Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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MA Ei ESTABLISHED 1.865. NEWBERRY, S. C., FRIDAY, JANUAR Y 23, 19083 GOY. HEYWARI Delivered Wednesday at A PLAIN PRAC THB GOVERNOR TREATS OF OUR RESPON AND MANUFACTURING PROGRESS-T] TION BUREAU-DRAINAGE OF SWA -PUBLIC EDUCATION-REGULAT] WISE CHILD LABOR LAW -BNF -CONFEDERATE PENSIONS BIENNIAL SESSIONS-"I Members of the General Assembly and i1 fellow citizens: Under otir form of government, the voice of.the people is supreme, and we have met together today to car'ry Out the wishes of the people of thie State, as expressed at the recent election. In the providence of God, it has fallen to my lot to be called from the quiet walls of life to assume in this manner and in this presence the high and honorable office of Govern. or of South Carolina. In doing so I am almost overwhelmed by a sense of great reponsibilities which I have now assumed: but even beyond this is my sense of gratitude for the great honor done me by the people of my State. I am mindful- of the fact that tho truly great gifts of life ever involve the most solemn responsibil ities, and when they come as the ex pression of the manhood of a com monwealth, involving the selection of a Chief Magistrate of the people whose heritage is as proud as that of any people upon this earth-whose history is a glorious record of patriot ism, virtue and achievement-well, indeed, may he upon whom this honor falls stand silent in contem plation of the sacred responsibitities which his people have placed upon him. The honor you have bestowed upon me is such as would till the heart of at y man with deepest grati, tude-a gratitude that should call forth the most sacred loyalty of a South Carolinian to South Caroli nians. r To meet these responsibilities, to execute the various and onerous 3nties of my offlice-to give my time, my thoughts and my every endeavor to the service of my State-I feel would indeed be a poor recompense to my people for the trust and confi dence they have placed in me. I beg, my friends and my countrymen, that you will allow my feelings on this occasion to speake to you of a heart filled with love for South Care lina and for South Carolinians-let them speak to you, for me, of a de votion to the welfare of our State, which, with your continued trust d help, will endure all things to ach sve this end; let them speak to you of a determination to know no higher ambit ion than to labor for the best interests of all thbe people of South Carolina. I need not assure you that no greater pride is mine than lies in the fact that I was elected to this office by South Carolina Democrats from every county and from almost every. precinct of our State. Our fellow Detnocrats of South C arolina came together as brethren, aind this can have but one meaning-a deep and holy meaning-which cannot possibly angur other than the best, truest and highest things of our dear old State. I aski you all, each and every one of you, to stand by me in the adminis tration of the high duties of this oficee even as you have manifested this spirit by your votemi. I need your holy and your confidence now more than ever before, and I pray you all to let our common labors of love and devotion as bret heron bury forever factionalism in South Caroli na. Political condition in onlr State are such that we can look to the future with every degree of confi dence and encouragement. Racial problems, which have sorely beset anid hindered us in t hripast, have dur. ing the last decade reached snch so lutions as will go far towards ad. vancing the interests of both races. Our white citizens are-as they should be-in undisputed possession of every department of our State, cntyn and munniia government. )'S INAUGURAL. the Capital of the State. TICAL ADDRESS. SIBILITY TO THE NEGRO-AGRICULTURAL 3B STATE'S RESOURCES-AN IMMIGRA MI' LANDS-PROTBCTION OF FORESTS ON OF TRUSTS-NECESSITY OF ORCEMENT OF DISPENSARY LAW GOOD ROADS-PURE FOOD HE STATE'S FINANCES. While this naturally gives us great cause for rejoicing, it should at the same time make us deeply sensible of the fact that it is incumbent upon us to enact and to so administer laws when enacted, that the humblest citizens-be they white or black can look to those laws for the pro tection of life, liberty and property. It is only by acting in this spirit, and under the Divine guidance of Him who holds us all, State and na. tion, in the hollow of His hand, that the great problem which confronts the people of the South, and espe cially the people of South Carolina, can be rightly and finally solved. Gradually the colored man is awakening to the fact that the white man of the South whose land be tills, and from whom in various ways he derives his entire livelihood, is at Last his best and truest friend; and instead of seeking to attain political office he is now devoting himself to those occupations for which by nature he is most fitted, and in the pursuit of which alone he can advance his own material interests, and in so doing the best interests of his State. In connection with this political condition it is fully as significant and quite as gratifying to add that our industrial conditions were never so satisfactory as they are today. In agriculture, and especially in manufactures, South Carolina has taken such strides that the- attention of the outside world is upon us. While we can corigratulate ourselves upon this--however, remembering that there is still so much to be done -we cannot afford to rest here. South Carolina, though one of the original thirteen States, has fully one-half of its great resources yet undeveloped. No one doubts the truth of the statement that the general prosperity of a State is dependent primarily upon its farming interests, which establishes the fact that a govern. mnent should, in every way possible, foster and protect this greatest of all industries. The steady, persistent work of the farmer is not blazoned forth to the world in meaningless flattery, but the results of this faith ful labor most forcibly gives its own speech to the universe. The total value of the cotton crop alone tells of the mighty business interest--one of the greatest in the world. The tob)acco crop of South Carolina, financially considered, means how many millions of pounds and some millions of dollars. The great ag gregate value of some of our field crops shows the mighty strength and influence for which it stands, not only in dollars and cents, but in the greater necessities of human life andl existence, which are supplied from this source, and from this source alone. And, my countrymen, great. est of all, here is the homie-the countless homes-thousands and thousands of which are scattered~ over our fertile fields. These home builders and home sustainers, each in his own quiet way, are sending forth to the world influences that are to be seesd for the, sower and bread for the eater for ages to come, even as they have been through past years of faithful toil. I am glad to notice that scientific aidl to the farmer now commands the attention of our National Government. We of South Carolina should do this just as far as may be practicab)le Clemson College stands now fully equipped and flourishin;g, as the nucleus for even broader and more diversified work, and thus for greater results. Our industrial development, too, shows tremendotis arid otriking ad vance when we briefly consider the figures shown in ou nnmanufacnurin institutions. The establishment of a million dollar cotton mill, upon safe and sure lines, is no longer an uncommon occurrence in SouthCaro lina. After the war we were deso. lated-no one thought of manufac tories. Some ye:,s later we made a feeble beginning. Without going into detail now, for this is unneces sary, it needs only to be stated that South Carolina-always in the fore front--has here made a most won derful record. She now stands sec cond highest in these United States in the value of her cotton mill industry, with a ratio of increase second to none. To the men who have made this mag nificent record we owe much. This is due to the presidents and offi cers whose ability and whose money have made this achievement, and also to the operatives whose time and whose skill have accom plished what these alone could do. The great captains of this industry have permanently ana upon the finest basis established their reputations, and in so doing the reputation of their State also, in this modern and progressive work. In a brief survey of general con ditions-for it is not expedient to attempt more now-again is there reason for congratulation. Nature's gifts to us have been of bounteous bestowal in every respect. Almost every crop can be grown here be cause of our fertile fields and superb climate. In quantity and variety of valuable timber we have no superior, but our fast disappearing forests should, not only because of their in creasing intrinsic worth, but for the all important reasons which are in cluded iu their acting as agents in modifying the surface of the earth, and in checking the destructive forces of nature, at once receive the utmost care and consideration of our law makers, and steps should be taken looking to their preservation. For stock raising, again, our lands and climate leave nothing to be desired, and this industry well deserves our most careful attention. We have wealth in minerals, from the granite foundations of our hills and the phosphatic deposits of our lower rivers, to the richest and best pro ducing gold mines east of the Rocky Mountains. The abundant water power of South Carolina, diverted from quenching the thirst of wild and domestic animals, is now turn ing thousands of factory wheels and spindles, with the power for thou sands of more. Surely these are good reasons why prospective home seekers should desire authentic and detailed information concerning this favored land. In this direct connec tion, would it not be well to look into the advisability of having an Immigration Commission or Bureau, to give oficial and accurate informa tion to those seeking such knowledge ? I know of no better '-ay of advertis ing these great advantages than through expositions. The World's Fair, to be held next year at St. Loums, will afford an excellent occa sion for the display of the resources of our State, and I trust that the General Assembly will carefully look into the merits of this opportunity, and see to it that South Carolina is properly represented. The cost in volved will be comparatively small the benefits to be derived cannot be estimated. Referring again to political condi tions, it might be said that the cam paign of last Hummer was remark kble in that it was almost devoid of issues, those seeking the suffrages of their fellow citizens confining them selves to-an.endorsement of questions looking -to the enlightment of the people, the material upbuilding of our State and the development of its resources. The campaign certainaly developed the fact, I am glad to say, that u.pon all fundamental principles our people are agreed. In view ->f this, and also of the fact that the State, asi I bave already said, is ad vancing in every way, its people liv ing in contentment, the farmers hay ing harvested satisfactory crops, our business interests being on a sound basis, new enterprises b)eing under taken each year, giving employment to labor, and adding to our general prosperity, I deem it best for.u not to attempt the consideration of any new measures which might be cal. culated to disturb existing conditions. Rather should we discuss and give our attention to matters, the pro per solution of which must inevitably add to our general welfare. Prominent in scope and meaning for any people, and especially for the whites of South Carolina, should be the great subject of education. On such an occasion as this only the most important points can be touched upon-important details having of necessity to be omitted. A com monwealth can have no greater source of pride, no greater glory and no surer guarantee of the stability of its institutions, than is afforded by an educated and enlightened citi zenship. The education of a people should be measured by its breadth its diffusion among the masses. It should not be confined to certain classes, but universal in its benefits, it should be common to all. The education of the children of South Carolina-of each and every child in South Carolina-their being taught in a systematic manner, with school terms long enough to be beneficial, within neat and comfortable school houses, deriving instruction from competent and God-fearing teachers -this should be a subject near to the hearts of those in whose hands are placed the control and regulation of our government. Here a serious problem confronts the wl ite people of our State. Ae cording to the reports of the Super. intendent of Education for several years past, it is shown that more negro children than whites are at. tending our public schools. Do our white people realize what this means for the future? Do they realize that if they allow their children to grow up in ignorance, the Constitution of their State-a Constitution of their own making and adoption-will, later on, deny the ballot to their sons? Such a catastrophe is against all of our traditions, and it can and must be prevented by an awakening among our people to the exigencies of the situation, and a firm deter mination on their part to remedy it. If necessary, any sacrifice should be made on the part of parents in order that their children might take ad vantage of the educational facilities afforded them by the State. The Constitution of our State, re. cognizing the fact that our entire educational system is founded upon the common schools, has undertaken to "provide a liberal system of free public schools for all children be.i tween the ages of six and twenty one." There is no more important I consideration before the people of< South Carolina than is coutained ia i this clause of the Constitution. Ii< has a meaning all its own-a moan. ing for which there can be no sub stitute, and it commands and should I receive the hearty and undlivided sanction of us all. Let there be the best common schools we can afford in every community and district, I with well built school houses, longer I school terms, completent and1 better paid teachers, and in the work thus< done, our State will reap a rich re-. ward. The framers of our organic law, I realizing that wealthy and pop)ulousH I communities could p)rovide schoolh for themselves, while poorer anid< more thinly settled dlistricts were-not so fortunate, have made it the duty of the General An;sembly to supple ment the school funds of the latter, in order that all the children of the State may have an equal opportunity to acquire somewhat more than t he rudiments of an education. For years the State has fosteredi its higher mnstitutions of learning, and my influnence shall always be eIx ertoed t.o see that this is continued. The increased care an<d attentio'n givedi to our common school system, in years to comle, will prove of in calculable value to all of our higher institutions of learning. In Win throp, Clemson, South, Carolina Col lege and the Citadel Academy--a royal galaxy-South Carolina has much cause for pride, for these in stitutions in their equipment and managoment are well worthy to he looked upon with pride hy the pna ple of any State. Our comprehensive system of education is, also, I am glad to say, admirably assisted and made more complete by the faithful work annually accomplished in the various denominational colleges of our State. While it is true that one of the greatest diflculties we have had to contend with in the development of the State has been our lack of capi tal, and while we should by legisla tion and other means encourage out side capital to come into the State, and assist in building up our indus. tries and developing our resources, and in coming should make it feel atssured that it will receive every pro. teetion that it can rightfully claim, still capital should be muade to under. stand that it is welcome only when it comes for the purpose of earning its legitimate interest in a fair and legitimate manner. We should have it understood t.at it cannot seek through groat combinations and by ver capitalization to create monopo lies by menus of which it can stifle ompetition, paralyze individual of fort, reduce wages, and control prices :o the detriment of the public. It. is true that great industrial com .)inations and powerful corporations tie the order of the day, and have >ocomo lixtures in the business life >f the country, capable of wielding in immense power for good or for wil. Through skilled munagenient, mttd possessi)g the ability to open ip wider markets for the sale of heir products, they are capable of loing much good; nevertheless, the act remains that, as usually con luctod, their tendency is decidedly iarmful to the best interests of the -ountry, and their proper regulation td control through legislation is )ne of the greatest problems which oday confronts our law-makers both 'tate and Fedral. A large majority of C o States Iave enacted laws deihning monopo ies and seeking to prevent their form ition, and Congress has likewise aassed anti trust legislation, yet the mubject is so complex and informa ion upon which to base action so liflicult to obtain--none of the laws )roviding sufliciently for the secur ng of information-that the ten loncy towards centralization of vealth, and combinations in trade langerous to the public, are becom ng more and more marked each rear. In this State we have a const.itu .ional article giving to the General issembly the p)ower to enact laws to >revent trusts, combinations, etc. md to provide penalties "to the ex ent, if nie.essary for that purpose, >f forfeiture of their franchises,"' and1 ni I897 an Act was passed carrying mt the provisions of this article. rhis Act, being deemed dlefective anmd iot far-reaching enough by the At. orney General, at the'last nonsion of he General Assembly another Act vas5 passed, ammendatory in its nature, Lnud going nearer to the root of the rouble. Power was also given to hie Attorney Genieral to scurie to imonly in relation to t he violation >f those Acts, arid it is to be0 hoped hat this legislation will be found uiicient to Protect the interests of lhe peop) firomi oppressionl by comn >ined0( capital. If niot, it. is the dIuty >f the General Assembly to amenid mr laws upon this subject from time o tim as0 1 t he necessities of thle case nay domuland, wvith a view always to ive to capital all its legal p)rivi leges, 11nd to rest rict in no0 way in nocent associationils anionig Oil ri Yej{ zoi, and rot. to 5ee t hat corporat ions, to whichi t hias gi von life, and clo thed w thl r(reat powers, use those powers for ,bo botterment and riot to thle dlotri unet of the masses of t lie peop,le, to protect whom is the tirst dnly of all oevernmnents. Tboeo has lbeen considlerall dis masston thronghout thle State duiring ~he pa'.t few years in regard1 to the amployment of children in onur tex bile manufaodories, aind upon several )ccaisioris il ls fo rbidd inrg thleir om1 ployment have been i ntrodlucedl in t he General Assembly, but hlave failed of passage. This is 0on0 or those questions which will not b)0 sett,led until it is rightly settled, and the civilizationi of today egard. such employment of childre, no matter how favorable the conditions may be, as an evil, and one which is a In nace to the future of our State. In my judgment, the General Assembly should pass a law prohibiting their employment, but. in doing so time should be given for both manufac turers and operatives to adjust them selves to changed conditions. This can be done by making prohibition to take effect, gradually with respect to the ages of the childron. It is cortain in this question that what appears to be conflicting inter ests, are here involved Under those circumstances the rights of all par. ties concerned should be most care fully considered, and a just and equi. table adjustment--after full ind generous discussion--will reveal that, to a great extent, these apparently diverse interests have much inl corn. mon. Any radical or sudden change would inovitably work Iiardship upon the interests of all concerned, which can and should be avoided. The end to he obtained is the good of all con corned, and this should b) borne in muind ats the considerationl which should receive our most, careful at tention. I am unwilling, however, to see any child in our State deprived even for a tinu of educational ad vantages, and this fact, it Heems to me, deserves to he carefully borne in mind in legislat iug u1)01 this qles tion. For older childron, not to he affected by any proposed law, a night school should be arranged, if possi ble. Advantages h1itherto denied them would thus be given to a cor tain extent, at least, and opporl uni ties would he placed within the rean'h of tliose who are in earnest in their desire to receive ain education. As governor of South Carolina, it is my solemn duty to OeO that all of the laws of our State are always and everywhere enforced. For -nany roa s118 it is host to emphasizo this where the Dispensary Law is con corned. This law is now upon our Statute Books, and has t ie enilorse mont of a majority of our p'ople, and it is the duty of all law ab(iding citizens to give tlhat. same1' obedVien'e to this law which they give to all others. Iln the discharge of t he dutios which may hero devolvo upon me, I shall recognize the obligat ions which are mine, and shll expect and dopond ulpon1 the public spirit of all law abiding people to sustain I me, and I feel sure that they witl do so. In the past few years, I am glad to say, miuch of the frict ion formerly attaching to this law has disrappeared. I amri aware of the fact, hiowever, that in certraini localities it, may he very hard to sustairn illegal t raflic in Ilquor, and to p)revenrt the viol ati or of this law; nevertheless, 1 shall seek to uphold t ho lawv, arnd to carry) out its provisions wit hiout favor to any) locality in any part of orur State. T1hie detailIs of thle D)ispenisary 1 Imw are farmiliiiar to all of ou r cit.iz'onts, brut. perhaps its necessary di licult I ies are riot. generally uindelrst ood nor p)roperly apprtciat ed. The local au thoritit's have a large share of the respor(iisibhilit its i r vol ved, and wvithI their co-opetrat ion I shall hope for such adriiriistrationr of this law as shall corn rnari(d thre respect of all ja. triot ic citi.tons. It is exceed inugly grat ifyinrg to k now that our (Genieral Asserrbly hias, with piropo iappl I reciantion, sIro wni thait wte OWe a great arnd lasting dehbt of gratitude to the Confederate soldit'r. Most of t hese survivinrg heroes, I re jt)ice to say, have rno nietd for aid. TIhe re are ot hers, however, who hb' cruise of wvoiunds recei ved irn battle, defending their country, antd on ac count of age and( failing t rengt h nee~td from us now loving retourns for lie services they gave nrs in the days of their peerless 1(and tronig young manhood. T1hiese heroes of our own Sout hIand -men , as you monument says: ''Whom power couldl not corirupt, Whom death could not ter-rify, Whom defeat could not dlishonlor" these men gavt) to thle world exam plea of patriot isms which will l ivo for ever. Anrd in our bioarts-wo foi whom t hey at ruggled-their memo11 rios antd the glorious heritage they bequeathed to us, will be more deep ly ohorished year by year, beause. oa their valor and their patriotism. Let South Carolina, their own State, see to it always, that tenderly and with truest affection, these gray knights of the Southern Confederacy are given some return, at least, for the service they gave to their State. It has been said that there are three things which make a State great--"fertile lands, busy work shops and easy lines of transporta tion." The Almighty has blessed us in South Carolina with a fertile soil. We have been giving ourselves etc'h year, as I have already shown, busy workshops, and it now remains for us to pay more attention to those lines of transportation which are as indispensable to the comfort and con venience of every class of our people as they are to our industrial and commercial life. Good Road Conventions at various tiues have recently been held in our State, and there seem to have been an awakening of interest among our people opon this subject, as is eviden cod by the fact that sonie of onr counties are actively at work im proving the condition of their high ways, I fool sure that our General Assembly will give to this subject, all the attention it deserves, and will, tlbrough wise legislation, enable our different counties to provide practi cal aolution or this problemtt so vital to their welfare. Another <iuostion beforo our peo plo alt bough it is often lost sight. of is, the drainage of ourswamp and low lands. This is an important qunesttiont not only to one section of our State but to every section. In 190, an amendment to the Conati tut ion was submitted to the people of tho State, by whom it was adopted, making it mandatory upon the (en oral Assembly to provide by law for the condemnation, through official channels, of all lands necessary for the proper drainage of our swamp and low lands, and also for the equit able asseasnient of all lands so drained for the purpose of paying for such condemnuation and drainage. Nothing has yet been done, and, in my judgmoent, this amendmerit should not be overlooked. Appropriations nmlounting to several millions of dol larH have been made by the'National G' vernment. for reelaiming by irri gation arid lands of t he W at. If it will pay to expond millions for the irrigation of deserts in the West, surely it is well worth the attention of oulr low-makers, wvit hou"t. perman rit. ox pense to the State, to, take at eps to drain lands as fertile ats can be0 found anywhere, and which, in thei r present condition are not only valueless, huit are a standing mlena(*e to thbe health of South Carolina. Ad dlitionial impihortanuce attaches to this subjet, whlen we remember these now useless lands comprise fully one fifthi of the area of our Stato. While considering sub)jects of gon oral wvel fare to our State, it woul be well for us to give attention to the irmportaition atnd sale of adaulteratted and( iro n foodh producrits. (O her p'ogressivye States give the great est attert ion to this impllort ant question, which we canmnot afford to let pass withoiu t duo1( conside1ration. It is wvell1 to see that wvhen our people pay thei r rmoniey for pure food that they shoul 1d halve thIiis, anid niot such ad ulI toratirins as are dol1 terious to thiei r hiealthI. TJh,e qu testioni of Bi ennrial Sessnions nha1 been mouch d iscuissed for t he piast few years, andl, ail though thiey hiave b eern faivoredl hv at mai1jority3 of the (Gen1e'rat Assembly13, as yet two thlirds of thle memblers have not cornsento(d, and( hence at consHtitut iornal amenid meont p)rovidinig for thiemi has riot been submrittod to thle pecople. In rmy j udgmen t, were such an aimenid merit submiitted, it would be adopted, whiich I cannot but believe woulId 1be to the interest of the State. Very few of the States of thle Union now have t heir Legislatures meet annu ally, aimd I knrow of nio condition p)eculiar to South C relhna which necesusit ates our's doirng so. I c'arnnot 0 ccide wvit hout saying a wcrd1 ablout our liriancos. While the bonded0( debt of the State is comn paraitively small, and its credit well malintainled, as evidenced by thle pro. ......Cn lfdedf omrn g m for\