The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1915-02-05

show, (aside from the duties devol;ed
upon the Attorney General as ex-of-
ficio member OF cersain boards. which
he can exercise not by assistants but
personality that 1t was never in CON
temptation nor within the puryiew of
the Constitution or OF any of the Acts
of the General Assembly TO make the
Office OF Attorney General as legal ad
visor OF the different departments. a
political one IN the sense of having the
opinions, which II is the duty of the
Attorney General to render biased by
what you may term. or have termed.
yorr policies" or that of any officer
of the State to whom il is my duty to
give legal opinion. It would be clear
iy an anomiualy of law and good sense
TO attempt TO bias or prejudice the
view OF the law in its construction
OF the statute by the attorney general
because OF the political party or party
faction to which the Governor or any
officer OF the State may for the time
being belong. / must, therefore. insist.
ana as long as ! am Attorney General
VIII insist. upon giving my opinions
as TO what 1 conceive to be the law,
whether IL Is in sympathy with this,
that or any other Darty or partisan.
would be unworthy of the position,
and so would any other man. who
considers himself in the position of
having to render opinions and advice
10 OFFICERS of the State except as he
conscientiously believes the law TO
pe, irrespective OF all political poll
cies or other views.
1t is quite true that you have taken
occasion 10 state to me, heretofore
that you had been elected to the Of
ice OF Governor upon a platform in
opposition to the policies which have
prevailed in the office of Governor for
the last four years. This was o matter
or which l had no concern and have
nevar entertained any Til, advice
given from this Office, whether by
myself or assistant, bears no color of
faction or OF party. My personal pref
erences. as ID who should hold office
In South Carolina, has never influen-
ced or swayed the construction of any
Statute, or constitutional provision
which has been submitted to me. nor
has the prescribed duties made by
Statute been view by me, when asked
as to their meaning and as to what ac-
tion should be taken under the. even
been rendered in view OF any policy
which was thought best by the Exc
cutIye Officer.
It is further known to me that your
views, or at least your expressions,
nave been in accord with your prede-
cessor's in office. to whom you all.de
and that your election may be con-
strued as an endorsement of this by
the majority of the people voting at
the primaries. and that you will be
held reSnOnsible for "a rrvino, o,,t ,,,,t,
views, whatever they may be- do not
profess to, have made any careful
study OF your platform or of your
speeches. While you may thus proper
iy indul6e-i the idea, / must call
your attention TO the fact. that. hay
ing served two years as Attorney
General, that was elcted to nv Of
flee by majority of the votes of the
qualified electors of the people. prob
ably by as many as' you received, and
isinduluge the presumption that the
conduct of my office, for the two years
In which / have held It, has been en-
dorsed by the majority OF the peo-
pie of South Carolina, and that they
Will hold. me responsible for the pro-
per conduct of my office. I am their
servant certainly ani not the SER
want or the Governor of the State
whoever he may be.
:. For nearly fifty years, the Assist
ant in the office of the Attorney Con
eral-one time designated as Clerk
now as Assistant Attorney General,
mas been considered a personal and
confidential appointment-the Attor-
ney General being entirely RESPONSE
nie for everything occurring In his of
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