The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-01-17
Governor on Newspapers,
and TiIIn1an and Gonzales
Special Message to Legislature in which Chief Executive
Urges Restriction Upon Newspapers.-Reviews
TO Some Extent Campaign of Last
Summer.
to The Herald and News.

Special to The Herald and News.
Columbia, Jan. identified mes
sage transmitting certain facts in re
conduct of newspapers, Senator B. R.
Tillman and w. E Gonzales, and urg-
ing restriction upon newspapers" the
following special message was sent to
the general assembly today by Cover
nor Cole. L. Blease:
Message.
Gentlemen of the General Assembly:
In my annual message, submitted to
YOUR bodies on January 14th, | calIed
YOUR attention to the urgent need OF
some restriction upon the newspapers
and newspaper editors and reporters
in South Carolina, in order that perso-
nal regulations, and even the good
name of South Carolina, may be pro-
perly safeguarded from unwarranted
villifcation, and in order to avert the
danger of newspaper domination OF
our politics and policies in the future
a domination which, after having con-
tinued for several years, was only
thrown off recently. / desire, in this
connection, following the line taken
in the previous message to which l
have called your attention, to present
for YOUR earnest consideration some
facts which have come under my per-
sonal knowledge and observation dur
ing the recent State campaign. These
facts are not given to you because they
were connected with a campaign IN
which / was interested, but because
they mirror clearly cankerous spot
in our body polite for which only you
have and can apply the remeo, 1t
will be necessary, in order that the
true situation and true conditions may
be brought to light, that the conduct
of no less parsonage than the Senior
Senator from South Carolina be re-
viewed, to some extent If that con-
duct be- what his friends and support
ers would never have suspected or ex-
pected him, shall regret that it has
been necessary to shatter an idol. But
what l shall say of him shall be only
incidental to the main subject which
| want to impress, and the history OF
his conduct, as it shall be necessary
to give it to you for this purpose, has
been recorded in letters and telegrams
signed by himself, which are now in
my possession.
In order that the matter nay be
more clearly understood. l shall take
up the events in somewhat, chronolo-
gical order. In so doing, it may be
that the main points may follow some
not so important, but I feel that you
will thus be put more clearly in pos
session of the entire situation.
On October IA, 1911, during my first
year as governor, but even then while
I was the center Of a severe political
storm and the object of vituperation
and abuse such as few men have ever
had to withstand, Or could have with
stood, and shortly after eX-Chief Jus
tice Ira B. Jones announced his can
didacy for governor against me, ad-
dressed a letter to Senator B. R. Till
man, at Trenton, in which told him
that he was so used ito being lied on
by the newspapers, and had seen
so much of it on me, that | feel that
it is absolutely useless for me to write
you in regard to the many malicious
lies that are now being circulated. [
diu, however, go on to call his attention
to some misstatements which had ap-
peared in the public prints, in regard to
that are now being ciculated. did,
him and myself, in connection with
each other, and went on to say:
"Of course, l would be glad to have
your vote aand influence in my race
for governor; but, to be frank, | do
not believe that it is absolutely neces-
sary to my success, because have not
yet reached the point where I believe
that any one man can dictate to the
people of South Carolina as to who
they should or should not have in Of
fee, and I have too high an opinion
of you to believe that you would at
tempt to 90 so; and, from information
received from all parts of the State, l
am satisfied that I will be reelected,
regardless Of who may oppose me-"