The Watchman And Southron

BLEASE "FIRES" NOTARIES.

ISSUES NEW SWEEPING ORDER AS BEFORE, HOWEVER.

Governor Declares Commissions of All Officers Should Expire with His Term, but Permits Number of Notaries Public to Retain Commissions

Many prominent Citizens Among those Having Commissions Revoked—Blease Explains Action and Incidentally Makes Other Observations.

Columbia, Jan. 3.—Gov. Blease has revoked the commissions as notaries public of the following:

Henry J. Hardy, pressman of the Columbia State; Capt. Dibert Jackson, affiliated with the reportorial staff of the State; Col. August Kohn, head of The News and Courier's Columbia Bureau; Alva M. Lumpkin, Representative-elect from this county; A. J. Bethea, private secretary to Governor M. F. Ansel during his term of office; David Harper Means, clerk of the State sinking fund commission, and of George Powell Miller, Walter Taylor Love, William D. Love and William Stephen Hough, all of Columbia.

Commissions to notaries public are issued during the Governor's pleasure and can be revoked at will.

Noticing the revoking of commissions of so many notaries public, Gov. Blease was asked this morning why it was being done or what it meant, and in reply made the following statement:

"You remember when I first came into office I revoked the commissions of all notaries public, my reason for so doing being explained at the time; also on the stump during the recent campaign, at which time one of my opponents would yell, every day, 'He cut off the heads of all the notaries public.' His protests had no effect upon the people, for they realized that I was right in the step that I had taken. I said then, and repeat now, that under the Constitution, the commissions of every appointive officer should be made to expire with the term of the Governor who makes the appointment. I still believe that, and in carrying out that policy I have called in the commissions of all detectives and constables working under me January 1, 1913, and am revoking the commissions of many notaries public along the same line.

"I would have issued a general order, but two years ago this was very much objected to, and I was asked not to enforce the order because it would interfere with the banking institutions and others in handling their business affairs.

"There are some commissions throughout the State that I shall not revoke, and I am satisfied that there are some who will be glad that their commissions are revoked, because I have heard of them saying that they did not want to have any commission signed by Blease; that they were ashamed of them, but that they had to have them on account of their business affairs; therefore, as far as I can, I am trying to relieve them of their shame.

"Furthermore, I do not think any man should hold a commission under the State Government who openly violated the laws of the State last year by betting on the result of the primary election. I know of no better way to stop such gambling than to carry out the law and deprive those of their commissions who were guilty of that offence, as provided for under our Constitution and statute laws. Therefore, when I have the positive proof, I shall revoke commissions for this cause. This in short is what it means, and this is all it means.

"I furthermore stated that no man need apply to me for a position unless he be a Blease man; I mean that. I was censured for it, yet now some of the same newspapers who condemned me so severely for my position, are hollering 'to the victor belongs the spoils' when it comes to the appointments to be made by the President-elect of the United States, Woodrow Wilson. If the 'spoils' belong to Wilson and his crowd, why should not the Blease men reap the rewards or the 'spoils' from their victory. Yet they praise Wilson for sticking to his friends, and condemn Blease for sticking to his. Truly it can be said, Oh! consistency, thou art a jewel,' and I beg to add, 'A clear-cut diamond.'

"Of course, where appointive offices were submitted to the primary and elections were held by the people, the will of the people should and must be carried out, unless some good cause is shown why it should not be, but when it comes to appointments in my discretion, I shall stick to the man who stuck to me; because, standing by my old motto, 'of what shall a man be proud if he is not proud of his friends.'"