The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-03-11
HAVE A HOT TINE
GOVERNOR BLEASE READS SAY.
Age MESSAGE TO HOUSE
TWO Fights THREATENED

TWO fights THREATENED
appearance of Chief Executive on
the Floor Almost Signal Sor Fights
| Stevenson and Barnwen Show
Wrath at His References to Recent
Asylum Investigation.
Wednesday night the governor Of
South Carolina delivered orally to the
House Of Representatives a message
which was unusually impassioned
even for him, which set the body by
the ears and came near to provoking
two fist fights between members and
himself. Remarks attributed to Rep
resentative Stevenson, in the debate
i of that afternoon, and the adoption
by the House Of resolution not only
declining to order the further inquiry
into the State Hospital for the Insane
which had been asked by the gov
ernor, but congratulating the COM
mittee of investigation upon its
"statesmanlike" report, were presum-
ably the immediate proyocations of
the outburst by the chief executive.
This was said to be the first in
stance in which governors message
has been delivered orally by its .au-
thor to either house of the South Car
olina general assembly. The gov
ernor walker into the hall alone at
SIS o'clock.
The general attack Of the governor
was against w. F. Stevenson, member
of the special committee that was ap-
pointed to investigate the conditions
at the State Hospital for the Insane.
The governor took exception to Ger
/ tain statements, attributed to Mr..
| Stevenson, in his speech Wednesday
! morning in the House when the Kirby
resolution for further investigation
into the asylum matter was up.
The governor charged that the
statements by Mr.. Stevenson were as
false as the hinges that swing the
gates of hell'. He denounced Mr..
Stevenson in the bitterest of terms.
Then Mr.. Stevenson came back and
showed that the chief executive was
basing his statements on report In
an afternoon paper published in Co
lumbia There was sharp contro-
versy between the governor and Mr..
Stevenson.
The governor said that If the state
ments in the paper were true he
would fight it out personally; that he
would be dead or vindicated, and that
if he were killed Charlie Smith"
would be the governor of South Caro-
lima tomorrow morning. The gov
ernor grew fiercer as his speech pro-
! gressed. He declared he meant to
eight. He invited some one out OF
the hall. He was ready to annihilate
some one for the statements.
Discussing the report Of the
speeches further in the same paper
the governor launched into bitter
attack on N. B. Barnwell, member OF
the house from Charleston. Mr..
Barnwell rose to point of order
when the governor referred to him
as acting in a cowardly manner. 1t
! took Mr.. Barnwell only few Sec
onds to advance through the net
work of chairs to the speakers stand
where the governor was delivering
his address. Disorder reigned. There
| was a general uproar. It seemed as
if the entire legislative body would
be thrown into a fight. Members
rushed between Mr.. Barnwell and the
governor and prevented a fight on
the speakers stand.
When the governor had been called
to answer personally for his rehec-
tions upon Mr.. RarnweN, he ended
his speech with a few words, not re-
ferring again to the Charleston men,
Der. The governor Immediately left
the speakers stand and proceeded to
leave the hall. There was rush OF
members to the rear of the hall.
W. F. Stevenson was among those
to move toward the door. Mr.. Stew
enson went, he said, for the purpose
of telling the governor that he had
no apology to make for the state
ments contained in his speech. The
governor evidently thought Mr.. SteV-
! enson was coming out to fight. The
chief executive began to pull of his
coat. Members stepped between the
two and Mr.. Stevenson delivered his
statement. The governor then pro-
ceeded to his Office, accompanied by a
member of the House.
| 81 demonstrated" said Mr.. Steven
son, on returning to the floor OF the
House, that l based my speech on
such matters as were contained IN
the record of the asylum inquiry.
did not apologize but convinced him
that he was mistaken. / have been
in some fight but never take time to
take off my coat shall go down the
steps in the usual way tonight and
think that will get home" Mr.. SteV-
enson continued.
"It is just hot air and it IS gone"
| said Mr.. Stevenson, discussing the
disposition of the governors message.
On motion Of Mr.. Wander Horst OF
Charleston, the message was received
as information.
The governor was received Witn
cheers by administration supporters
when he entered. He walked alone
L.