The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-07-08
DEFEND A WOMAN
POLLOCK AND JENNINGS RIDDLE
-
THE STAR CHAMBER
INVESTIGATION echoes

Iniqu,tous Proceedings Leading Up
to the Resignation of DIR. Saunders
Are Exposed by Senatorial Aspi-
rants-Governor Blease and Board
of Regents Are Roundly Scored.
| Abandoning for 4 time, at least,
their attack on Gov. Blease's pardon
record, except for q brief reference
Messrs. w. P. Pollock and L. D. Jen-
nings, ct the senatorial campaign
meeting at Winnsboro Monday de-
lnounced the governor and his ap-
pointees on the board Of regents OF
the Insane Asylum for the unWar-
Iranted treatment the speaker said the
Irecords showed DR.. Eleanor B. Saun-
GERS, formerly physician at the
asylum, had received.
"Gov. Blease," said Mr.. Pollock
"has talked about protecting the
honor and virtue Of women" What
possible offence against woman Can
be worse, he asked, than an assault
upon her good nume. Referring to
the sstar chamber" session Of the
board held December -, 1913, Mr.,
Jennings declared, "Huerta over in
Mexico has never held such a trial.
He charged that the records sho'
Gov. Blease brought about the neces-
sity for the resignation Of asylum
physicians, by putting on the board
his special friends, "who employed
men who held sheepskins calling
themselves physicians, and that these
employees ecame jealous and en-
vious Of that lady whose name is now
famous throughout South Carolina .
The board was condemned for ex-
cluded from the executive session
| in December DR.. Saunders father,
Representative O. L. Saunders OF
York county; her counsel, J. K. Hen
ry, Esq, of Chester, and her stenog-
rapher, although Gov. Blease and his
private secretary, who is stenogra-
pher, were permitted to be present,
the executive taking an active part IN
the proceedings. 1t was contended
that the governor and his secretary
had no more right there than others,
that the governors authority over
the asylum had ceased with the ap-
pointment of the regents. The cross
examination of DR.. Saunders on that
ccasion, said Mr.. Jennings, "astound-
ed the lawyers of South Carolina"
Mr.. Pollock declared that he would
not deviate from the record, but that
he would present what Gov. Blease
| himself had said in the recent asy-
lum controversy, letting the people be
jury and judge. Mr.. Pollock read
from Dr.. Babcock's testimony before
the asylum Investigating committee
regarding the alleged attempt to re-
move Dr.. Eleanor 3. Saunders and
Miss Bessie Allen.
Replying to letter from Dr.. Bah
cock, that he would resign the super
lintendency were DR.. Saunders remov-
ed, Gov. Blease was quoted as writing
that eve do not want your resigna-
tion," but that it would be "better
for DR.. Saunders to Leave quietly" "
why leave quietly?" asked Mr.. Pol
lock. Other parts Of the report were
read with a view to substantiating,
according to the speaker, implied
charges of reflections upon the char
acter of DR.. Saunders. He condemn
ed the board. Of regents for refusing
to grant DR.. Saunders hearing, max
ing it necessary for her father to de-
mand that the legislature hold an in
vestigation.
Mr.. Pollock called attention to the
complete exoneration Of Dr.. Saunders
and the condemnation of the action
of the board Of regents by the legis-
lative committee in not granting DR..
Saunders hearing. He appealed to
the people not to continue to sup
port a man whose appointees, with
him, broke this woman's heart and
rove her, one Of the finest doctors
the institution ever had, and DR.. Bah
cock out Of the asylum"
Mayor Jennings said it mattered
not to him whether ne, Smith, or Pol
lock was elected, but he would try
to show that the present governor
was not the proper person for the
Senate any more than he was the
proper man for governor; that the
executive was Of such a temperament
that it seemed impossible for him to
work in harmony with other depart
ments of the government. He cited
the strained relations between the
governor, State Treasurer, comptrol-
Ter general and adjutant general, say
ing that governors being at logger
heads with the latter had almost de-
moralized the State militia.
| 1dh10S OP IAO SchoO VI Ni. Se& I'LL
ders, Mr.. Jennings said the records
seemed to show that the purpose was
''to get DR.. Saunders out Of the asy-
lum," and, he hoped to show, by
means such as no citizen Of South
Carolina would endorse. He wanted
to know if anybody in the crowd
| would like to have such letters as
Gov. Blease, according to the record,
wrote about DR.. Saunders, written
about your daughters?"
After meeting and refusing DR..
Saunders chance to defend herself,
said Mr.. Jennings, the board of re-
gents passed a resolution, "and may
God have mercy on stheir souls" con-
demning her, and saying that while
her resignation was mot requested
at this time," it would be acceptable
y