Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-11-24
FINANCES OF THE STATE
Governor BIease Gives Out Statement
as to Borrowing Money

| as to Borrowing Money.
Governor Blease on last SatuI Jay,
gave out the following statement in
reference to the borrowing of $780,
| 900 to si5O,OO0 more money for gen.
eral expenses:
In my general message to the extra
session Of the legislature; in fact one
of the very principal reasons for my
calling them together, was to carry out
a recommendation to extend the time
for the payment of taxes and to pro-
vide for the incoming administration
to borrow a sufficient amount Of money
to run the state government in order
that said extension might be granted
| the people. In a verbal message de-
livered to them, on my return from the
Memphis conference, and in several
written messages during their session,
urged, with all my heart, the passage
Of the two measures, and had prepar-
ed in my office, and introduced by Mr.
Summers Of Anderson, bills looking to
this end. The extra session did moth
ing along this line. A large majority
| Of the body, both house and senate,
was strongly anti-Blease. Therefore,
they ignored all the requests and sug-
| gestions I made in reference to these
matters, and left the people in a
helpless and pitiful condition. l knew
this relief should be given; l knew
our financial condition, and l knew
what it was going to be later-just as
| set out in these various messages
until the legislature, playing cheap
politics, refused to take any action.
1 n,t. 90 nxytn nnl hn
the payment of taxes; they refused
| to make arrangements for the borrow
| ing Of money, except to provide that
the sinking fund commission should
| borrow a certain amount to pay the
| extra session appropriations.
l declined to meet with the sinking
fund commission to borrow this mon
ey, because / think six per cent was
| absolutely excessive, and II the legis-
| lature had not forced through what
considered a most outrageous act, but
allowed the bill to take it's twenty day
| course, as provided by law, we could
have borrowed this money within that
time at a very much lower rate OF in
| terest In view Of these matters, L
wrote Mr.. Carter the following letter:
Columbia, Nov. 18th, 1914.
| Hon. S. T. Carter State Treasurer,
Columbia, S. c.
Dear Sir: Your note Of November
18th, received.
I'm reply, 1 beg to state that am
absolutely opposed to borrowing any
more money for the state Of South
Carolina, because l deem it absolutely
| unnecessary and an extravagant eX-
| penditure in the payment of interest.
II recently vetoed an act Of the
| legislature, which, in my opinion, was
| clearly in violation Of the oaths of the
members. They passed it over my
veto and l understand the sinking
fund commission has paid as high rate
| Of interest as six per cent, by virtue or
| that act l refused to be party to
that, and think every man who took
| part in it violated the oath that he
| took when he assumed the duties Of the
| office he was filling.
II do not propose to meet with your
| borrowing committee, or the sinking
fund commission during the remain
der of my term as governor. and SHALL
and do now, enter my protest against
any action of the borrowing committee
or the sinking fund commission. The
act making the chairman Of the n
| nance committee Of the senate, and
| the chairman of the ways and means
committee of the house, members OF
| the commission, as hold-overs, is
clearly in violation Of the constitu-
| tion Of the state, and without those
| two members, there can be no legal
action Of the sinking fund commission
as there will not be a quorum present
| | am satisfied that the extravaganza
on the part of the members Of the
general assembly, and the utter failure
on the part of others to do their duty
| to the people of this state, has caused
| the trouble Of which you speak. l am
| in no manner responsible for it and
| do not propose to carry their burdens
| | pleaded VIII the general assembly
at it's extra session, to extend the time
| for the payment Of taxes, because OF
| the terrible financial crisis now upon
our people. They refused to heed my
| request l also pleaded with them TO
make arrangements to borrow money
| to finance the state under the eXigency.
They again refused to heed my re-
quest, and l do not now propose to
| take upon my shoulders the response
| bility Of relieving them Of their de-
reelection Of duty to their people, and
utter disregard Of their oaths and
| their wantonness in performing
simple duty to the people whose serv-
| ants they were.
Therefore, you need not count upon
me at your meeting; nor VIII l sign
any paper unless you can borrow the
| money at least as low rate of inter-
est as three per cent.
Very respectfully,
Cole l.. Blease, Governor.
| notice Mr. Jones and Mr.. Carter
say that they are going to ask for bids.
To this l have no objection. l notice
Mr.. Jones says that he will pay out
no more school money unless this
money is borrowed. A very nice sug-
gestion to the money-lender-put your
bid as high as you please-we need
the money for the schools-we are
obliged to have it-you need not ask
a low bid-but make it as high as
YOU want-the state needs the money
to run her schools. / also see implied
in this remark threat, that If the
governor does not take part in the
loan, that the responsibility for closing
the schools will be upon his head, but
that Is a mistake. If the people do
not want their schools closed, all that
they will have to do will be to pay their
taxes to the county treaSurers. Inc
county treasurers will send 1t to the
state treasurer, and there will be suf-
fcient amount of money II run the
government and the schools without
borrowing a dollar. If the people do
not pay their taxes, and the schools
be closed, the responsibility Will be
with those who failed to pay and not
with those who failed to borrow at
an eXorbitant rate of interest. And,
repeat, | shall have absolutely nothing
whatever to do with the borrowing or
this money and shall not put my name
on any paper Therefore, if the peo-
pie do not want their schools to close,
let them pay their taxes. If it is a
hardship upon them to pay their taxes:
let them curse the men they elected ana
sent to the legislature and not the gov
ernor. for he certainly did his part In
trying to get them to relieve conditions
and they refused to do so. Now. If the
people will pay their taxes, the
schools will run on. the government
will run on, and these same taxpayers
will be saved paying more eXhorbitant
interest on hundred or hundred and
fifty thousand dollars loan. If they
don't do 1t, let the responsibility go
where it belongs.
There is quite a difference between
the borrowing of money now, ana
borrowing of money in May or Jure.
because in May or June. there were
no taxes to collect and the people
could not relieve the situation at that
time. Now. it is absolutely unneces-
sary to borrow if the people will pay.
and as the legislature said that they
I \ ~