons granted by me
since m last message to the general
assembly, in January. 1912. If you are
pleased with these combinations, etc.,
I am pleased. If my friends are pleas
ed, am overjoyed with delight. If my
enemies are not pleased, they cannot
help It as told them on the stump,
and their sweating and fuming will
avail them naught. So 1t Is; so let be.
I exercised my power in paroling, for
I consider the parole system the best
system ever devised for the handling OF
convicts. Now. for instance, you pa
role a man during good behavior. who
possibly has served more than half OF
the sentence imposed upon him-some-
times they have been paroled when
they only had three or four more
months to serve-you do not turn him
loose, but say to him go forth, make
man Of yourself, for If you do not, and
you are ever convicted again, you have
to go back and serve the remainder OF
the sentence imposed. Now, II these
men had gone ahead and served out
their sentences, they would be foot
loose to do as they please and no re-
straint placed upon their actions. Even
a life prisoner may be paroled; 1t is
simply giving him another chance IN