The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1914-11-06
ACTION
UPON COTTON
BONDS
Governor Says Responsibility is
With Legislature Deems
Proposition the Most
Dangerous Ever Pre-
Sented TO the
People,
tuesdays State)

Tuesdays State)
| Inc governor announced to the
general assembly last night by mes
sage No. Fl that he would withhold
executive action upon the cotton
bonds referendum act. He said the
responsibility of the measure would
rest with the general assembly. "If
l feIt, he said, "that my action would
be hnai, 1T may be that, holding the
conviction 1 have, that this is the the
most dangerous act of legislation that
has ever been presented to the people
OF South Carolina, l would unhesi-
tatlngly give my executive disapprov-
al OF this act" But, he said, though
ne could not approve the measure, he
did not feel justified in vetoing it and
thereby denying the people the priv.
| lege of passing on it for themselves.
Ihe message of the governor fol-
lows:
"On account of the extraordinary
occasion which had occurred in orr
State, l felt it encumbent upon me,
for the welfare of the planting in
terests in South Carolina and all
classes of our citizenship to convene
the general assembly in extra ses-
sion to pass such laws as in your good
judgment would be necessary and
proper for the relief of the citizens of
our State. When your body met, in
accordance with my proclamation.
had the honor to communicate to Won
suggestions with regard to certain
measures which it seemed to me
would, to great extent, relieve our
people from the distressing condition
into which they had fallen on account
of the fall in the markets of their
| staple product and their inability to
md the necessary funds wherewith
to meet the demands that were made
upon them, as we'll as the conse-
quences which would befall our peos
pie, for some time and until the for
eign markets could asS Am no open ts
them and the readjustihentt of affairs
made which had been produced by the
fearful and deplorable war then and
now raging in Europe and upon the
seas. You have now been in session
for near four weeks. To a great ex-
tent the measures that l recommend
ed have not met with your approba-
ton and it is now too late for them
to receive adequate consideration or
to pass in any substantial form to our
statute books as laws of the State.
Il am now, however, in receipt
from your body, and which you have
ratified, an act entitled AN act to au.
thorize the issuing of $35 ,OOO, 900 in 5
per cent coupon bonds of the State. to
be known as South Carolina cotton
bonds, and to submit the question of
the issuing of the same to the electors
at the next general election, and to
provide for the payment of interest
and their retirement, and to prescribe
the terms and manner of issuing and
delivery of the same l am bound to
officially accredit the members of your
body with having passed this act in
the best of good faith and patriotism
and that you have brought to it's dis
cussion and its consideration the very
best thought and the most earnest de-
sire to give relief from the distressing
conditions which surround our people
The act is now before me for execu-
tive action and / have endeavored to
give to it all the consideration of
which l am capable in this time of
dire necessity to our people. 1t has
brought to me great embarrassment
and hours of most harassing anxiety
In endeavoring to reach a conclusion
as to what is my duty and what is
good for my people and State.
with regard to the act, | have
grave and serious doubts as to wheth-
er 1T meets with the requirements of
our constitution. Upon this point,
however, / feel compelled to forbear
placing my opinion as to such ques
ton, which certainly presents some
reasonable doubt, before the express,
wish OF the representatives of the
people In such a state of affairs, as
has arisen. The courts constituted
Tor the purpose of deciding these
questions must decide this question.
If l were absolutely satisfied that the
constitution, which In my oath of Of
hce l obliP ted myself to support and
respect, forbids it, | would, under the
soiemnlty of such oath, unhesitating-
~ dlsapprove of this act. / am i'm
pressed with the conviction that it is
not fair to our citizens that thew
should be called upon to vote upon
such measure as this upon such in
adequate notlce-in fact, without dis
cussion among them generally or
knowledge of it's main features.
At this late day it seems to me inn
possible for them to give the due con-
sideration and free consent which the
constitution intended if not enioined
Here again the representatives of the
people, however, have seen fit in the
exercise of their legislative wisdom
and In accordance with their duty as
they consider it, passed and ratified
this act, which they, by such action,
are convinced is for the good of the
people, and asked that it be submit
ted to them. That the act has been
passed SO hastily as to time, and that
such inadequate, if not actual, lack of
notice has occurred, may and should
be good reason why the voter should