Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

SUPPLEMENT TO THE MANNING TIMES. MANNING. S. C., JANUARY 15, 1902. GOY. MSMENEY'S MESSAGE TO THE- lGEERAL ASSEMBLY.; What the Chief Executive Says of Affairs of State of South Carolina. FULL REYIEW OP THE YEAR'S WORK IN THE STATE. 6 The Governor Favors Compulsory Education for the Young Chil dren of the State and Tells Why. lB ESO G IES OUT SQUARELY AGAINST GHILD LABOR IN IILLS. An Appeal for the Better Education of Teachers-State Educa tional Institutions--The Soldiers' Home--The Dispensary Law Dealt With in a Matter of Course Manner--The State Militia-The Confederate Records-Redis tricting Urged-The Forests, The World's Fair and The Trusts. ,Gentlemen of .th6 General Assembly: FINANCES. -The organic- law -of- the State makes The folowing statement furnished by I the State treasurer shows the condition I it the duty of the chief executive to lay of the finances of the State at the close . 'before. the -gene ral assembly at each of the fiscal year. December 31. 1901: b tCash Receipts for Fiscal Year Ending -annual session a review of the different December 31, 190L ,epartments; of. government, and to Cash balance, Dec. 31, 1900..$ 626,912 05 Back taxes..........6,325- 75) make such recommendations and sug- General taxes 1900 .........589,368 58 General taxes 1901.. .. .. .. 219,213 82 -estiona as may seem to him wise and Railroad assessments.. .. 5..-5,744 32 Income tax.. 7...........80 49 Fees. office secretary state.. 40,583 711p The past year has been a remarkable Incorpora'tion fees.. .. .. .. 50 00 one in. many respects. Many stirring Annual incurance license 00 Ifees.................1 1 events have marked the record. The Graduated insurance license filers of the goil in many sections of fees.. 13,543 76 'e oi mPrivilege fertilizer ta .. .. 84,073 43 vr State have not had the usual re- Loans (borrowed on notes of turns for their labo, and with many governor and treasurer) .. 145,000 00 Insurance sinking fund.. .. 3,064 97 -of them the bresent year is going to be State. permanent school fund 2,706 Is State special school fund one of -iflce and self denial, and (dispensary).. ........ 100,000 00 ,yet they are looking hopefully to the Clemson bequests (interest on deposits).......... -fature and not complaining. The de- Merrill fund from U. S. gov ernment.. ..2..5........ 25,000 00 'elopment adporsofteSteCommissioners sinking fund: n - anuactrin . ntepries oes Loans returned.. .. ......32,546 41 In inaufactlsing- entIntereegoeson loans.. .... ....,905 24 steadily forward. I sometimes fear that Agent commissioners sink these- enterprises are being built up at Iinig fund (secretary -- . ~state).. .. .. .. ..... 4,381 69 the expense of the rural districts. Itj -Ia been largely among the owners and Sikig-3un4edcto ti!llers of the soil that the sinews of Brown 4 1-2 per cents.: , Loans r-eturned..-.........93560 91 trengh In owr State in times of peril Interest on loans and de andh of trouble have rested. The posits.. .. .... .... ......15,841 81 - Itrength of a State and the patriotism Phosphate royalty .. .. 25,120 56 of-a people rest with the home owners. 134,522 65 - Whatever can be done by wise legis- Dispensary. S. C... .... ...1,968,083 40 lation to encourage home owning will Refunds--sundry accounts.. 1.371 51 be so much contributed to the patriot- $4,018,686 9" Ism of our State and to the stability of Cash Payments for Fiscal year Ending our institutions. December 31, 1901. Since your last session the nation has Salaries... .. .. ..$ 150,722 93 :been bowed down beneath the weight Legislative expenses.. .. ....41,869 68 1 of a grievious sorrow, caused by the Eductional, charitable and 0,529 dastardly blow which struck down its. Clemsna cttonlle:.31,929 - chief executive, a blow aimed not at Privilege fertilizer tax.. .. 88,139 64 him but at you and every law abiding Morrill fund.. .. .... ......12,500 00 citizen -of the land, and at the free Interest land scrip and government of which he had been -permanent fund........9,266 361 chosen by the American people as the - 19960 head. It was a blow at organized so-- 10.600I clety and the victim was only an in- Colored Nor. Ind. Agr. and< ci edent. A sentiment which gives rise Mech college: to an act like this is one of the dan- Appropriation.. .. .......,S000 00 gers which threaten our nation. And Morrill fund.. ............13,790 6" yet, at no time has the stability of InteWrst land scrip.. .. ....5,754 00 our form of government been more 27 544 62 1 clearly shown than at this criticalPnin..........10,397 however exalted and beloved he may State permanent school 4 'be. is necessary to the continued pros- funu.......- ........- - - 'p--, 1 perity and welfare 'of the people. and State special school fund the fair treatment given the murderer (dispensary).. .. .... ......100000 00 *ut served to show to his associates Completing Stat ouns 1,e0 the efficacy and the dignity, and the (paid sarkina fundtern State 000 necessity for the preservation of that SuhCrln ne tt law which he sought to overthrow, and West Indian exposi-t Within the past year three of your tons...(rio ....s...o1 ern"' own members-Hon. E. B. Ragsdale, Las(oe fgvro of Fairfield; Hon. G. J. Redfearn, of and treasurer)............85,425 42 Chesterfield, and Hon. J. B. Bates. of Public printing.. .. ........16.918 30 Barnwell-have been called from their Maintaining milita.. ........ 6,77 S5 1 labors here on earth and have gone to Quarantinig State.. .. .....11278 01 join the innumerable hosts on the other Commissioners sinking fund 41,273 S9 Sshore. Sinking fund for the reduc There w111 be many matte~rs of im- tion of Br'own 4 1-3 perr portance to command your considera- cents.: Ic tion, and in all questions coming before toat oS....n..ract....10 030 you, you should always bear in mind Invtaehst e ntrct C . .rown 4 the interests of the. people. whose se- 412v ertcents.). Brown ,60SS vants you are. To this end you wil! r 2pi et.).... 9 O" have my aid and co-operation.46196> There have been two lynchings in the 194 ~ State during the past year, both of Erecting monument a t which are to be r-egretted and would .Chicamatuga.. .... ........ 4.26 28 -have been prevented if possible, but so Dispensary S. C.: long as fiends in human form continue Account proper .... .....-,003,297 4' c to commit outrages upon our women Transferred to school fund 100,000 00 they may expect swift and summary 1594 justice, and I doubt if emergency Inerston0blc5eb. 27 45 9 the aministrationtheruc jutie whn Miscellaneous accounts.. .. 40,79 r9 b itis known the right fiend is found. Cash balance Dec. .'il. 1901.. ~:.43 25 -u The only way to stop the punishment isj Et became necessary in order to meet a :he current expenses of the State gov- a rnment, for the treasurer, by authori- r by of an act of the general assembly, t :o borrow 70,000. This loan was nego- 1 :iated at 4 per cent. per annum for 30 c and 60 days' time ahd has all been paid a back. In order, however, to meet the t nterest on the State debt, due Jan. Ist e :t was necessary to borrow $110,000 ad- c litional. This action was made neces- t ;ary by the fact that a very small pro- ii portion of the taxes had been paid at'i 'he close of the year. In my message of the last two years a have upon each occasion called your; ttention to the subject of certain e bonds which. by the treasurer's report, d appear as part of the old debt of the It State. but -which are now, under the c act of 1896. no longer fundable by the 1 treasurer without the action of your C lonorable bodies. From your journals t [ learn that my message upon the It subject was referred to a joint commit- t tee which reported thereon, but which report was not adopted by the senate 1 r and no action taken thereon by the ' ouse of representatives. The treas- E arer calls attention to these bonds and t gays: "I find on the books of this de partment certain bonds as part of the I lebt of the State entered as 'Old Bonds not fundable (act of 1896) Blue c railroad bonds $37.000.' These bonds C were issued in 1859 and matured in 1879. 1 By act of 1896 the treasurer is forbid- t len to pay. consolidate or fund any :oupon bond of the State after the eix piration of 20 years from the date of maturity of such bonds. I am in doubt as toshow longer to report these bonds. [f they are no longer fundable why-41 arry them- longer as a part of the ic lebt of the State'? But while on the: Me hand the treasurer can heither pay or fund them, on the other he has no, authority to write them off the books." I rlhis letter was referred to the attor ney general for his opinion, and in re aly he submits a full and complete )pinion, concluding as follows: "I am!, Af opinion that the bonds in question t :onstitute an existing adjudicated part o the debt of the State, and as such :an only' be dIsposed of by some act of E the legislature." This confirmed in my opinion and views upon the subject by the legal l afficers of the State, I cannot do other vise than repeat my recommendation )f last year. viz., that the claim of the bank to- be permitted to renew and fund these bonds Is valid and just and hould 'be -allowed. It is not denied I that the State owes the bonds to some me. They are carried as part of the lebt of the State on the books of the: treasurer, as- owing to some one. The ourts have all decreed the bank to be: the owner. No one else can now claim them. as all persons' but the bank arV barred under the act of 1896 from doing o. I.repeat. in the face of these facts. it will be little short of repudiation if we continue to refuse to allow the re -eiver of the bank to fund them. EXTENSION OF TIME FOR PAY-'. MENT OF TAXES. It is best that the time for the pay ment of taxes withcut penalty should 4 be fixed, and it should be understood t that there will be no extension. In C view. however, of the stringency of I money with our farmers and in conse uence with almost every bthei.branc a f business, and in view of the further t act that the time for .the payment of axes has so often been extended that e ur people have come to expect it, after t onsultation .with the comptroller gen- I ral. and by virtue of authority given is by law, the time for the payment of axes ivithout penalty has been extend d to the first.day of.March, 1902. TAXATION. The question of taxation is one of' the s nost important and difflcult problems hat will confront you and one of the c nost profound in political econom;. It I as been a difficult problem ever !ince. t Kovernment has been organized and i taxes laid, and never yet has a sys- I .em been adopted which is entirely a -quitable and just and which ilias not C ben open to fraud and evasion and in- I .quality. It is easy to lay down a: 'heory and a principle that will be just Lnd equitable, but when it comes to yuttng in motion the machinery that vill carry out in its practical opera-t :ons that theory and that will apply he principle to property, the question 1 yecomes a.. vexed one and difficult of j olution. The constitution provides hat all property shall be assessed at ts true value and .therefore bear its hare of thze burden of taxation. This rincip'e - was laid down by Adam 3mith, the celebrated Scottish'-philos >pher and political economist, in the ~arly part of the Eighteenth century, t nd by all writers on political econo ny before and since his day. Equal and ust taxation, levied on all property yroportionately and in accordance with ts value, is the product of the high et justice, and when done to meet f ~imply the demands of government,$ ~conmically administered, is never mrdensome. On the other hand. un ~qual and unjust taxation is always mrensome and has been the cause >f many of the wars and much of the trife all through the history of the tes. I It is necessary to raise a certain tmount of money to meet the ex enses of the State government and his must be done by tcaxation. It nakes little difference to the taxpayer yhether the levy is high or low". The.I [uestor. that concerns him isthe as essmen't or valuation placed up.on the r'operty to be taxed, and whether or d lot it is -:alued at the same ratio as >ther propertv. When the politicin ~ oasts of havirg rediuced the tax 1evy e is only trying tn iool the p~eole. The evy must be large enough to realize U tsufficient sum to meet the appropria-i ions and it will be large or smal in >roportion to the valuation placed up n the property and the amount of ap ropriations made by tiie legislature. he only way to reduce taxation is to 1i 'educe the appropriations. Of rourse. D he school tax fixed in the constitution ~ vould realize more income if~ assess nents were raised, but that would he t o disadv'antage, for scarcely any one ould object to an increase in this' c und. d Under the present system the returns a rc made to the county auditor. There a s a township board of assessors, which a eets at the court house after the an- n itor has taken the returns, and un ertakes to go over all of them in one o r two days. Then there is a county r' oard of equalization, which also C rueets at the court house and goes overs he returns for the entire county in t ne or two days. All of this is dlone s: ' somewhat of a perfunctory manner -a d accomplishes little or nothing in f r securing an equitable assessment .2 f property. There are counties in the tate in which some of the land is as essed at one-third or one-half its ia'- a ial value, while other land is assemaed el t its real value. In fact, there may -a e twvo adjoining plantations, the cne b. e.rth twice as much as the other. and I1 et under cur system each is assessed li r taxatin at th. an, mo nries ier' 11 cre. In many cases it Is the rule to ssess live stock at so much per head. egardless of the fact that one horse my be worth two or three times as i ,hat another is, even in the same ounty. And yet this is what town hip boards of assessors and the county oard of equalization understand as qualizing property for taxation. This 1 ertainly is not the purpose for which liese boards are created. And yet it ; impossible for a township board to 1 eet and spend only one day going 1 ver the returns that hatre been made, 1 nd get them equalized. : It is also as i npracticable for a county board. of 1 qualization to meet and in one or two I ays equalize the assessments upon all he property in the county. Much more I ould be accomplished if the law were mended so as to require that the ounty audi - shall, after notice in he public p .its, take re.urns in each awnship, and shall not take these re arns except while preseit. In the town hip. In case any taxp~yer fails or efuses to make return inhile the au itor is present in the ownship, the uditor 'and the townsh t board shall e required to assess duch property nd notify the owner of the valuation laced upon his property. That there I hall be appointed a township board f assessors, consisting ;of three dis reet freeholders, residents of the town hip, who shall meet with the auditor o receive the returns a'.d assess the roperty. That this board shall be ppointed by the county auditor and eceive compensation for its services. 'hat all returns shall be:.made in pub ic in the presence of ,thie auditor and he township board, and that the owner f the property shall be required to .nswer the questions as .now provided .y law, and make affiddvit as to the orrectness of his answer: If the town hip board thinks the return Is too igh or too low it shall be Its duty, a the presence of the owner of the roperty and the auditor, to raise or -wer the return in order to reach he true market value of the property. 'he chairman of these township boards hall constitute the county board of qualization, and this board shall meet .t the court house and go over the re urns for the county with the countyr uditor and. hear complaints and ap eals, their decision to be -subject to ppeal to the State board. The auditor hall not be permitted to go into a rimary, but shall be apppointed by the overnor, as provided by law, so as o be as free an independent as it is ossible. In this way I believe much .ill be gained toward having all prop rty assessed equitably. The honest axpayer would much prefer to return is property at its true value, if by oing so he would bear no more than is just portion of the burden, and the 3an who desires to evade should be aade to bear his part of the burden y having his property. returned at ts true value. There is no question that so much .emands your earnest, your careful, our thoughtful, and your diligent con ideration, and that so much concerns very citizen- of the commonwealth as his question of taxation. It has re eived the attention of every legislator ho has had the Interest of his people t -heart, since - taxes have been levied nd government organized, and yet hiee is 'no subject in which there is iere rooom for reform than that of qualizing taxation and placing upon he books for taxation that property hich is now evading the officers of e law. There has been a gratifying increase a the taxable property during the ear just closed. In fact, the increase ; greater than for ainy one year for everal years past. This, of course. as made an increase in the amount f taxes collected, but your appropri tions were larger at the last session han the year before, and but for the crease in taxable values there would ave been a deficit and the appropri tions could not have been. met out f - the income for the year. Instead, owever, of having $S9,000.000 of tax ble property we should have - near 100,000,000. The following comparative figures for 00 and 1901 are.-taken from the comp roller general's report: 1900. 1901. teal.. .... ...$102,148,427 $103,258,440 'ersonal .. .. 52,006,830 59,030,4241 tairoads .. .. 25,359,273 27,044,2431 'Total- .. .. $179,514,530 $189,333,107 These -fgures show a to tal increase the taxable values for thme past year f $9,618,577. For further information in regard : this department your attention is irected to the excellent and suggest ere orto the comptroller general. SINKING FUND. In my last message to the general ssembly attention was called to theI rt that at that time $241,030.84 of the ib:.202.23 of assets of the cumulative' inking fund for reduction of S. C. rown 4 1-2 per cents were on deposit. in banks, and although drawing 4 per ent. interest were unsecured, except! y the credit of the banks wherein de-' osited. This condition no longer ex ts and there is now of this fund so eposited in banks only $59,358.84, which 'ill soon be drawn out to complete the tate house loan. This has been ac omplished during the past year by the' an of $123,164.37 under the act of 1900 To provide for the completion of the tate house," and by the purchase uring the past year by the commis-' ioners of the sinking fund of S. C. rown 4 1-2 per cent. bonds and stock! f the aggr.egate face value of $78,012.00.! hese bonds and stocks have been. ner the law converted into S. C. rown 4 1-2 per cent, stock issued in me name of the commissioners of the: inking fund, and although purchased t a minimum, being 4 1-2 per cent. onds, will until maturity pay almostI not quite, 41 per cent. on the price aid. Under the trust this is an' ideally ife investment, being made in the ery bonds the fund is created to re The deposits in banks, unsecured ex pt by' the credit of the banks wherein eposited, pay only 4 per~ cent. interest, n this rate of interest is liable at ny time to decrease, should interest nd the demand for- money at tihe oney centres decline. On December 31st, 1901, the assets Sthe cumulative sinking fund for eduction of S. C. Brown 4 1-2 peri nts amounted to $420.515.52 invested: >as to yield from 4 to 5 per cent. in- < ~rest. The assets of the ordinaryI 'king fund are now $49.397.22. 'The sets of the insurance sinking fundl >r State insurance of pub!lie buildings mount to $3.111.22. . GOOD ROADS. During tihe past year there has been general awakening throughout the mntry on the (luestion of good roads 'd in every section great interest has r ten manifested and movements begun oking to the improvement of the pub :highways. There is no question :oncerns the great body of our people. Che south has possibly been a little slow in this matter, and the effects -esulting from her negligence are flainly to be seen. For the past few years there has been t great influx of people into our towns ind cities and these have rapidly built ip at the expense of the surrounding :ountry. This is an evil which if pos ;ible should be remedied, for it is :o the people of the country, and not to he towns and cities, that the State nust principally look for the pre servation of her institutions. One of :he prime causes of this great flow of >opulation into the towns and cities Is :o be found in the condition of our >ublic highways. In most of the coun :ies in the State during certain sea ;ons of the year some of the roads are iltogether impassable, and all commu .ication and traffic with the cities and ailroad points are cut off. Such a con lition of affairs must work great hard ;hips, especially upon the rural dis :ricts, and the people of the rural dis :ricts composie the great majority of yur population. Leaving out of consideration alto -ether the evils resulting from the con lition of our roads, howeVer, and look ng at the question from a purely busi ess standpoint, good roads pay, and ire one of the' best investments which an. be made by a county, or State. Under our present methods of road milding, it is necessary to rebuild the oads after . every washing -rain, while f we build 'good. permanent roads, the :ost of keeping them in repair would be . ~very small item in comparison to hat our present roads are costing. En fact, the saving in not having to 6vork the permanent roads so often, would in a 'very short time pay for .heir building. This has been' found to e the case wherever good, permanent 7oads have been built. From the seventh annual report of the Commisioners of public roads for .he State of New Jersey, one of the eading States in the good roads move ment, the following is taken merely to show in what respect good roads re held by the people who have.used them and know of their advantages: The people seem to be so wonderfully mpressed with the idea that by good oads the value sof land will be in ressed, transportation cheapened, travel and business attracted, school .iouses. and churches' filled, and civi ization advanced, that they are pray ing as earnestly for them as for. great riches. Consequently the pressure for rew roads Is so great It seems almost mpossible to 'hold the people back. They are so anxious that they are ot willing to confine themselves with in the limit of State and county ap propriations. They are constantly-in sisting upon building ahead of the State appropriation, in order that they nay enjoy them nov." It has been estimated that in" 40 :ounties in Indiana where good roads 1ave been built, "the average increase in the selling price of land, due. to ex isting improved highways, is $6.48 per cre. The estimated average Increase per ,acre that would . result from Im proving all the public roads is $9.00. rhe estimated average cost of con verting the common public roads Into improved highways is $1,146 per mile. The estimated- average- annual loss, per 100 acres, from poor roads is $76.28.' n the basis of this calculation the )verage annual loss from poor roads is 76 cents per acre. It will be seen that the loss from poor roads would oon pay for the building of good -oads, and after replacing the amount paid for their construction, the good oads will continue to pay. Of course, it carnot be expected that South Carolina should do as much as ;ome of th" States have done, but any ction whp-li may be taken, looking to he betterment of our roads, -will be of reat benefit and in the long run will ictually save money. Most of the ork done by our chaingangs upon the resent roads is csimply thrown away. The building of public highways is s much of a science as railroad building, and in order to build roads vill require, money, and in order fo se ure money there will have to be pro ision for raising it by taxation. The ood Roads convention, which was re ently held in Greenville, passed reso utions requesting the legislature that ~ach county be given the privilege to lef ermine by election the right of mch county to levy a tax, not to ex :eed 2 1-2 mills on the .taxable property f such county, if so much be neces ary, in order to build good roads, and that such counties as desire. to do so me given authority to issue bonds to :onstruct and maintain their public ighways and be authoripgd to Issue onds upon so deciding by- county elec ion. A resolution was also 'passed at :his convention requesting the legisla ture to enact such laws as will en :ourage the use of broad tires, and also hat the county chaingangs shall be put to work exclusively on building ood, permanent roads. These sug gestions- are practical business prop sitions and will work great benefit to the State if carried out, and I rec nmend that they be ?ollowed. It is most gratifying to note the in :erest which has lately been taken by :he people of South Carolina in this mbject. .Most of the counties of the State are awakening to a realization f the importance of the subject and nuch is'- being accomplished. In this connection the work which tas been done and is now being done my the Southern railway in this di ection deserves commendation, and no ioubt much of the good which has re mlted from this awakening is due >artly to its efforts.. ~Any action looking to the better ent of our roads which, in your visdom, yoq~ may see fit to take, will e so much done toward the promo ion of the general prosperity of the eople. Whatever plan you adopt thould be efficient, economical and quitable. And that you should adopt ;ome plan is patent to every thought ul citizen. CHILD LABOR. In my last message .[ directed your tttention to the importance of giving :areful consideration to the question >f child labor in our manufacturing ~stablishments. With the rapid growvth >f m'anufacturing industries in our state this has now. become a ques ion hat directly concerns the people if Soutth Carolina and a problem that s demanding solution. The solution hould wvork no injustice upon the mill w~ners: nor should the health and the 'uture happiness and prosperity of the 'hildr en. who will in a few years be :itize'ls and voters, be neglected. othinrg should be done that wvill in ure che manufacturing interests, nor etard the progr'ess and development >f South Carolina in material growth. There is no doubt that to keep the mall child confined at labor in the oils is injurious to the child phys ally and mentally. Without time or' recreation, play, exercise', sunshine. chool, things so necessary for the the child body and child mind; noth ing but labor and toil from before sun rise until after dark, is compelled by the laws of nature to dwarf the child mind and the child body, because it is in direct conflict with the laws of nature, and will have its influence and effect upon the citizenship of the future. Even looking at the situation from a cold business point of view, it is better that we should not have child labor. In a good many Instances the 6mill wners themselves have realized this fact, and have prohibited child labor in their mills. Looking to the future,. they know in order to have skilled labor in the grown up man and woman, it Is necessary that'the child of the present shall not only not be dwarfed physically and mentally by close confinement and labor 'during the tender years of youth, but that it shall have all the advantages offered by the schools of the community. In some cases the parents who work in the mills are required to sign a. contract to force their children between certain ages to atttend the public schools pro vided. There are mill towns in this State which are models in everything that goes to. make an ideal commu nity. The mills contribyte largely for the education of the children and in some of these communities you will find as good school buildings as in any of the larger towns and citids. Besides, the mill owners pay their part of' the school tax, which goes into the general fund, and the most pleasant relations exist between the mill owners and the operatives. The fact that the mill owners, who are in the best possible position to judge by experience, recog nize by such action the importance of 'educating' and caring for these children, is a. strong argument in favor of the. necessity of a law prohibiting child labor. In many instances, however,- these rules are not required, and the mill owners, finding child labor cheapest, and looking only to the present, sub stitute the child for the man, and the health and future happiness of this child are sacrificed to present gain.- , This question is one that has to be met in every manufacturing ,country, and in every Instance it has been found to..be the' part of wisdom, Ioking both to the mental and moral u lifting and the material advancement of the people, to prohibit the labor in mills of-children of tender age. England,' France, Ger many, and all the principal manufac turing countries of Europe, and all the manufacturing States in the north in our own country, after thorough inves tigation and long experience, have* de cided in this manner. The question Is a new one in the south only because the south has within very recent years developed into a manufacturing section. The manufacturing industries of the south In the near future will be com >elled to meet strong competition from the people of other sections of the globe, particularly from the far east. In order to meet this competition they must have skilled and intelligent lMbor, and this can only be secured in the operatives of the future by the educa tion of the children of the present. And the ohildren of the present cannot, be educated and prepared for their duties and for good citizenship if they are re quired to labor in the mills during their tender' years. The question is demanding solution, and the part of wisdom is 'to solve\it now, for the longer' it is left alone the more difficult of solution it becomes. This question was discussed by you at your- last session and. In one branch of your body defeated-by a large ma jority. Final action, however, was post poned by. a continuance of a bill -in 'th'e other branch. After careful and thoughtful con sideration, it is my opinion that it is a duty which you'owe to humanity and the citizenship of your State to protect these children by -prohibiting- their labor in our manufactories. If the par ent does not feel sufficient Interest In his own offspring to look after its best interests and to prepare it for the high duties of good citizenship, then it is the duty of the State to step In and assert $s authority by taking care of the life and the health and the happi ness of these helpless little ones. I realize that it is a perp'lexing questien I where the authority of the parent ends and the duty of the State begins, but in a question of such vital importance to the State fine spun theories should not be Indulged,- but the best interests of the commonwealth and its citizen ship should be the paramount issue. No child under 12 years of age should be permitted to labor in the manufac tories -of this State, unless it be neces sary for the support of a widowed mother. If you'should adopt such a measure, however, at least one year should be given before 'it' becomes of force In order that all parties may ad just themselves to 'the new conditions. EDUCATION. It is a principle now well recognized that the safety of the government it self requires that it give its citizens the opportunity to fit themselves for an intelligent discharge of their duties to the State. Our form of government it self, in which every citizen is a ruler, and every ruler a public servant, de pends for its preservation upon the en lightenment of the great body of our people-their education and instruction in the "great elemental truths which elevate the mind and purify the heart of man," and which render him cap able of self-government. Subsequent events have proved the trutp. of the sentiment expressed .by Washington at the very foundation of the government, that "it is substantially true that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government. Promote, then, as an object of primary importance, insti tutions for the general diffusion of knowledge. In proportion as the struc ture of a government gives force to public opinion, it is essential that pub lic opinion should be enlightened." Public opinion depends for' its en lightenment very largely upon the free common schools, and the efforts of the State should be directed principally to the improvement and perfection of its ~system of common school education, for it is to the common schools that the great majority of the children must look for their education. This should rot interfere with our system of higher education, but the first duty of the State is to prepare the great majority of its citizens for the intelligent use of the functions of citizenship. The ideal system is one properly 'articulated from the common school to the high school, the college and the university. "It is of little use for a republic to have higher institutions of learning pro ducing men of wisdom and power un less it has also a system of general, nay, of universal, education producing popular respect for wisdom and power. ~The university at the summit, reaching as high as human intelligence can go, the common school at the base, spread ing as wide as human nature Itself, and bct,-en them the hest attinabhe sys tenit of grammar schools -and high schools and academies, and spreading out from them an ever-developing 6r ganization of technical and professional. institutions-these are the defenses of the republic." But it is of little or no use to have, an adequate system of free education unless.it be taken advantage bf -by the children of the State. The attendance upon our common schools - is not as large as it should be. No child should be allowed to grow up to meet the high 'duties and responsibilities of citizen ship without at least having acquired the rudiments of a good education. And yet many of the children'of this State are permitted 'to come to the years of maturity without being able to read or write, either because the'child cannot see for itself the advantages, or the father is wilfully, negligent of the' wel fare of his offspiing, or himself igno rant of the necessity of an education. There is no greater enemy 'to the wel fare of society and to republican in stitutions than ignorance, and the-duty of the State is to require the 'child to take advantage of the education' pro vided. The question of compulsory education has agitated the minds of ducators throughout the State for the past few years. Various public addresses ontlis subject -have been made, and at nearly every teachers' association In 'the State the, question has bden discussed. It would seem that. the majority -of' our best educators advocate the system of compulsory education. The objector to cbmpul]sory education will urge that every parent- has .the right to determine what;education shall be given his own child aud that, tle State has no right toInterfere in-.the affairs of the..fainily. ,Whe4. a con tagious disease invades. the. State: no question of this kind is raised, bt the State takes . measures . to. .stamp out the disease and asks not for permission to establish a 'quar antine against 'the spread of the malady. The two::cases are sim-' lar. Ignorance is the' worst of dis eases and the State has the right. to-re-. quire that the children shall be.brought up in such a way as to rhake the best possible citizens. It Is also'urgedithat the cost will be too great.- The'-State is now spending more, than -amillion dollars on the education of its children and the propei position is' that every child of school age should reap .its share. But .the greatest objection which is urged to congulsory education in the south Is the ever-present, negro, and the fear that If he isleducated he cannot be controlled. Th'e fallaey of this argumept is patent to every thoughtful man. It .is a fact known' and recognized that in this State at present, in proportidn *to the population of each, 'there are a great' many more, negro children than whites receiving the education provided. The negro is here to stay, and to educate im right ly will but teach him his postlor6i and be of benefit to him"and to us. To leave him without an education is'but to make him a tool in the hanids of-the designirig and a curse td'sodiety. It is but suicidal- not to require' the white children of the State to 'attend 'the common schools for fear "the negro schildren -will receive the same ad vantages. This -argument' means that we should let the white children grow up in ignorance in order that -the ne gro 'may not learn. In this age there are many problems which confront us and;ninst be solved. Education is the solution. We must educate' not one here and there, but' - -every child in the State. A compulsory law at the beginning would probably have to encounter diffi culties in its enforceme-+. but the time is ripe .for something to be done, as every one must admit when he con siders the per centage of 'enrollment to the children of school age, especially in the rural districts. All the principal- countries of.. Eu rope, in fact all the principal. civilized countries throughout the world, .and two-thirds of the States and Territor es. of our own country, have adotedi some system of compulsory education. In many of the other States it is be ing agitated aud urged.. According to the Census of 1890' .the percentage of' whites in South Carolina over 21 years of age who could neither read nor write, was '15.65; of' negroes 652.I 900 the census ilgur~es show theperentge.of whites 12.6,'and of negroes: 54.7. These figures need no comment. ',he percentage of Illiteracy among the whites has decreased in ten years 3 percent.; the negroes 10.53 per cent. The following data, -showing the States of the 'United States that have compulsory education laws and be tween what ages, has been obtained from the school laws of the vanious States and Territories, and from letters from their various governors and su perintendents of education: Illinois-16 weeks (12 consecutive), 7 to 14 years. California-two-thirds term (12 weeks consecutive). 8 to 14 years Colorado-12 weeks (8 conspcutive), 8 to 14 years. Connecticut-full term, 7 to' 16 years. Idaho-12 weeks (8 consecutive), 8 to 14 years. Indiana-12 consecutive weeks, 8 to 14 years. Kentucky-8 consecutive weeks, 7 to 14 years. Maine-16 consecutive weeks, 7 ,t 14 years. Massachusetts-SO consecutive weeks, 7 to 14 years. Michigan--16 consecutive weeks; 8 to 15 years. Ohio-16 to 20 consecutive weeks, y to 14 years. Montana-12 weeks (6 consecutive), 8 to 14 years. Nevada-16 weeks (8 consecutIve), S to 14 years. New Hampshire-full term, 8 to 14 years. New Jersey-20 weeks (8 consecutive), 7 to 12 years'. New Mexcico-12 weeks, S to 16 years. New~ York-full term. S to 16 years. North Dakota-12 weeks (6 consecu ti e), 8 to 14 years. Oregon-12 weeks (S consecutive), S to 14 years. Penslvnia-full term, S to 16 years. Wy oming-7 to 16 years. Ar izona-12 weeks (6 consecutive), 8 to 14 years. South Dakota-12 weeks (8 consecu tive). 8 to 14 years. Washington-12 weeks. S to 15 years. West Virginia-16 weeks, S to 14 veas. Wisconsin-1" weeks, 7 to 13 years. Vermont-28 weeks. S to 15 years. Neraska-two-thir'ds term, 7 to 14 yearxs. Minnesota-full term. S to 16 years. Kansas-12 weeks (6 consecutive). S to 14 years. Rhode Island-12 weeks (6 consecu tive). 7 to 15 years. Utah-It; weeks (10 consecutive). S to '4 yearxs. I would suggest in our State that the ..e . Ix-rd hr.twre-n S nnd 1:, and