The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1914-03-04
TIE GOVERNOR
MAKES COMMENT

| mittee did not do Duty.
Columbia, Feb. 25.-Tonight tho
house and senate received the gov
ernor's view Of the report Of the com
mittec charged with Investigating con-
ditions at the hospital for the insane.
The expression Of the governor is en-
bodied in a special message in which
he says:
"On January 20, 1914, I sent you
special message No. 10, in which
called your attention to letter which
| | had in my possession charging that
there was being AN effort made to
oust DR.. Babcock from the State Hos
pital for the Insane;' that Gov.
ernor Blease's underlings and sattcr-
lites want to manipulate the sale of
that property and the new building
Of the institution out at State Park >
and that AN effort will be made to
smirch DR.. Babcock and his lady as
sistant, Dr.. Saunders, and as these
men must have some excuse, you
know. and are not at all scrupulous.
I'm this message | set out facts and
statements which it is unnecessary
that should repeat here. Upon re-
ccipt Of this message, you appointed
a committee, under resolution which
It is unnecessary for me to repeat, or
dcring an investigation OF these mat
tcrs.
81 notice the report of your COM
mittce has been filed and / would like
to ask the chairman, or some other
member, os that committee, please to
state if they have Investigated tho
charge that an effort was being made
to GUST DR.. Babcock,' and what the
findings Of the committee were there
on if they investigated the charge
that Gov Blease's undcrlings and sat
tcrltcs want to manipulate the sale
Of that property and the building Of
the new Institution out at State Park
and what their findings were and if
they investigated the charge that AN
effort will be made to smirch DR.. Bah
cock and his lady assistant. DR.. Saun-
dcrs' and what their findings were.
IF can read correctly their re-
port they have not touched the sub
iccts which they were appointed to
investigate.
THE report does not touch in the
least the charges made in that letter
which transmitted to the General
Assembly. The people OF course, will
understand this, and will know why
it is done and what it means
"In my opinion, the concurrent res
olution which followed the report of
the committee will simply become Il
nullity. The constitution makes ccr-
tain provisions and the general stat
utcs cover certain matters in conncc-
ton with the State Hospital for the
Insane, (scc section 1851 down to and
including section 1885, vol /, code Of
laws OF South Carolina, 1922. and
any lawyer with any ability at all and
any man with common sense, knows
that simple concurrent resolution
cannot cnanSc an ACT OF Lne Gcneral
Assembly (Sec also articcl 10, sec
ton 2, constitution Of 1889
"Thc report Of your committee only
makes me more determined to cxcr
else the power given me under the
constitution, as I clearly see from the
report OF the committee. that the one
thing that it. does find is that the in
, stitution has not been properly hand
led The principle think | was fight
ing for--as I was fighting in the pen
itcntiary fight--was to help the in
mates won in the pcnitcntiary
fight. and am going to win in this.
for have some constitutional rights,
as governor, which, ! am proud to say,
the General Assembly cannot take
away"
| Over on the senate side the report
was adopted. On motion Of Senator
Sharpe, the concurrent resolutions
cmbodying the suggested rules. which
had been unanimously adopted in the
house, were referred to the judiciary
committee for report.
The house has done It's do on the re-
port and passed it up to the senate.