The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, December 13, 1877, Image 1
DEVOTED TO POLITICS, MORALlTY, EDUCATION AND rO THIE GENERAL INTEREST OF THE COUNTRY.
VOL. VII. PICKENS, S. C., THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13,_18Th NO. 14
jisLtion, we may look, with assured
c6nfidence, to an are of peace and
prosperity in our State. This con
summation, so ardently desired by
every patriot, is to be brought about
mainly by the labors of the General
Assembly, and I rely confidently on
the wisdom, the discretion and the
patriotism which will direct and
shape the ensuing legislation. Grave
questions of public policy, upon
which will depend in a large measure
the future destiny of the State,
will demand your attention, and will
receive, I am sure your most earnest
consideration.
THE FINANCIAL CONDITION OF TE STATE.
First in importance is the financiil
co'ndition of the State, for, until this
is satisfactorily settled, all hopes of
returning prosperity will prove de
lusive.
The credit of the State must be re
stored to, and maintained at, its an.
cient high character, before we can
make good our promises of reform,
or can expect her to take the proud
position she once held, and to which
it should be our highest duty and our
nob est ambition to restore her. This
object can, I feel convinced, be ac
complished by this General kssem
bly, without imposing upon our im.,
poverished people an onerous burden.
As a commission wa6 appointed by
the Legisluture at its last session to
consider this subject, it would be pre
mature, it not indelicate, in me to
make any specific recoinmendations
in fidvance of their report, and I
venture now (:nly to-express the hope
that under no cii cm(istatices %%ill re
pudiation, direct or indirect, be coun
tenanced Repudia'ion would bring
inevitable disaster and would entail
indellible disgrace. The public debt
can surely be so adjisted that, while
the welfaire of the State is care
fully guarded, the rights of creditors
shall not be violated ior impaired -
The very fact that a State can excr
cise powers in questions of this natiure
against which no remedy exists
should make its egislature doubly
careful of the interests of' creditors
whose sole protection is the honor (of
their debtors. An ardent desire to
see the credit of the State maintained
and her faith untarnished is my sole
reason for presenting these viewvs,
and with the hope that they will meet
the app)roval of the Legislature and
of the patriotic people of the State,
I leave this vital matter to you, who
are the proper custodians of the wel
fare and the,bionor of this Comm on
wealth.
THE PAYME~NT OF THE DEBT.
In connection with tl'e puhlic debt
I venture to make a suggestian for
your -consideration. Unless some
provision is made to meet the obli-.
gatione of tne State when they fall
due, we shalhl be subjected to great
embarr'assment, and perhaps loss, as
tLe State wvill be forced to issue new
bonds in order to take up the outs
standing ones. This system of bor
rowing to pay our debts will hamper
our people and may impair the cred
it of the Stete. There are grave ob
jections to a sinking fund, the strong
est of' which is that it may be divert
ed, under emergencies, from i' s legiti
mate purpose. To guard agaAast this
continigency, and at the same time
p)rovide for the gradt'al pay mnt of
the public debt, I advise that at spe
cial annual tax of one-hanlf mill be
levied, the proeedsof which shall be
placed in the hands of the treasurer
of the State, who shall be directed to
buy in the bonds of the State annu
ally to the extent of the fumnd s'o
raised. It will be seen how profita
ble to the State such a plan would be
while the bonds are below par'. The
proceeds of such a tax as has been
indicated could, at the present time,
retire bonds to the amount of one
h unmdred tho usand dollars, realizing
to the State a profit of twenty five or
thirty per cent. The public debt
could be gradually but surely redu
ced, while the burden of paying it in
this manner would fall lightly on the
taxpayers. I merely suggest such a
e.ystem, leaving its practicability and
its details to the wisdom and experi
ence of the General assembly.
FREE ECHOoLs.
Another subject of vital conse
quence to our material prosperity,
to which I beg to call attention, is
that of the free schools. The super,
intendent of education, in his annual
report gives not only the result of his
labors during the past year, but
makes suggestions worthy of your
grave consideration. Owing to cir
cumstances with which you are fa%
miliar, the facilities for the education
of our people have not been, as yet,
what we desired and expected them
to be. We mn3t not forget that
among the pledges of reform made
by us there is none to which we
are more solemnly committed than
that of placing within the reach of all
classes the mreans' of education. I
earnestly invoke your favorable ac,
tion on this subject, and I trust that
you will be able to mature some syss
ten which, while benefiting the
schulars, will secure prompt payment
to the teachers. Many of these lat,
ter, after discharging their duties
faithfully, now hold claims against
the State, which should at once be
paid. I recommend the ratification
of the constitutional amendiment re
garding the tax to support free
schools, adopted by the voters at the
last election. From the funds which
will thoti be provided, toget'-er with
those arising I'soim the poll tax, oi r
Echools can be put on a footing of
usesfulness.
The late professors of the Univer
sitV were iot paLd in ll when the
institution was closed, and I suggest
that provision be made to pay the
claim held by them. My attention
has been called to the fact that ther
are also portions of the salaries Of
Professors R eynolds, Rivers, and the
late Dr. LaB3orde, of the old faculty
still unpaid, and it appears to me em.
inently pro~per' that whatever amounts
may be due to these gentlemen, or
their representatives, should be paid.
These claims can be examined by a
committee appointed by the Legisla
ture, and a report embracing the fact
can be submitted to that body for its
final action. The daughters of Pro,
fessor' LaBorde reqnest mre to trans
mit to the General Assembly a me
morial on this subject, and I take
great pleasure in doing so commaend,
ing it to y'our favorable considera
iOton.
TIJIC UNIVERsITY.
The action of the Gener'al Assemn
bly at tihe last session contemplated
the reopening of the University as a
echool for' the white youth of the
State, arid the establishment of a simn
ilar' institution for the black. Tis
p)lanl sti ikes me as wise and well.con,
sidered, and I recommend that such
a mneasures be taken at the' present
session as may be necessary for its
successful inauguration It will, of
course, be imp'ssible to put these
uni versities or colleges in complete
working order at once, but such leg
islation to that end can now b>e had
as will lay a secu:re f"undation for
them. They can izradually be built
op~ until they are able to offer to the
youth of the Stat- every educational
advantage to be found elsewhere. In
no mode can the funds contributed
by the peop)le of the State be more
judiciously, more wisely, or more
profitably expended thani by giving
to their children cheap and ample
means of acquit ing knowledge.
PENAL IL;STITUTIoNs.
Ignorance is thme fruitful parent of
crime, and it we hope to suppress the
latter we must first eradicate the for
mer. The reports of the officers of
the penal and charitable institutions
will give sou all necessary informa.
tion as to the condition and wants of
these institution. Though they have
been managed well during the past
year, under the circumstances our
rounding them, and at a material
reduction in expense, many changes
are necessary to bring them up to the
pr'>per standard. Improvements in
them are called for and are justified
even in an economical point of view
fvr if these institutionisare1put upon
a proper footing they can he made
self-supporting to a great extent, it
not in full. This is more particular
ly the case with the Penitentiary, and
it is very desirable that the convict
labor should be utilized, instead of
being, as it now is, a burden on the
honest people of the State. The su
perintendent has recently visited
many of the penal institutions in the
country, and lie has thus acquired
much valuable information, which
has been laid before the directors. I
suggest that there should be five in
stead of three direc.ors of the Peni
tentiary, to be elected by the Legis%
lature. In my opinion the s.ime
mode should be adopted as to the
regents of the Lunatic Assylum, and
I respectfully recommend the change
proposed in the manner of filling
three responsible positions, as I think
that whenever officers of State insti
ttions are to be chosen the celection
Af then should Le in the hands
A the General Assembly and not of
the Executive.
Tihe reports of the various officers
of the State Government will give
full information as to all matters per
tain(in to the differeit departments,
and hese reports will rccei ve, as tey
merit, your car(ful considej ation, I
am sure. The exhibit made is emi
newly Fatistactory. as it shows that
suibstaltial progrcs has been made in
the march of r etrenchment and re.
TAXP*S AND FORFEITED LANDS.
The taxes levied at your last ses
iion have been very gencially paid,
though p)aymenIt fell due at a time
not only un usual but unpoiou.
In view of this fact, anid the addi
Ltional one t hat in many cases the
p)roceeds of the crops had b)een exs
penided be fore the call for taxes was
issued, I recommend th.at you ex
tend such measures of relief to delin
guoent taxpayers as in your discretion
may see prmoier. Besides these tax
payers, (whose poverty has prevented
payment of the saxes of the last fiscal
3 ear,) there are many in t he State
who are in arrears for several years
p)ast. In many instances the lands
of these parties have been forfeited,
and they are thus deprived of their
only means of livelihood. If you
could adopt such measures as would
secure the payment of last year's
taxes in the cases oftthese unlortunate
citizens, relieving them of past2 in
debtedness on account of taxes and
restoring the forfeited lands, it would
be an act niot only of humanity, but,
I think, of wisdom. .A new spirit of
hope) would be infused into our so
pIe, anid they would devote themisel
yes to the task of repairinig their
shattereJ fortu nes with renewmned
energy. In doing this they would
necessarily increase the wealth of the
State and promote its prosperity.
Some of our citizens have paid tax,
es to officials who claimed authority to
collect under the late ad ministration,
and, though that claim was illegal,
many of our colored p)opulationr,
through ignorance andl credulity, have
boen mado the victims of it. Those
cases appeal strongly to our sympa
thies, and, in the exercise of a liberal
and magnanimous policy, the General
Assembly could well provide that all
who have so paid taxes shall be ens
titled to credit for such payments,
Action of this sort would show that
we prfe to be governed in matters
of this charaster by the rules of equity
rather than by the technicalities of'
the law.
81PRCIAL LIImfA[LATiOZ,.
Among the reforms which I regard
as important is the abrogation of the
system, which has obtained here to
a certain extent, of epecial legisla
tion. Great abuses occasionally
spring from this iMode of legislation,
and it adds materially to the legisla
tive expenses. Most of the States
have experienced the ill effecs of it,
and in &nany of them it is prohibited
by constitutional enactments. AlF
legislation should be, as far as poa
sible, general in its character, plac
ing all persons and all linterests on
an equal tooting.
TIIE PUBLIO PRINTING.
A communication has been ad,
dressed to me by Messrs. Calvo and
Patton in reference to the public
printing, which is herewith trans
mitted for your consideration. The
request wade by these gentlemen
seems a very reasonable one, and I
hope that 3 ou may fnd it expedient
to grant it.
JUDGE WRIGUT'S RESIGNATIoN.
Associate Justice Wright, of the
Supreme Bench, has tendered his
resignation, to take effect on the is*
of December next, and I have ac
cepted it. A vacancy has occurred
also among the Circuit Judges by
the resignation of L. 0. Northrop,
Judge of the Seventh Circuit.
TUE COMMITEES.
The various committees appointed
by the General Assembly during its
last session, while discharging their
responsible and arduous duties,
found that no appropriation had been
made to defray their expenses, and
I took the responsibility of advancing
to them froni my contingent fund
such sums as were necessary to en
able them to prosecute their labors.
This outlay will explain why the
amount charged against this fund in
the Comptroller General's report is
s large. To avoid the recurrence
of such a condition of things, I ad
vise that there should hereafter be
two contingent funds-one a State
fund, to meet any demands for which
no specific appropriation has been
made, but w hich have been author
ized by the Legislature, and the other
the Contingent fund proper of the
Governor. Should this suggestion
be adopted, five thousand dollars
would be amply suflicienit fur the
latter.
OONCLUr ION.
Permit me, getntlemen of the Gen
eral Assembly, in closing this comn
munication, to express the hear: felt
hope that y our deliber'ations may be
marked by harmony and wisdom,
that your acts maay redound to your
own honor and to thme lasting welfare
of our State, and that you may live
to see her crowned with all the bles
sings u hich can be bestowed by a
mnercifut God on a free, enlightened,
prosperous and happy Common
wealth.
W ADE IIAMPTO'N, Governor.
Washington Correspondence.
W AshlNGTON, Nov. 30, 1877.
At thme op)ening of the extra ses
sion of Conigress the Republicans had
a majority of five in the Senate, Mor-~
ton's death and Vorhees appointment
reduced it to three, including Shar
on, the "bonanza king." The ex
citement during the last few days
has been intense, the possible loss of
a working majority bas given serious
alarm to the Repul>lican~s. Every
inch of ground will be sharply con
tested, and the struggle will be a
bitter one. At this writing the Sen
ate has been in continuous session
for over 27 hours, and there is little
chance of adjournment for as many
more.
Patterson and Conover are not
reposing on a bed of roses. Thle
former is resting under very grave
cham ges of having secured his seat
by bribery, while thme Jatter has
doubtless been allured by promiies of
political preferment, It ia annarent
that some understanding has been
had, and it is said that the vote whieh
Stanley Matthews cast with the De
mocrate to prevent an irvestigaton
of the alleged alliance, is a, full con
firmation of its existence. Whether
this struggle shall shift the political
supremacy on to Democratic should.,
ers or not, makes little difference, as
it is certain to be accomplished in
the near future, such changes seetm
incident to every popular good. The
political pendulum vibrates to and
fro, and it is hardley possible for dny
party to maintain the ascendancy for
an indefinite period.
The wreck of the United States
steamer iurron, with a loss of 100
lives, is an evidence of tie value of
the signal service to our cemmercial
marine. This s'eamer was oidered
to sea by Admiral Trenchard, in the
very face of the danger signals at
Norfolk and Cape Hatteras. The
little disregard of all these sigials
lust the Navy a hundred brave fol
lows, and a thorough and severe in
vestigation of the matter is demand
ed by the public.
The Pacific Railroads are seeking
an adjustment with the Government,
by surrendering 12 million of acres
of land, granted them as subsidies.
Were this possible, it would open to
settlement by the advanicing army
of emigrants, some of the most val
uable lands of our national domain.
Many :emnbarrassnents will arise
from liens 'already created by land
grant bonds and Governmont mort"
gages.
The flood so wide spead in its wotk
of devastation, has done great dam.
age here. A part of the famous 'Long
Bridge,' so well known by every
soldier, and which was built in 1808,
succumbed to the angry waves yes
terday.
The United State3 Emigration re
ports show that Texas is receiving a
vast aldition to her population. by
large colonies of thrifty Germans,
and from present indications the
Teutonic element will soon be in the~
majority.
The action of the HIouse in the
passage of' the anti-resumption bill
has croated serious misgivings on
account of the manifest sectional
diversities indicated' in the vote.
Were the individual views <f our
Representa'ives not confined to, and
made up by sections, no alarm would
be felt. It can :;ot be denied that thme
West and South are allied against
the East. Is its p)ossible that bidden
in the smoke of this conflict, the real
contest is being waged between the
debtor and the creditor classes? A
new maebine is nowv on exhibition in
thme Treasury Department, which
will take the place of the band press,
and strike off5,000 reversed stamps
and greenbacks each day, and re
duce 90 per cent of the force now
employed ini the Bureau of Engrav',
ing and Printing. There are some
things real. Uere are two silver
dollars, one of them coined by a na
tion so insignificant that in face of
her outrages and indignities, were
we to declare war against her we
should be the laughing stock of all (
nations. Yet this piece of coin will
pass for one dollar, and purchase it's
equivalent in every land. H ere ip
another, beantiful in exterior. It
bears on its face the motto of a great
country, on its shield a pronid birds
imtage. The flag it representd waves
under every sky, and commands res
pect. This coin is by no means equal
in value to the Mexican ones, and
will not p)urchase in Canada a dollars
worth of Florida oranges.
FAX.
Law is like a sieve; you may see
through it, but you must be conside,
rably reduced before you get through
it.
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GOVERNOR'S MESSAGE.
ADVICE FROM A MAN WHO ALWAYS
KEEPS HIS WORD.
Gentlemen of the Senate and House of
Representatives :
In discharging the duty of addiress
4 ing the General Assembly, imposed
on me by the 0 tistitution, it seems
eminietily appropriate that I should
begin by congiatulating its members
ni pon tGe ausloicious Circum6tances
1un(der wl.ich they reassemblo.
Ihe past year has been a mmor
able taie. Twehcl%e mouths ago we
wit iitsstd a condition of things which
t ieat'etied the exia'ence of republican
ifttitutions under our ancient systen
ot cistitultional Government. The
whole country was convulsed by a
naltiln-al puli Ical contest, which as
binud sich portentous shal e that
- eqery pairit)t dreaded, as i's fearful
result, a civil war. Atijid the throes
atid the perils of this convultion, the
gove~rnmkent of which you constitute
a part was placed in power by the
people of the State Encompassed
by dangers as novel as they werec
-* startling, we looked in vain to history
for the light to guide us which ex
perience alone can give. The rep
resentatives of the people, chosen as
their rulers, were called on to fulfill
as hi1gh duties and to assume as grave
responsibilities as have ever been im
posed on men. No human wisdom
could have brought us safely through
the dangers that beset us on all sides,
and we should reverenitly give thamAks
to aim who alone has wrought this
great deliverance. Our State is re
habi litated; peace prevails through
out our bordere; the laws are impar..
'' tially enforced and fully respected;
good will between all classes is fap
idly obliterating the anomosities of'
the past; health blesses our people,
and the labors of our husbandmnen
have been crowned with abundant
harvests. Wo surely have cause for
profound gratitude lor' the blessings
which have been so lavishly bestow
ed upon us; but while it becomes us
to acknowledge these gratefully, we
Bhould bear in mind that their con
tinuaunce depends on the condition of
our proving worthuy of them.
'THE PLEDGES MADE DURING THE CAN
*The first step in this direction is
for us to observe, in perfect good
faith, the pledges made during the
canvass which resulted In our success.
Upon this point I feel well assured
that the conservative and thoughtful
( people of,the State are thoroughly
united, dnd that their representatives
will be found in full accord with
them. With Impartial justice in the
administration of the laws, with the
regnition of. the perfect equality of all
citizens under those laws, with the
assurance of protection to all in their
rlghts of person and property, and
with jnstz liberal and who~lesome len~