Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-01-23
BLEASE and TILLMAN
Answer to Confidential Letter In a
Special Message
ANENT ALLEGED ASYLUM SENSATION

Senator TiIinan Suspicious Of Dark
and underhand Doinas Writes
Confidential Letter to Lieutenant
in Columbia, and When the Letter
Falls into the Hands Of Governor
BIease the Governor Has Something
to Say on His Own Account.
The first sensation Of the session
developed last Tuesday when Govern
or Blease sent to the general assembly
a special message which explains itself
pretty fully. It is as follows:
STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, !,
''" Executive Chamber.
Message No. 10. p,
Gentlemen of the General Assembly:
have In my possession an envelope
which contains the following: In the
left-hand corner, United States Sem
ate, Committe on Naval Affairs. Free"
Next a United States government
p. m, 1914, d. c. In the right-hand
corner, name, "B. r. Tillman." Just
under the name. "U. s. s." Then fol-
lows in typewriting the address, the
addressee being gentleman high in
official life in this state. Just under
that, in the left-hand corner, In hand
writing, Is the word Personal"
I also have in my possession a let
ter which came in that envelope, as
follows:
In the left-hand corner, the names
Of certain senator's. members of
senate committee. Just under these
prtx tad tA1
tyI written in capital letters, and un-
derscored. On the other side, at the
head Of the letter. the words. United
states Senate, Committee on Naval
Affairs" and just under that date,
typewritten, January IL, 1914" The
boay Of the letter, which Is typewrit-
ten, with the signature In handwrit-
ing at the bottom. is as follows:
II learned while in Sonth Carolina
on my recent trip home for the Christi
mas holidays that there will probably
be an effort made to oust DR.. Babcock
from the hospital for the insane. Gov
Blease's underlings and satellites want
% manipulate the sale Of that prop
erty, and the building Of the new In
stitution out at State Park. / know
none Of the details Of the matter. All
the facts win be brought out IL an in
vestigation Is ordered. as I hope will
be. An effort win be made to smirch
DR.. Babcock, and his lady assistant,
DR.. Saunders, as these men must have
some excuse, you know, and are not
at all scrupulous. -
II am writing this letter to you to
beg that you will bend all your ener-
gies and lend all your influence to
help DR.. Babcock In this crisis.
II have known DR.. Babcock inSi-
mately for the past 10 years. He Is
undoubtedly one Of the very best ex-
amples of gentlemanly conduct, high
character, unimpeachable integrity,
truthfulness and honor / have ever
met, and has few equals and no SUI
perior in the state. It would be a.
shame to let such a man be driven
out Of the states service by those men
who are trying to do II.
Very sincerely yours
vs.e '.B. r. Tillman."
Now, gentlemen Of the general as
sembly, what are the facts? Here Is
a personal letter, written on personal
business, and sent by United States
senator, with a United States post
mark on It, without a postage stamp
on 1t, through the United States mall
and sent under United States
senator's frank-containing matters
investigate In the most thorough man
ner.
The letter states that an effort will
be made to oust DIR. Babcock from
the hospital for the insane. I beg
to quote you statement made by DR..
Babcock to the board Of regents, In
the presence Of other parties, on the
18th day Of December, 1918. DR.. Bah
7ock has made similar statements two
or three times to my face, once par
ticularly in the presence OF Assistant
Attorney General Dominick, and at
other times, have been informed, he
presence Of Col Elbert II. Aun and
others. This shows you the feeling
that DR.. Babcock has for Governor
Blease:
"As superintendent of the institu-
ton, IL your board will bear with me,
as you have on former occasions, 1
will try to be brief Personally and
officially I want to thank Gov. Blease
for his very sensible and appropriate
remarks. Nobody In the room appre-
ciates them more than /. There has
been no governor of South Carolina
who has given more attentive ear to
the appeals made by the superinten-
dent Of this hospital. in behalf Of the
governor. have said that behind his
back, and say 1t to the world. III
any act or word of mine has ever
given one moments offense to this
board Of regents, II has been wholly
Inintentional, and humbly apollo
gize. Whenever the board has call
ed upon me, / have done my best to
respond. If there has been any lack
Of harmony between us. fear 1t Is
more my fault than yours. GER
tainly have never meant to reflect
upon you. The lack Of harmony is
of long standing, Mr.. Chairman, and,
again, / make no claim to be free
rom blame. Gov Blease and / have
talked 1t over-I believe, MT. Chair
man, that he has talked II over with
you gentlemen, for long time. that
there is friction here. Now, I do
not wish 70 avoid any Of the onus OF
that friction-I take my part Of IT.
but I believe these physicians have
honestly done the best they can,'
ETC., etc.
The constitution OF the state Of
South Carolina. article IL. under the
head, Charitable and Penal Insti-
tutions," section 2, provides that "the
regents Of the state hospital for the
insane and the superintendent there
of shall be appointed by the
governor, by and with the advice and
consent Of the senate" Therefore,
when I first became governor, II I
had wanted DR.. Babcock out, all
would have had to have done would
have been to appoint some one as his
successor, and / could do the same
hing now. The same constitution
gives me the power Of removal, and I
could very easily remove DR.. Rabcock
or request his resignation, and ap-
point some one else in his stead. II
my effort should be made to oust DR..
Rabcock, 1t will not be done secretly
and underhandedly. but direct COM
munication to DIR. Rabcock from me
will be sent. However, this would not
he necessary, for DR.. Babcock last
September resigned as superinten-
dent and insisted that I accept his
resignation. which I declined to do
and it is today before me. So. who
Is 1t that can "oust DR.. Babcock," or
is trying to do so? %"
You notice further, in this letter
from this United States senator, II Is
stated: Gov. Blease's underlings and
satellites want to manipulate the sale
Of that property. and the building of
he new institution out at State Park"
To show you how unwarranted this
statement is. by reference to House
Journal ~ 1914 naQe 1226 (Senate