The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1914-07-10
Nothing to Explain.

The refusal of the Governor to
apologize or explain any of his acts
is an entirely consistent policy. The
Governor doubtless understands that
the issues are clearly drawn in the
campaign and he is discreet and right
in that he does not insult the intelli-
gence of the people by trying to make
his record palmer than it is.
Some twelve hundred and fifty per-
sons, about nine hundred being ne
groes, have been pardoned or paroled
from the penitentiary. If that policy
is to be continued-and it naturally
will be continued should it be indorsed
at the polls-there will be little use
for a penitentiary, jails, courts and
juries. That, one supposes, is perfect
ly plain to all except the feebemind-
ed. If the majority of the white peo-
pie of South Carolina are ready to
vote for the virtual abolition of pun
ishment for crime, all the talk in the
world is not going to prevent it. The
people of South Carolina will have the
kind of government that they want
and if they want anarchy, or no gov
ernment, they will, in time, get it.
To explain or defend the policy
of wholesale pardoning and paroling
is to explain a policy of substantial
abolition of the work of the juries,
want that work abolished, they want
it. Let the people rule.
Wherever the people want open
bar-rooms in South Carolina in these
days, they have them. Formerly we
had licensed bar-rooms, then came
the State dispensary, then local option
between the county dispensaries and
county prohibition, and NOW we have
local option between dispensaries,
prohibition and UNLICENSED,
LAWLESS BAR-ROOMS. If the
people in Columbia can have bar
rooms, so the people in Elloree, Whit
mire, Holly Grove, Sandy Run or
Reedv Creek can have them. If the
people of South Carolina are pleased
with the lawless but open local option
bar-room system, they will vote for
it and sustain it in the primaries.
There isn't anything to explain or
to apologize for.
If Browning or Manning or c. A..
Smith were Governor and stood by
consenting to the race track gamblers
CARRYING on "meet" and bar-room
in connection with it in a rural dis
trict outside of Charleston so long as
the sheriff of Charleston did not ask
for assistance in driving out the gam
blers, it would not be to the credit of
Browning, Manning or c. A. Smith to
apologize for it. If one of them at
tempted to apologize in the face of
the facts he would merely look foolish
before the people.
In 1912 the legislature passed law
designed to drive out the race-track
p,,f fhn a
with their racing outfit in 1913 and
again in 1914. They went from Char
lesion to a place near Norfolk and
Governor Stuart promptly ran them
out of Virginia. Governor Cruce drove
them out of Oklahoma.
There isn't anything to explain.
Facts are facts.
If the people want their law against
race-track gambling spat upon and
defied, let them say so at the polls.
Let them indorse it in. the primaries,
1t rs the people of South San~lind
who are being tested. 1t is their laws,
their civilization, their morality that
will be measured in the primary.
= If the people are prepared to de-
stroy practically the Office of the
courts and the jury, if they want
lawless local option bar-room system
and if they are willing that the race
course gamblers, thugs and takers
assembled from the law observing
cities and States out of which they
have been whipped run rough-shod
over South Carolina law, making the
State by a by-word and reproach in
this Republic, then there is not the
slightest danger that they will fail
to elect a Governor and Senator
eminently fit to represent them.
1t is the people who are on trial.
We are confident that they are going
to vote by an overwhelmingly major
ity for law and order and if they are
of that mind they will choose for Gov
ernor and Senator men who stand for
law and order. But we shall see.-
The State