The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-03-07
MIR. STENENSON'S SPEECH
Remarks in House Which Aroused
GOVERNOR, Ire.

iloor Of the house this morning Rep
rcsentative w. T.. Stevenson, OF Che
raw, took occasion to score the
governor of South Carolina for the
stand that he had taken in the execu-
tive meeting Of the board of regents
of The state Hospital for the Insane
"n December y, 1913, when DR..
E!canora l.. Saunders, woman ply
Slcian at the asylum, was made to
appear and answer certain charges
and Instructions made by fellow ply
slcIanS and others without The priv
ileSe OF being represented by an attor-
ncy, Of having Il sten0grapher to take
down the testimony or of having her
father present at the meeting. star
chamber proceedings, such as this
State has never witnessed or will ever
witness again." was the way in which
Mr. stevenson characterized the
executive meeting.
Mr.. Stevenson's speech was called
forth by a resolution introduced by
Mr. Kirby of Spartanburg, providing
Cor another asylum investigating COM
mittec to examine specifically into the
matters touched upon in the COVER
nor's message, which caused the in
No&tigatiOn, or for the same committee
To render supplemental report Civ
ing the desired information. Mr.
stevenson was a member of the COM
mittee and spoke in justification of
the report already filed.
The two main tasks with which
! thc committee felt that it was con-
tronted,' said Mr.. Stevenson. was to
eirc Dr. Saunders an opportunity to
refute charges which had been made
and which would damn her name
/ if not answered and to do whatever
we could TO improve the condition of
! $500 of the States unfortunates in
the asylum, and from that purpose
we would not let the political differ
onces of two men swerve us"
The resolution 10y Mr.. Kirby men
/ toned. among other things, on which
the committee should have reported,
! the charge by Senator Tillman that
Coy. Blease's "underlings and satel-
lites" had tried to manipulate the
sale of the present asylum site. MI
| Stevenson read from the report of
the board Of regents recommending
the sale of the property. Senator
! Tillman did not say that those "un-
derlings and satellites were members
Of the general assembly" he said
and this report shows that somebody
wanted to sell the site, which might be
Il basis for the charge made by the
senator
Mr.. S. enson said that the report
OF the committee had been framed
with the view of leaving out as much
as possible anything that would cause
| political strife, as members of the
committee did not feel that any good
/
motion to exclude anything of such
a nature was made by Mr.. Hardin,
of Cherokee. who is certainly not in
imical to the governor said Mr..
stevenson, who stated, however that
Mr.. Hardin did his own thinking and
showed his craftsmanship by moving
in Nn of hn oh
! jcctionable features.
! AS to the charge made by Senator
Tillman that the administration fol-
lowers would try ITO oust Dr. Bab-
cock" Mr. stevenson said that the
superintendent of the asylum had
stated that he would resign his po-
sition if DR.. Saunders was made the
! object of attack, and following this
/ the board of regents passed resolu-
tion TO the effect that while DR.. Saun-
dcrs' resignation was not called for, it
would be very acceptable. There
might be in this fact, said Mr. Steven
son. some basis for the charge that
an effort would be made to Dust Dr.
/ babcOCk.
AS to the charge made in Senator
| Tillman's letter that IAN effort would
! be made To smirch Or. Saunders"
| Mr.. Stevenson read from the testi-
mony "a resolution originating with
! GOV. BlCaSc in the meeting OF the
! board of regents, saying that il WAS
! Tor the best interest of the lady that
the matter be huShed up, reference
being To insinuations made against her
character. Much of the transcribed 4
notes of the meeting was read by Mr..
Stevenson to show that throughout
Gov. Blcase had made msinuations
against the character Of the lady
which were calculated to smirch her
name.
I -,