The Anderson intelligencer. (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, January 11, 1905, Extra, Image 9
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