University of South Carolina Libraries
v .; \:/.-. ; . - ' ^^^^^^ _ j BY CLINKSO?LES &L?NGSTON. % ~ ANDERSON, S. C, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1905. VOLTJMIi XXXX--N?. 30. uU??KM HE?WAfifi WORE 0 7 \,r i I ?? Me Stands for Ordei x meut oi THE ANNUAL MESSAGE TO Recommends Compulsory Educat Charter to South Carolina Col Department^ of Immigrati Dispensary Law?Tw< Circuits : To the Honorable, the Gentlemen or -the General Assembly. The annual meeting- of your honor able body brings a season of respon sible duties, of-arduous labors. In ac cordance with the requirements of the . constitution, I herewith transmit to you ' my annual, message, with the assur ance that I am ready to coonernt? with you. In advancing the weal and the dig nity of our commonwealth. As a mat ter oi? prime importance, I shall first direct your attention to the condition of our State's finances. Financial Condition of the JStnte. ' I For a number of years past the state has been under the necessity of bor rowing money to meet its current ex penses. .The amount borrowed haa been annually increasing;-until last year th? .State treasurer was compelled to bor row the sunt Of $500,000. The reason for thin Increase lies in the fact that since the year 1800 'he expenditures of the State have annually exceeded -the revenue. -.< ?. . ... In 1900 the i'xp?ridlture exceeded the revenue by ,$10,045.42; ih. 1901" the ex -^^Ksndttnr^neTce^oV^dr^tiic?- revenue by '.fl3.934.-29; lti 1902 the expenditure ex ': ceeded the revenue by $208,795.23. In 1903 -tri?re, waar an. apparent excess of-revenue: over expenditures amount ing to $66,S04\29, but Iri* reality the ex penditures Exceeded ' the revenue by 332,833.67, for-the reason that the sum, of $$9,187.86 Whs then received in set tlement of claims against the United States government, and was placed hi the general Stund* -Last, year again the expenditure;} exceeded"'the revenue by at least $i00,00&t making a total excess df exnondlture - over revenue of $365, 598.51 tor the past five years. In 1903 the (general assembly," realiz ing that this condition of affaira should no longer exist* appointed a committee to consider "how best to .put the State upon a cash 'basis, what additional sources of revenue for the State are available, and what changes should be made In existing laws for the assess ment and collection of taxes." This committee reported at your last session, making, several recommenda tions, the only,one adopted, however, being*' el licetifi? tax upon all corpora tions. This law becomes, operative this year, and it l? estimated that It will add $80.000 to the State's revenue. The - - estimated revenue from the five-mill levy for-the pr?sent fiscal year will be - $1,050,000;.<: The; insurance license fees . . and the fees frrim. the office of. the sec1 retary of staty nriay : be estimated at "$50,000. . To ?/da we may add ?S0.C0C { from ?cenn?. ?aeSi ?r.ukir.? a ?otu? r?v onue for 1904 ttf $1,180.000. It wi??. thl?S ;v*e seen that, if the ex-. p?nd?tures.are lYbe same, as last year, ; there will again be a deficiency, with ' no provision made to place the State upon a cash basis. , * In this connection I Jbeg to call your attention to an artl*ie* of the const I tu ? tlon: "The general assembly shall pro vide for- an.. annual, tax ' sufficient to I defray th? estimated expenses of th? State for each' year." and whenever it| shall happen that th? ordinary ex penses of the State for any year shall exceed th? income of th? State.for such year, the general assembly shall pro vide for levying a tax for the ensuing year sufficient, with', other' sources of Income, to . pay the deficiency- of th? prt?':edi;\g year, together ,wi?.h the es?. ?-. ,\timated expenses of. the ensuing year."-' (Artlcie 10,; Section 2.) . ! fcyd thlr prcvJs?OTt. bf ihe constitu tion been observed in th? past, as .it i.-i.should<have been, the1 State would not now be In ItS jpresent financial condi tion, and I deem.it needless to impress upon you ?he.-mandatory terms of this provision; The constitution requiring that you shall make provision to meet the deficiency of the past year, And such having been Ignored heretofore, it is but fair to assume that tho pur port of the constitution imposes upord yon the duty of making & like provis ion for previous years- "ipMMBffiv'flH^ I have laid before, you as. ot-ieny ?a j possible the very unsatisfactory corn ditlon of the Stat?'6. miaivces. . Thlsi serious status of affairs calls for prompt and efficient action. It'is your paramount duty; to meet this bbiiga . tlon and - to ?nlsc?mrge your duty byi rnraiiy seeuing to remedy a condi tion wijich ba? reached ? point Where . .autton, o?nndt longer be evaded 'or dis regarded, -xbrirare the aworrt repre aeSroftllvea of trje people,' and upon you ?on tant d?parttbenV. ,ot : our ^government In my last tii?B?ng^ dealing With th,ls subject, I saldt ; '.'iThla is the most important function of the State, bo far a? Its business-: af fairs are concerned,, and it is hot only an < unwise, .but .a suicidal, policy to continu? exfreridlU?: rnoc? mort?y than th? '.rw^v? (Ot, th? SJtttlo amount ,tb?: Th? questWn rMolv?a Itsebr loto this, that exp*ndttures Tnust be ^vriailed, or.uioto reve^.U?;:nils?d; The former,, S tittTx ^P^aoUc?ble, apd th? latter ?an.only begone l? one of three v/aya: First,,by requiring tbo county author* rt^vx;ipon \^b^ devolves-, the ?tjy of ! PiEYIE??S . F THE PAST YE?B. ; and the Enforce Laws. THE*GENERAL ASSEMBLY ion?Favors Granting University lege--Commends Work of the on-Suggests Changes in ) Additional Judicial Favored. ascertaining and placing upon the tax books all property, to exercise a rigid supervision of tax returns, and forcing them to require a proper listing, of property heretofore escaping taxation. Second, by a license tax, as suggested by your committee; or, third, by in4 creasing the tax levy, which is undesir able, as It will only place additional burdens upon the honest taxpayer, while the tn* dor?0"1** still occupez." In reference to" the curtailment of expenditures, I am still of the opinion that they cannot be materially reduced, for the reason tint the exigencies aris ing from the. material growth and the political conditions of our State are such as will not justify any appreci able decrease. It is therefore clearly manifest that .'our revenue must be in creased; and, as I have said, (this can be done In one of three ways. One of these propositions?a license tax?has already been adopted, b?t, as has been shown, this'does not meet the require ments of the situation. The other two alternatives remain: to Increase the property assessment, or to raise the tax levy. In reference to increasing the assess ment, and 88 (o th?.machinery for ac complishing this, -'I beg to refer.you to the report of the .comptroller general. As will be seen by' this report, the comptroller general believes . that our present..assessment .laws are sufficient, If properly ~ enforced, and suggests In what way they can be^f enforced. He calls attention to an accepted fact that property Is now generally/ assessed be low its real value, which is contrary to the requirements of the constitution, and adds that much personal property is now entirely escaping taxation. This Is a complex.and-difficult subject, and I commend the painstaking presenta tion made by the comptroller general, in. hlB comprehensive report; to your 3arefu) and earnest consideration. Tou ire aware of the fact that an assess ment, of al! property will be made in LDOG; therefore, if the assessment is to be increased, steps .should now be Laken looking/ to that end. Should nothing be accomplished at this ses sion to increase the property assess ment, it only, remains for you to in crease the tax levy, which should and must be done, in order that the dignity ind integrity of the State shall be' properly maintained. urne income tax-, law ?v practically lisregarded throughout the State, the >nly exception of Importance being Rlchland county for the past yearA The entire receipts- from the tax go nto .the State, treasury for State pur joses, and better provision should be node for the .enforcement of this law llikevln ?il counties. Our present- iaw? fixing a nominal )enalty for nonpayment of taxes, with- j n the time required by law, should b? .mended, and a penalty of 10 per :ent. should Immediately attach, upon ill taxes remaining unpaid, on Janu trjr 1. I recommend that' the time al owed for the payment of '' delinquent* axes, with penalty, be' fixed at 6C days'. Che law as it stands at present Is cum bersome and difficult to enforce, und S,of no practical benefit. The law authorizes the governor, by ind with the advice and consent of the enate, to appoint county auditors and reasurers.. The governor now makes, he appointment of thefie officers as the ?suit of a party primary, which, prac Ically means their selection by the] eople. ;The auditor, in my opinion, | hou?d be .entirely ?rae from tne Irt-j luences of - politics,. end I recommend. hat appropriate legislation be enacted rchibit?r.B any purty from placing this iffice in a primary, v Siaklnsr Fuqa?. The assets of these several funds on )ecember 31, 1904, are as follows: , Emulative sinking fund, (for redue lon and payment of South Carolina ?rowri 4,1-2 per cent bonds), $527, 48.59.. Ordinary sinking fund, $64,-, 09.88, of which $2,936.73 belong to scheats and $81,173.15 to the ordinary ! inking..fund proper. Sinking fund for j Ssuran?o of public buildings, $16,471.62. Statements will be found in >jie re* torts of the commissioners of th? sink tig*, fund for th?'y ear 1904, showing-In etall How, these three funds are .in fested, and loaned; and'how .they h?ve cen increased during the past year? :.llcvenuc? Bond He**V". SOn.'; December 19, ^1904,, the supreme I curt:i: t?c IJuiit'd states umrmed the I eelslon of the United States circuit otirt, in the case of Lee against aob imm, and defclarted-, the revenue bond oWp of the Starte to be void. Under tie act of March: 2, 1872. $1,800,000 of (ils. scrip was issued, -and since the earV3^tt? Issue, it* validity ha? con- i , been before the courts; 'My ! :fsJon the 'State is forever\re " the liability, to redeem the ;of scrip outstanding, and to her finances has been -jN*:. Had the decision been the r-. the State would haver Men' to ; v?.y this $1,800,000. J3Jnce^ Dumber, 1901> ^the >i?reets KthO-State Ji?ve been represented by lr, William ^motti Jr., of the Col?m !a: bar, who appeared- at. the request liai*.;.attoi-ney general** office, Mr, ilHott. has rendered ?.'aluable service >, Jhe Suite. whlcAi. ;servica eetfa?hiy as may appear to you just and equit able. Educational IiuttitutlouN. I am deeply gratified to report to your honorable body that during the past year the great cause of educa tion has continued to advance in our State. No greater nor more all-Import ant cause can demand our thought, our care and our best energies. In all lines, material and industrial, as a State, we have prospered, and to know that our common schools and our high er Institutions of learning retlect this progress and prosperity in the h?best,1 best , and most important interests of a commonwealth, should be, as it is, a source of pride and of pleasure to us I all. Time, labor and money spent for j the purpose of educating our children yield a return than which there Is ! none greater. Ignorance Is an evil which we cannot afford to permit?It Is a crime against the future, and to get rid of the deplorable condition would be money well spent at almost any cost. The spirit manifested by ! the masses of our people all over the Statte Is u safe guarantee of the hope that the future will continue to re veal progress and even greater suc cess In this all-Important cause The? reports of the higher Institu tions of learning which are supported by the State will be submitted to you by the State superintendent of edu cation. These pnpers will command your interest and every one will show a satisfactory condition of affairs gen erally in these institutions. I do not believe it is necessary for me to go into details, especially as the reports, full and complete, will be before you. At the South Carolina college the enrollment of students Is larger, I be lieve, . than ever before In its history. The new normal scholarships have been eagerly sought, they have been I awarded to most worthy and deserv I ing applicants, and it is clear that they have been strong factors in infusing now life and activity In this institu tion. At the South Carolina Military academy an increased attendance is shown. The efficiency of the gradu- j ates from this historic institution has won signal recognition from the war department, and this is indeed a trib-, ute tc\ the worth and excellence of its j I management. Thio iu one of sur oldc??. ; I and most honored institutions of learn ing, with a career of valued and useful service to the State. Clemsori college continues to grow and flourish. Its capacity is taxed to the fullest extent to accommodate the j licadets, and-fite and growth are every where in evidence. . The agricultural scholarships established at this col lege at the . last session of the general [assembly will attract many young men along the lines for which this institu tion was primarily established. The j new agricultural hall, recently com pleted, 1b a valuable addition to its splendid equipment. Winthrop college, the only Institu tion of learning which South Carolina supports exclusively for the education f of women, has a career which fully justifies the distinction it enjoys. Since Its establishment it has grown year by year in the hearts of our people, and ] has proven a potent and influential factor in developing education in our | State. Prom its doors annually go, forth young women who have received the most careful technical training as I teachers, and the effect of the work of | these trained and cultivated educat is in evidence in every county in South Carolina. ' / The South Carolina Institution fori the Education of the Deaf and Blind, at Cedar Spring, submits ? report which ! .shown that this Institution is keeping I pace with our other educational inter jests. I availed myself of the privilege of visiting the schoal last year, and was pleased and gratified to see' evi I deuces of the remarkable work which is accomplished. There can be no sub stitute for the training, the system and the helpful influences which are here I so _kliruliy combined; there can bel no Just and adequate estimate of the good which Is* revealed in the mold ing of useful lives. . The trustees of these institutions, with one exception, together with those1 of the Colored Normal, Industrial, Ag ricultural and Mechanical college, at } Orangeburg?which,, I r glad to say. is well managed, and Is doing good work?all ask from .you pracjleally the same appropriations as were given last! year. I earnestly recommend that these appropriations be made, and the 1 {good work done, with the results ac complished; make me regret that wej ! cannot do. even more. Cotni*?*?;? Se_ss?s. In reference to the condition of the common schools'of the Stated I would I respectfully refer you to the full and painstaking details which are present I ed in the report' of our State superin tendent of education. This report shows ah increased attendance, and also shows that 20 districts at your last session .secured the' passage j of special acts to issue bonds for the purpose of building' new sohoolhouses. In this report Is Included the-state ment that a very large number of| school districts have levied special taxes. It Is gratifying to note that the I school. terms are gradually being in- j creased?v with larger salaries paid to teachers, which,-in ray opinion, la most necessary and important. vBT?Kjrlht?ndent Martin recommends that a certain per cent, of the school funds be set n*?!de for the srectiwb of school buildings by the county boards of educatioi.\ and In this recommenda tion I heartily concur. A recommenda tion looking to an Increase In "the ; number of 'rural, school libraries, and regulating their establishment, which recommendation also has my Indorse ment. . In my huit message I called atten tion to the necessity for establishing. In our larger cities and towns, schools of manual training, in which boys might be taught honorable pursuits.. ?j also.urged.the need for night schools, especially In mill communities. There Is much need for these schools,. and I again request you to give your care ful attention to this subject. In this connection I believe it would be an excellent plan to establish at ! Clemson, from the funds of the college, Scholar ships in the textile school'-for the benefit of young men from the cot ton mills who S?ek. technical trainingj in thla department - " South Carolina College. I take tt far", granted that the mem bers of the general assembly, are aware of the fact that for some time an Or ganized movement has been stead 11 y in progress looking toward a change in the organization of this institution. : In consequence .of this movement* application will be made to you at this ' session to grant to the South Carolina 3 college the title and charter of a State 1 university. The trustees, /the, faculty, j and the alumni of tnc college beliove the time has come for enlarging the sphere of usefulness of this venerable" - seat oflearning. . ' I >ea?tlly favor the ? proposed plan and think the time moat 1 propitious for this State to reestablish : ttoaf college 'upon: a university basis, i The college hao just ^elebretcd its 1 one himdredtbj, nnnlveraary .Vmd^wo "? ra a. right to believe that M*? ??* . .. ? mtxtarcri f ?et MUitl JJTjEIN A2S J Atsil dm. vanced und progressive spirit of ?du cation now so apparent in our State is due, in a large measure, to the century of honored years which has marked the life and worth of this institution. I shall not attempt to do more than to briefly direct your attention to Home of the weighty reasons governing my recommendation in this matter. Al most every Stnte In the union has a State university, and this is true of every southern State except South Carolina. We must provide such an institution sooner or later, or allow our educationnl system to remain In : complete. It is a fact that for the ! lack of such an institution u number I of young men now go to other States for the instruction which should he furnished them at home. The demand for university, facilities is further shown by the statement that a large number of- th? students of the college are now outside of the regular courses, and thus the faculty Is forced by the actual demands of the students to do university wofk. A university organi zation would offer far greater facilities for expansion and growth,' to keep pace with th*\ rapid advance of vducatlon, and wltn* the growing demands of the people. Such a change would give larger power for service, with but small additional cost. v It Is also the purpose of the hoard of trustees, In changing the organiza tion of the college to that of ti univer sity, to increase the facilities for in struction in the law department; to add a commercial department, and to, make such other additions as may be required. To effect the necessary changes an additional appropriation of only $10, 000 is asked for, and this is, I believe, a moderate amount when Pleasured by the results It will accomplish. 1 urge this appropriation, and under the cir cumstances it should reasonably he hoped that the united appeal of the alunml, the faculty and the trustees will receive the favorable consideration of your body. < CompulHury Hducntiort. The people of-this State have, for some years past, shown an increasing disposition to tax themselves for the support of their educational institu tions. Especially Is this true where our common schools are concerner". T'y this willingness is shown a growing realization Of the fact that a State can do nothing better for, the protec tion of Its highest and truest Interests than by educating its children. Ignor ance has ever been, not only a serious incubus to any people, but a manace to Its very civilization. This Is truer today than it haB ever been, and the question forces- itself upon our consid eration, whether or not we can afford to allow any number of our children to grow up in ignorance. As near as can be - estimated from United States census figures and from the reports of th'e superintendent of education, there are today about 25,000 white children in South Carolina' between the ages of 6 and 12 years who .dp not attend school, though schools are easily accessible to- most ' of these children. The question, then, and a vital one it is, presents itself to us: can we, for th? sake not on\y bt the State, but for the sake of the'', children themselves, longer 1 allow this deplorable condition to con l tinue? More than 30 States have adopted compulsory education, und we should now seriously consider whether we can longer afford to postpone taking suck a step. .. Have our coTnmon school facilities reached suclr a point as will warrant this action? I believe they have, provided that the proposed law Le not ,,to6* burdensome in its practi cal operation. By this; I mean that ch ildren should nut be com pulled to attend, schools so far from their homes that attendance would h? "a hardship, nor should the age' limit for compul sory education be too drastic.\ This vwould cause the law to become un popular and thus fall to accomplish the purpose for which It wub intended. I- have given this matter much care ful thought, and I am convinced that a- conservative beginning should be j made at once. Later on, as our school ; conditions-advance and the law grows In popularity and Its necessity Ib more 1 fully realized, needed improvements j can be adopted. I recommend that you adopt a com pulsory education .law, making It oblig atory .for all children between the ages of 8 and 12 years to attend school for a certain number of months during each year. The distance from the school .house to which this law i 'should apply is a rnatier for your wise consideration. But, gentlemen, a school house should be within the reach of every child In South Carolina: The passage of such a law as I most earnestly urge upon your attention would, I feel sure, be of material bene fit from every standpoint. The duty to train and educate our children, to prepare them for lives of Influence and usefulness, should be as binding upon the State as It is upon parents, and 1b, beyond all question, an obligation we can no longer -afford to evade or post pone. Department of Agriculture, Commerce fUld InuulRrntlon. It is with a great, deal of pleasure that I commend to your careful con sideration the fui! E and admirable re? port of the commissioner of agri culture, commerce ' and immigration. This report shows, beyond any ques tion, the urgent need for. such a de partment. Among many most, inter esting statistics, the all-Important statement that, of the 19,308,800 acrea of land Included within the area ofNour State; only D.775,741 acres are under cultivation?this one pregnant state ment should awaken your zeal and stimulate, you in sumortlng this de partment, which already shqws a record of work and results. In advocating the establishment of this department in my last annual message, I did so after the most care ful consideration, being prompted to do so because of the belief that our State, with Its great undeveloped re sources, was sorely in need of an offi cial move in this direction. South . Carolina, by the establish ment of this department, has become the pioneer southern State lnv develop ing its agricultural and commercial ra spurcec by means of immigration from other States and from abroad, and this fact has already won for us widespread recognition. Though this department was only established at your last ses sion, and our efficient commissioner qualified Jus* nine months ago, the re port of Commissioner Watson will Bhaw valuable and far-reaching results already accomplished. It is difficult to hegln .? work of this nature; to offi cially organise a State immigration de partment is an arduous task, especially ko when the State is beyond the lines along which the immigration movement bas. been progressing. It was not until* the 1st of August last that Mr, Watson was enabled to Officially reach desirable foreign Iminl- . grants and to direct their thoughts to- . svard South Carolina. ?>nly. a few months have 'elapsed, but/ since. this lime fh?re than 2uo are* now numbered imong the inhabitant* of this State. : rhis is a direct result of the good work IA.Y8 H0R3HOUND, MDL- *hat 8(>m rp Only 25jl a bottle. Uw.udt ggltit?. :j> ; up. of Commissioner Watson, as is shown by the fact that more Immigrants have landed here during the past f? w months than for many years previous. Th?se will be valuable additions ;o our citi zenship, they have teen carefully se lected, onJ many made bank deposits Immediately upon arrival here In hi* work the commissioner has kept strictly within the requirements otj: the net in reference to nationality, nndjj has also boon mindful in this respect of the expressed wishes of the immi gration convention, held In H>U3. A number uf colonies, composed of most desirable material, have already been prcdeeted. and a number of oth ers are now being negotiated. In this connection it certainly should be inter esting to know that 79,000 it?res have been officially contracted for at once, and options have actually been given and are now held upon more than twice this amount, to be disposed ot by purchase. This colonization feat ure is a most important phase of the work, and If it did no more than to materially increase our white popula tion, it would be, to us. of untold ben efit. The agricultural and commercial in terests of the State have by no means been neglected, but the commissioner has kept in close touch with Clemson college and Is indebted to the college for valuable assistance. In addition to the colonization and sale of lands, the outlook is most encouraging for bring ing varied Industries into the State, j these being attracted by the advertise- | ment, through this department, of the; great natural advantages of South Carolina. I earnestly recommend that you give this department all needed encouragement and assistance. It rests i entirely with your body to bring immi gration from other countries into-our' State, for by the laws of the United : States this must be done only through, official State channels, all Individuals and agencies being strictly prohibited from eng^lng in this work. As only a small ?rpnroprlation was made for this department last year, and no In crease is asked. I desire to bring one matter to your attention. The commis sioner is necessarily required to do much traveling, and, In view of the I tiicil in; is entirely removed from | all legislation, I recommend that he be exempted from the provisions of the act prohibiting State c.'delals from using free passes from ?-ullroad and steamboat companies. State Mtlltla. Your attention 1h Invited io the re ports of Adjutant General Fiost and Lieut. Col. Ezra B. Fuller, o' the United States army, which contain valuable facts for your conslde.ation in reference to the State milP'.a. Upon my request, Col. Fuller v as detailed by the war department t*; report for duty, to ?cl in oooperatlor with the ad jutant general in promofing the effi ciency of our State troop*. The ser vices of this officer have been most valuable, and the military branch of our government has been materially aided by his work. From theso reports is shown the needs of the rnjlitla, both in reference to appropriations and the necessity of a revision df the militaryV?de, to make Its provisions conform to the require-: ments of the act of congress, approved January 21, 1903,*known as the "Dick bill." This act, which has already done so much to advance the Interests and efficiency of the troops of this and other States, requires that "the organization, armament, and discipline of the organ ized militia shall be the same as that which is now/j or may hereafter be, prescribed for the regular and volun teer armies of the United States." The act further provides that the mh'itia shall be sufficiently armed, uniformed, and equipped for nctlve duty in the field, before they can participate hi the annual appropriations made by the general government for the support of the militia, which annual ullotment amounts to nearly $18,orO for the Stute of South Curollnu. This amount was secured this year, although the assist ant secretary of war report!-? that, had the law been strictly uppiled, on ac count of deficiencies and failures, we would have been deprived of our pro portion. It Is also shown by these reports, that. In proportion to population, South ! Carolina has a larger force of mil* lia I than any Stute in the Union, and that the appropriation from the State for I the support of the rnll?tla per cupitu \ is very low. The requirements of the ' "Dick law" arc such that we are con fronted with the necessity of either re=U ducing the number of companies or of' increasing the appropriation so as to meet its demands. This Is a matter of serious import to the State miUtlu, and I feel sure that In considering It you will act solely with a view to the best interests of the State and of those who have volunteered in its service. During the past year encampments were held in Columbia. These encampments are of- great benefit., and steady Improve ments each year ot '.est their value. In' view of the storage and supplies ne cessitated by these annual encamp ments,, a State armory Is, In my judg ment, a necessity. .The report of the adjutant general Is i? detailed and iiueiiigeiu statement ot the. condition and needs of the State militia, and I urn sure that his recom mendation* for the betterment of the service will have your careful consid eration. . UfNpenRnry? Last year I purposely refrained from making any recommendations in refer ence to the dispensary. My reason for this was that I had not then had suffi cient time to familiarize myself with the practical workings of the system. I have since had greutei opportunity to study some of the more important details regarding the management of this institution, and for this reason I beg to submit, for your consideration, changes which I am constrained, to think will be improvements. rf To properly regulate and control the sale of liquor has always been a ques- i tion most difficult of solution. Theo ries upon this subject, whenever and wherever tested, always become diffi cult problems when their p'ractlcu! en forcement as laws, or regulations, are attempted. No liquor law has ever yet been devised which, in its general operation, has given entire satisfaction. South Carolina Is the first and only State that has attempted to solve this problem under such State control as Is included In our present dispensary law. In spite of the fact that this law has 'many strong points which com mend it, most notably among them be ing, in my opinion, the fact that it "has decreased drunkenness, it Is also true that, like other laws, it has lbs Imper fections. I am convinced that If this system can. be properly regulated, It will be one of the best solutions of the liquor question; It not properly man aged and controlled, .Us usefulness will be at aq end.. Thi recommendations which I shall mak^ will n? submitted Witt* a view: solely, to Improve tho sys tem,- and to place all available legal restraints a*roqhd the sale and use of liquors. ; ' ' ; Tho purpose of the dispensary should c V-? .' mm :%-: '. . ^i-^M^j : ' ../ ..." " ?xvou?c, a au iv *r*?^uggUBCeb.*{ ieabf th? reoentty-brg?fcwd irdcr leagues look the matter 310,1* to not to Increase, but to cur tu 11 and t ontrol the sal? of liquor, and this pur- > H?se should always be kept In view, e Vs a bU8tnc8H institution, it should be t daced us far as possible above erltl- c iL'in and its restrictive reflations c diould be rigidly enforced. The man- | tge/nent of the dispensary has always r n-o'i the subject of more or less erltl- g ?lsm. During the past few months i :h.& criticism bus been made frequent y. and with the greatest freedom. It t s necessary that the system should be | node as business-like as possible, and , to ibis important .end I shall principal- ( ly direct my recommendations. County HoimlN. I I respectfully recommend that the valions county boards of control should ; be appointed by the State board of dl- . rectors?two members of this board td bo appointed upon the recomniendn- , tlon of the legislative delegations, the other member up> v. the nomination of the mayor of the county Beat. It Should be tin- duty of these county \ boards to Indorse orders lied with the i State *Vommls8ion?r by county dis-I pensers for such supplies as may be I nottded for their respective dispensa ries, naming brands and amounts re quired. This board should elect the various county dispensers, but these dispensers should be subject to removal by the State board of directors for cause. , Stntr CoiunilNfiinner. The State commissioner should. In my judgment, be the olllcer whose duty It should be to purchase all sup plies for the dispensary. He should be required to make contracts, not for any specified amount of liquor, but for such supplies an may be ac tually required, such requirements to be determined by the commissioner, based, as far as possible, upon orders received by him from dispensers, ap proved by the county boards, and tiled With him 30 days before the adver tisement for bids by that officer. Each contract made by the commis sioner should require the firm con- ! tracted with to guarantee the sale of such goods as may be ordered, and shipped to the State dispensary, said guarantee to be entered as a part of the bon i. All advertisements for bulk com!? should be placed strictly und ab solutely upon a comp?titive basis, by letting it be distinctly understood that | the lowest responsible bldd? - shall be I awarded the contract. It sb' id furth er be the duty of the comn. aloner to | make, each year, quarterly reports to the State board of directors, showing the umountH contracted for the pre vious quurter, Including the brand and prices, which report the State board of directors shall have published In at least two dally newspapers of the State. state Ilanrd of Directors. The board should be required to meet each week at; their office In the State dispensary, to remain In session as long as may be necessary for the trans actlor ii their business. The general supe. vl. ion and management of alt county dispensaries should bo In their charge and they should be specifically charged with the duty of seeln? that all restrictions governing the various dispensaries should bo strictly enforced. These are responsible and arduous duties, for which the members of this board should receive a salary of not leBB than $1,500 per annum each, and should be required to hie a bond of not less than $10,000. I further recommend that the law as to the location of county dispen saries be amended to restrict them to such incorporated towns and cities as, In the opinion of the coxmty board of control, furnish adequate police j protection to the public against dlB- j turbances of the peace.., Should these recommendations be adopted T am constrained to believe that they will accomplish two pur poses, namely: They will place the dispensary upon a more business-like ] basis and will also provide the ma chinery by which the legal restrictions of the system will be properly euforc ed. ' < The reports of the State board of di rectors will be submitted for your con sideration, showing the business trans acted during the past fiscal year, and I respectfully refer you, for all details, to these reports. Itemoval of DI?penMnrleH. At your last session there was en acted a law giving to counties which desire prohibition the right by a ma jority vote ?> close their disDensaries: j and upon trre taxable property of all counties so voting It was required that there be levied an annual tax of 1-2,of 1 mill, this tax to be expended by the governor In enforcing the law, s-hou'.d the local authorities fall to do ho. Ob jection has been made to this law on account of the tax Imposed, It being contended that it Is In the nature of a penalty. Its effect being to deter the people from voting for the removal of dispensaries. I do not agree with this view. If prohibition be substituted for the dis pensary law, then, prohibition should be enforced, and'when this umnot be done through the sentiment of the people, expense must certainly bo in curred. The counties now pay for the enforcement of euch and every law, and ij Is not fair to expect counties which maintain the dispensary to take | the profits accrulntf to tho general j school fund, to defray the expenses of I the enforcement of the law in a county ! which pays nothing. Besides this, the tax Is by no means excessive; it can bi? expended only when hecesslty re quires, and then solely In an effort to accomplish the purpose for which the people voted. That It will not deter them from voting for what they de sire wna certainly demonstrated re cently In the only election which has been held under the provisions of the law. Although It Is'requlred that the tax be paid annually, It need practi cally be paid only once, for If the local authorities do their duty in enforcing prohibition?which they will do when ever tho people demand It?the money will be refunded to the county, and the ordinary county tax can be thus reduc ed by 1-2 of 1 mill. This tax feature of the law, then, it appears to me. In stead of being regarded as a penalty, preventing the counties from obtaining what they desire, should rather be viewed as a guarantee that they shall have, as far as possible, Just what they do desire. Enforcement of '(be Dlaornaary I.nw. The enforcement of thlc law includes difficulties which should be apparent to all. but which really are not fully understood. It certainly presents a se rious problem to your chief, executive, 1 problem, of ceaseless and never-end ing responsibilities and anxieties. It is unnecessary to attempt an enumera tion of the various obstacles which are ?lways encountered, and which, owing to their peculiar nature, are not found n the carrying out of other laws. Where popular sentiment favors the llspensary law, there Is, of course, i/ery little work for the constabulary :o do, but in other localities exactly :he reverse of this Is true. I feel sure. 10 we ver, that the efforts which have 1 >Con made havo gradually brought ibout generally improved conditions, * i " . '. .. i / ; V, .' i ;.' Sncces?orjto Horo-Bi 6,120, East B?naon St? - - nit I do not hesitate to add that much 'et remains to be done, in nome lo alities, as la well known. Juries refuse o convlcti thus necessarily placing the ntlre burden Of enforcement upon the onstabulary. This complicates and ncreases the difficulties which are u.1 eady KUlhclent in themselves, and in itich localities it seems imposdihle to lave the law strictly enforced. Without seeking any explanation of hese reasons, prejudices and objec tons, the fact remains that they' do ?xlst, and, furthermore, they present Lho most serious obstacles toward egltimately carrying out the spirit of Lhe law. In considering this problem [ believe that the time has come when we should be perfectly frank in dealing with it. Nothing can be lost by this, ind such a course will in the end load lo a better understanding. In the first place, I wish to be fully understood. It Is the duty of the governor to en force the laws us they appear upon the statute books, making them apply alike to every section. This 1 have endeavor ed to do, and this I shall continue to ti do, so long as the respond titles of your chid executive '.uvoi upon me. With no desire to evade th.lt: -pon slblllty, 1 deem it my duty to unaitlon one aspect of the dispensary y .tuition as experience bus revealed 1' to me. Silice I have been in office I have done my utmost to strictly enforce this law in Charleston, with the result that I have been able to improve conditions only by the suppression of flagrant and open violations. Mayor Khett has given Official aid. but our combined ef forts have not apparently accomplished more than is above Indicated, There are few in Charleston who fa vor the dispensary, which, although it has been In operation for more than a decade, Is strongly opposed, and has made but few converts. There uro those in Charleston who favor Its en forcement Iweause it Is the law, and In my efforts to enforce It I have been accorded by them a strong moral sup port, for which I am deeply grateful. The location of the city, with Us ex tensive water front; the inability of the constables to mnke Belzuroil befnr;; snipments are delivered to the con signee; the large number of places where liquor Is Illegally sold; these and many others, make a combination of difficulties Which it seems Impossible to overcome. Trials by Juries have proven Ineffectual, and the resources of the law have been appealed to, time and again, but the illegal sale of liquor continues. In giving you information concerning the condition of the State, as I am required to do, I have thought It best to state these facts to you plain ly. It is my conviction that this is also a part of my duty, and, though for many reasons I would prefer not to do so, the situation has been brought to your attention. The chief constable calls my atten tion to the fact that he Is much hin dered in the general enforcement of this law by the existence of so-called "social clubs," etc. These clubs pretend to operate under charters granted by the secretary of state, but in reality they are only places for the promis cuous illegal sale of liquor. In grant ing charters, the secretary ; of. state acts in a ministerial capacity, and must, therefore, grant a charter for any expressed ptirpose. I recommend that the laws .governing the granting of such charters be am?nded, so that" they shalf not be granted until 60 days' published notice has been given, and that the secretary of state be given authority to 1 refuse such char ter upon an affidavit by the chief State constable that he has reason to be lieve that the applicants Intend to vio late the dispensary law. Should the officers or employes of any such club or organization be convicted of violat ing this law, % would further ; recom mend that the secretary of state be re quired to revoke any such charter ! heretofore granted. Law ie.MHm-NN. At the last session of your body T \ sent a special 'message upon the sub jects of lynchlngs and lawlessness. This I conceived to be my duty at the time, and I regret to add that subse quent developments have not changed my opinion. So Important Bhould be the consideration given to this sub ject, that I must again bring the mat ter to your attention. Before making any further statement. I shall here q?ote from the special message re ferred to, and renew my former recom mendation. "The governor Is popularly credited with power to prevent and punish out rages against the Stute. In reality he la practicully powerless. When noti fied, he may sometimes frustrate the mob by the employment of troops, but when the crime has been commit tod, his hands are really tied. In the mean time, the spirit of lawlessness is un checked. A band of lawless men may feel secure In tuklng the life of a fel low being on utmost any pretext. This deplorable condition should be remedied. To compel greater inspect? the proper respect?for the mojosty of tho law, I recommend the enactment of special legislut!o?> in referquce to lynch inrs, tn order that the great responsi bility of offlcinls dlrectlj' charged with the enforcement of the law , may be brought hnmo to.ihcm, wi?.t more effectual measures be taken for the apprehension of persons who take the law into their own hands." I am- convinced that this matter ^ h ou Id receive more consideration, than was given to it at your last session. There is nothing so important: to any State as to have its' laws properly re spected, nothing which strikes deeper at the roots of its civilizatio.i than to have these laws disregarded. It is absolutely necessary that ah crimes, of whatever nature, should be punished through the legal channels?through this source alone. The power and ma jesty of the law should be brought to bear, as far as possible, upon lynching for any and for all crimes. There is no alternative. Lynching for one crime leads to lynching for other crimes, and thus lawlessness is substituted for law. Surely experience leads to this inev itable conclusion. Since your last meeting I have had. on several occasions, to order out troops for the protection of prisoners. While I have been almost forced to do this, owing to the nature and urgency of the requests. I consider this by no means desirable. The services of the militia should never be called upon until .the. civil authorities shall have exhausted every means in their power to uphold the law. I tun firmly con vinced that, were this stand taken, calls upon the governor for the ser vices of the militia to protect prisoners would ceise entirely. .? As I . id in my special message? which Is here quoted?the governor is practically powerless where tho de tails of the enforcement of law are con cerned, for,the reason that he has no power to compel an officer to do his duty. This lipplies not only In the case or lynchlug?;, but to other offenses ulso. When a lynching occurs, when tin officer charged with the- sacred duty ..,.? * -. ?. + ?, < .,> - ?88 CO,* - - Anderson, S. 01