The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, January 17, 1901, Image 7
THE GOVERN!)
Full Review of Conditio
and Legislat
STATE'S NOTABLE INI
Jj^ All the Public Institutions
-=The Treasury Depai
Money During
Following Is a full epitome of the (
Annual Message of Governor Mc- j
Sweeney to the Legislature of South :
Carolina, read in both Houses at the '
openiug of that body:
Gentlemen of the General Assembly:
It is gratifying to me to welcome you
as the representatives of the people
y under such favorable conditions. You
come as the first Legislature to asrem- ,
ble in South Carolina in the new cen- i
turv. The Nineteenth century has
9 been one of marked progress and dc- !
velopment in all the arts and sciences, |
and it contains lessons which we may
learn with profit to ourselves and which j
may be of use to us in legislating for !
the future. Those who constituted the
first Legislature one hundred years ago j
little dreamed of the advance in all
lines of industry and of the discoveries |
and inventions w hich have signalized
the century just passed into history.
We cannot realize 01 even conceive the
advances that will be made during this
century upon which we are entering
There seems to be almost no limit to .
the achievements of the human mind.
It is for us to contribute our part to
make the world better and happier by ,
our having lived in it and ta leave to
our children a goodly heritage and a j
name untarnished. It is your privilege
to meet and to counsel with one an- !
other and to consider and enact such .
laws as will be of benefit not only to
the present but to the future growth i
and development of this grand old j
commonweaun.
The march of material progress and !
the development of the State, to i
which I had the pleasure to refer one
year ago in greeting the members of
the Legislature, has kept up with
steady and sure step.
The business depression through
which the people had passed and which
was almost unpiecedented seems to
have been followed by a revival which
is touching all branches of industry.
The increased price which our farmers
have received for their staple crop ;
makes large amend for the falling off j
in the yield. Our farmers are learning i
the importance of diversified fanning j
aud in consequence arc becoming more '
independent.
You need no better evidence of the ;
progress aud prosperity of the State j
than that preseuted in the figures coil- j
tained in the annual report or the Sec- ;
retary of State. From this leport it j
will be seen that approximately fifteen
million dollars were invested the past1
year in South Carolina companies; and
while a large proportion of it is in cotton
mill building, yet many smaller
manufacturing enterpriser an<i inaus- i
tries have been organized.
New manufactories continue to go up I
and we arc no longer simply an agn- \
cultural people but are fast becoming ;
as well a manufacturing State. We
now lead all Southern States in the
manufacture of cotton goods and are
secoud only to Massachusetts in the
number of spindles, and at the present
rate of progress will soon lead all the
States in the Union in this important :
branch of industry. It is well to keep j
this fact in mind as you deliberate.
Taxr.ble values have increased $4,245,- i
695 during the past year, as will be seen j
from the Comptroller General's report, |
but the increase is not near as large as |
it shouhfcbc or would lie if our system i
of assessment and taxation were so re-?
vised and amended as to have placed '
on the tax books all the property of the
State now escaping taxation and if that ;
which is assessed were equitably as- !
sessed.
Peace and good order have charae- !
terized our people during the past year. I
We have net been visited by plagu<j or
pestilence and no resort to mob violence
has marred the record or stained
the fair name of the State, though in
one or two cases the strong arm of the 1
military had to be celled into requisi- :
tion, but the majesty of the law was
maintained and no blood was shed. In j
one case there was strong provocation i
for summary justice, but with the as- j
sistance of the military the culprits
were protected, lawlessness was pre- j
vented, and through the ordinary chan- j
nels of the Courts' stern justice will be
administered and the penalty paid.
You as the chosen representatives of
the people should guard w th jealous :
eye their interests and welfare which
have been committed to your keeping,
remembering always the responsibility
which rests upon you.
FINANCES.
I take pleasure in calling attention
to the very creditable showing which
the Treasury*Department will be able
to make as to the financial transactions
of that department for the fiscal year :
closing December 31, 1900, as will ap- 1
pear from the statement of receipts and
disbursements.
The claims of the United States Go\
? ? ?Vi? S?n?? nf Smith
crrijuicui a^aiuoi, w
Carolina for the payment of which at
one time the State was seriously prcssen
and notice of suit given, are now iu
abeyance for want of authority to pro-i
?ecute said claims in the Courts. And i
r *
J
iR'S MESSAGE
lis in South Carolina,
ion Needed.
BlISTRIAL PROGRESS.
Are in Excellent Condition
rtment Borrowed No
the Past Year.
it is hoped that an equitable adjustment
and settlement of the counter
claims between this State and the
United States will be effected by appropriate
Congressional legislation which
will be final, without the payment of
any moneys bv the State.
The State of South Carolina holds
United States 4 per cent, bonds with interest
payable quarterly to the amount
of seventeen hundred dollars, which
mature on July 1st, 1907. The State
Treasurer received a circular letter from
the Treasury Department at Washington,
D. C., calling attention iO Section
n of an Act of Congress passed and appro\ed
March 14th, 1900, proposing to
exchange these and similar bonds for
two per cent, gold bonds. The Treasurer
does not think that he has authority
of law to surrender and exchange
the bonds now held by the State. If
the General Assembly should deem it
advisable to make such exchange it
1 d fr\f cnftPI'jl PlfjiljltlVP
v% uuill u<: uttaarti > ivi *.?? .?
authority to be given him.
EDUCATION.
Not the least gratifying evidence of
our progress is the remarkable awakening
in all departments of education. At
the beginning of the century just closed
the civilized world knew 110 such thing
as a State system of education; and in
many quarters, until a comparatively
recent date, the position of those who
advocated free public education as a
legitimate function of State government
was stubbornly contested, the opposition
in our State being largely due to
peculiar racial and social conditions.
State education is now the settled policy
of our country, being recognized as
both a function and a duty of the
government. It is a orinciole now well
o - * i *
recogni-ed, that the safety of the government
itself requires that it give its
citizens the opportunity to fit themselves
for and intelligent discharge of their
duties to the State.
Encouraging reports come from the
schools and colleges of our own State,
indicating that they have entered upon
an era of unexampled prosperity. At^d
yet much remains to be done to increase
the efficiency of our public schools.
The first essential is teachers of high
moral character and adequate professional
equipment. Our teachers have
better opportunities for professional
training than ever before.and they show
a higher average of intelligence and
professional fitness; but they are too
often poorly paid for their services, and
the best results ^annot be expected
until the schools, instead of advertising
for bids from teachers, offer adequate
pay and demand good qualifications.
The importance of levying an additional
tax for the support of the country
schools cannot be too strongly urged
upon our people. This will enable them
IO CUipiUV COIIipClCUl ICULUCld 1U1
longer terms; it will enable them to
give their children elementary and preparatory
training at home; and it will
tend to check the abnormal flow of
populat on from the country to the
town; it will be beneficial from every
point of view,
CHILD LABOR.
The question of child labor iu our
cotton mills is one that has been attracting
a great deal oi attention recently,
and properly so. Conditions in
this State have changed very much in
the last few years. We are no longer
simply an agricultural people. witn
the rapid growth in manufacturing
enterprises we are already a large manufacturing
State. The relation between
the labor that is employed in these
enterprises and the employer is not
merely one of master aud servant, but
there are rights and privileges and
duties, obligations and opportunities,
on both sides w hich should be carefully
guarded. There has been no conflict
between employer and laborer in this
State and nothing should be done to
disturb the amicable relations which
now exist. Government recognizes the
fact that it is the duty of the strong to
care for and protect the weak. It is
certainly the right and the privilege of
government to provide for the inspection
of any and all enterprises or corporations
deriving their life irom the
State and to see that they do not impose
upon the weak. Of course this
should be done with a proper regard for
the property rights of the corporations.
There is no- doubt the employment
and constant labor of children of tender
age in our factories is injurious to them
and will result in untonl injury in the
future. To interfere with the government
of the family by legislation is
dangerous. And on the other hand unless
something is done to protect the
tender children of vampire parents who
spend their time in idleness and live off
the labor of their little childiea who
are required to work in our mills from
year to year without the advantages of
school, the situation for the future becomes
alarming. To force these children
out of the mill and make no
provision for their : tt -rtdance upon
school but allow them to spend their
time in idleness on the streets presents
almost as alarming an sspec: as to permit
them to labor. In a great many of
our mills the officersaadutansgtrs have
I
/
V >
provided schools and teachers and
libraries and churches at the expense of
the stockholders, and some of them will
rot employ children under twelve years
of ape and they require the p rents
of such children to send the children to
i school. This is the tendency in all the
mills in this State. These children |
chnulri hp nro'.prtpd. hut it is not well i
that they should be idle, and I doubt j
1 the wisdom of a rigid law laid down by I
! the legislature prohibiting ab-olutely !
their employment. It would be betterj
rather that all children between the i
ages of seven and thirteen years whose :
parents or guardians work in a textile
manufactory should be required to at- '
tend school during the school term, if '
this can be done under our Constitution .
without extending compulsory educa- |
tion to the State. This would permit
them during the vacation to relieve
older sisters or brothers and give them J
a little rest and not take the means of j
support from the famiiy, and at the
same time accomplish the end sought? i
, the protection and the education of the
1 children of the mill districts. But bet- |
ter to 'lave a prohibitory law as to child i
labor than that nothing should be done i
for the protectiou of these children.
, THE DISPENSARY.
The Dispensary has been well managed
during the past year, as the state- '
ment of the Board of Directors and the 1
State Commissioner, which will be submitted
to you," will show.
The Dispensary system and the man?<fpmcnt
of the liauor Question have
occupied much of the attention of each
Legislature since the system was inaug!
urated. Tne dispensary has also been
an issue in every campaign in the State
since it was passed and has been more
strongly opposed possibly than any :
other law that was ever placed on
the statute books of this State. Kvery :
argument that could be brought to bear j
against it has been presented by some |
of the ablest intellects of the State, and
yet after a thorough canvass of each
county and a presentation of the case to
the people the system has been endorsed
by decided majorities on four different j
occasions and the principal is incor- j
porated in our organic law.
Under the Constitution the Legisla- !
ture may license individuals or corpora- i ,
tious to sell under the rules and regu- i
lations governing the Dispensary, or it j
may prohibit the sale and manufacture ,
of liquors. Both of these plans have ! ,
been thoroughly and exhaustively :
argued and advocated before the people ,
and the verdict every time has been de- j
cidedly in favor of the Dispensary under ;
the management of the State.
As a rule, tjie law has been well enforced.
and it has been with a small
constabulary force but with the aid of
the municipal officers. All law is ;
violated. If there were no violators of
law and this were an ideal country J
there would be no need of law or courts
i _rr 1 ft... : i
to try ana pumsn oucnucrs. auc.
United States Government with its
illimitable resources has failed to stop '
all violations of the revenue laws.
.Vhile it is important that the law
shall n^tbe violated by illicit sale of !
whiskey, it is equally important that
those charged with its administration 1
shall conform to its requirements. If
this were more rigidly doue public j
sentiment would grow more rapidly in
support of the system, I doubt if there J
is a dispenser in the State who does 1
not violate the law everv day, not with
any criminal intent, "file law requires |
that, "Before selling or delivering any j ,
intoxicating liquors to any person a re- :
quest must be presented to the County | ,
Dispenser, printed or written in ink, j,
I dated of the true date, stating that he I ,
I or she is of age, and the residence of I,
the signer, for whom or whose use it ,
: is required, the quantity and kind required,
and his or her true name ; hnd ;
( the request shall be signed by the ap- ,
plicant in his own true name and signa- j ,
ture, attested by the County Dispenser i
or his clerk, who receives and files the
requests. But the requests shall be re- j ,
1 ' ' r - > ? j.? 7\: ;?
' iusen, II me \_uunvy iviapcurici Iiniu^ II.
personally knows the person applying
I is a minor, that he is intoxicated, or
! that he is the habit of using intoxica- ,
i ting liquors to an excess ; or if the applicant
is not so personally known to ,
; said County Dispenser, before filling
j said order or delivering said liquor, he
shall require the statement of a reliable
! and trustworthy person of good charac- ,
| ter and habits, known personally to ,
j him, that the applicant is not a minor,
and is not in the habit of using intoxi- j ,
eating liquors to excess." The County
i Dispenser takes an obligation to the 1
; effect that he will and another after- j
wards that he does comply strictly with ;
i this provision and all of the other pro- !
| visions of the law.
i It has become customary for County
) Dispensers to sell to any one who applies
to purchase without being identi
fied or without signing the application
I "in his own true name and signature" | ,
and without stating "for whom or
, whose use it is required " Ample provis- ;
' ion is made for the course to be pursued
for violations in the administration of
' the law. The County Dispensers are
1 responsible to the County Boards of
! Control and they are appointed by the
j State Board of Directors ou the recomJ
mendation and with the advice and
consent of.the Senator and Representatives
from each Count)'. That brings
, the case right up to the door of the
j members of the General Assembly.
This is a business matter and as care;
ful and as prudent bisiness judgment
! should be exercised in the selection ol
those who are charged with the adnjis
tration ol the law as a pruaeni ousmcss
man would exercise in the selection of
these whom he would place in charge
of his private business. Politics and
partisanship should have no pari in the
selection.
I again commend to you the advisa- |
bility of abolishing the County Boards 1
of control and of devolving thtir duties
upon the Mayors or Intendants of the 1
towns, and the County Supervisors of
the Counties, in which Dispensaries
are located.
THE STATE PENITENTIARY.
The annual report of the Board of
Directors and Superintendent of the
| Penitentiary show$ a most gratifying
' r
condition of affairs at this institution
While no money will be covered iuto
the State Treasury this year, yet permanent
improvements have been made
cut of the net earnings amounting, in
round numbers, to $20,000, and there is
still a cash balance on hand for current j
expense's of about <5,000. In addition 1
to this, the farms have yielded corn and !
provisions sufficient to run tne institution
until the next crop is harvested.
The number of convicts remains practically
the same as one year ago. A
modern prison, which was very much
needed, is Hearing completion, within
the walls of the Penitentiary, at a cost
of <14,500. In addition to being a safe
prison, it is built with a view to the
health and comfort of the prisoners,
and will be paid for out of the net earnings
of the Penitentiary during the past
year. At the last session of the Legislature
provision was made for the erection
of a Reformatory for youthful
criminals. A neat and substantial i
frame structure for this purpose has \
been erected on the Lexington farm, in
which will be kept all prisoners under
16 years of age. While it will be the ^
purpose or the Superintendent to furnish
them instruction in morals and .
if possible, make better citizens of them j
when they are released, yet they will be \
required to labor as other prisoners, j
but will be kept entirely separate from j
the older and more hardened criminals. (
At present there are only fourteen |
prisoners under 16 years of age, and !
these are all negroes.
A good many needed and permanent
improvements have also been made on j
the State farms, and everything there ;
is now in good condition There has j
been some discussion in regard to the '
advisability of the State owning and |
operating farms. A careful and thought- J
ful investigation of the subject, I am i
sure, will convince you that it would j
not be good business judgment to dis- j
pose of these farms. v j
INSTITUTION FOK THE EDUCATION OK (
THE DEAF AND THE BLIND.
The Fifty-second Annual Report of
the South Carolina Institution tor the
Kducation of the Deaf and the Blind
shows an average attendance of 157
pupils, which is the largest in the history
of the School. Thirty-six Counties
are represented. The expenditures
have been kept within the appropriation.
The per capita cost remains about
the same. The building for colored
pupils, lor wnicn tne Legislature iuaue
an appropriation at the last session, is 1
in process of erection, and will be ready i
for occupancy by the beginning of the j
next school term. The Superintendent 1
will ask for an appropriation of 520,000 J
for support and $2Q,ooo for the erection
of a school building and 54,500 for other 1
improvements and repairs which are
needed.
RAILROADS.
The Twenty-second Annual Report |
of the Board of Railroad Commissioners |
contains a very full exhibit of the j
operations of the roads within the State
for the past fiscal year.
An examination of the report will
familiarize you with the duties of this
very important department of our State
goverment. You will doubtless be
gratified to note that the general prosprosperity
of the year has benefited the j
railroad interest, and tbat the roads as :
a whole are in good condition, bpth materially
and financially.
PENSIONS.
For several years the State has been
1 - ' 1? * -t-?. fo?r rotii oin. 1
cioing w/iai soccuuiuaui i<- ? ........... (
infold Confederatesoltliers;thewidows
of soldiers who are in need of its aid. It
should be a matter of congratulation to j
every patriotic son that we have been
able to do what we have, and a source
of regret that we are not able to do,
more. The trouble with our pension
laws is the tendency to abuse them, (
and in many cases those who are really i
deserving go without the assistance they j
need, and to which they are entitled: I
but better that a hundred who are not
entitled to it should receive aid than ;
that one deserving old soldier should !
suffer in his old age for the want of such i
help as the State and the people he
served so well are justly due him.
At the last session of the Legislature
a new pension law was enacted, which j
has not yet been tested. The new law
is intended to reduce the number of I
pensioners now on the roll, and to have
on the list only those who are worthy,
and to give them a sum sufficient to be
a real help to them. In order to carry
out the purpose of this law a new set of .
blanks have been sent out, and the roll
for this year will be completely revised.
1" tViic fmt it wnuld he well to
give the present pension law a fair trial, j
and to make such an appropriation for
the old soldiers as the General Assem- j
bly may in its wisdom feel that the State '
is able spend for this purpose. Last
year the appropriation was $100,000, and
there were 011 the pay-roll 7,707 pensioners,
of whom 4,575 were soldiels and
3,132 were widows of soldiers. I recom- 1
mend that there be no reduction for
this worthy cause.
l,
STATE MILITIA.
During my administration several oc- i
casions have arisen in which the civil!
luthorities have called upon me as Commander-in-Chief
for the assistance of
the Militia to preserve the peace and !
avert not and bloodshed in the State.
In each and every case the volunteer
troops have responded to my orders
with alacity and enthusiasm, and in
every instance, by their promptness and
coolness, law and order were enforced
A ~( U Cr* s\* v. In the ?
WlU'UUl 1UM yji itic v?* jr* ^~j - ?
recent threater.e'l riot at Georgetown,
aused by the killing of an officer in the
discharge of his duty, by a negro, it is j
attested by Morgan and "the best citizens
of that city that but for thy timely
presence of the volunteer troops the
civil authorities would have been over-;
whelmed, and the city reduced to riot
and bloodshed, and probably destruc- j
tion of property.
1 do not hesitate in advising the C.en- j
eral Assembly to provide as liberally as
our means will allow for the maintenance
and advancement of the militia,
feeling, as I do, that every dollat ap- i
{.ropriated will be wisely and economi- |
eally disbursed in the interest and '
- teady improvement of the service. 11
respectlully refer you to the Adjutant
General's report, which covers in detail
the entire operations of the Adjutant
General's Department for the
last fiscal year in a most satisfactory
manner.
THE SOUTH CAROLINA INTERSTATE
AND WEST INDIAN EXPOSITION.
By a concurrent resolution adopted
at the last session of the General Assembly
of this State the South Carolina
Interstate and West Indian Exposition
was heartily endorsed, and the advancement
of the great project was
earnestly commended and urged upon
he entire people of our State.
Encouraged by this spontaneous
action, the projectors of the enterprise
went to work with great energy, and a
chartered corporation was organized,
with a proposed capital stock of $250,000,
of which amount nearly $200,000
has already been subscribed.
The Exposition has been extensively
advertised throughout the United
States, and the indications are that it
will be largely patronized. It has
been officially noticed in the recent Annual
Messages and otherwise by the
Chief Executives in several of the
States of the Union, and it is hoped
will receive substantial encouragement
from those States. A bill appropriating
$250x00 for a government exhibit at
the Exposition is now pending in the
Congress of the United States, and has
passed the Senate.
Not only will the industries and resources
of our own and neigboring
States be brought to public notice, but
those of the West Indies as well. It is
int*ndpd psneciallv to afford to the agri
cultural and manufacturing interests of
our State an opportunity such as has
never before been enjoyed, or publishing
to the world their extent, value and
importance. A very eligible site, embracing
some one hundred and fifty
acres, on the shores of Ashley River, in
the city of Charleston-, has been secured,
and the work of construction has been
commenced. The plan and scope of
the undertaking has been made so
familiar to all that it is not necessarv
to enlarge on the same at this time
Application has been made to the
State of South Carolina for an appropriation
of $50,000 to assist in developing
the Exposition, and I commend
this appeal to your favorable consideration.
STATE BOARD OF HEALTH.
The report of the State Board, of
Health which will be submitted to your
thoughtful attention. It contains suggestions
which should receive action on
your part.
CONCLUSION.
I have thus endeavored to review
hrieflv the different departments of the
State government, and to mal^e such
suggestions as have seemed to me to be
proper and demanding your attention.
In expediting the business that shall
come before you I am ready to give you .
such assistance andco operation as may
be in my power. I trust iq your session
may be a pleasant and harmonious
one, and that in your deliberations you
may be guided by an earnest and sincere
desire to do those things which
shall redound to the advancement and
happiness of the people whom you
have the honor to represent.
M. B. McSWEENEY/
Governor.
NOTES AND COflMENT.
Mrs. George Boyden. of Evansville,
Indiana, has a matrimonial record that
is hard to beat. Nine times she has
been married. All her husbands are
dead and she declares she will marry
aeain if the rieht kind of man comes
along. Mrs. Boyden Is one cf the prettie-t
women in Newburg. She is 50
years old but would easily pass for 30.
Mrs. Boyden wishes to pass under the
name of Mrs. Weed, the name of her
eighth husband, for a month ago she
was divorced from the man who jumped
into the cistern Friday night and
ended his life. Mrs. Boyden's name
was Polly Casileman and she was born
of good parents in Warrick county. Indiana.
Asked if she would marry
again Mrs. Boyden said: "I don't 3ee
any reason why I should not if the
right kind of a man came along. I am
voting and not bad looking, and be
lieve I would make a gcod wife to a
man who would let tr.e have my way.
The great trouble with the average
husband is that he ant; to be the whole
thing, and to this I object."
The following curious notice relating
to a divorce proceeding Is published in
an Ohio paper: "I. the undersigned.
Ida Ingram, of my own free will, fully
cognizant of what I am doing, do most
solemnly sear, as 1 hope to meet my
God. that I ill do these things, to wit:
Sell ofT all the things in the house at
No. 137 Depot street, with the exception
of enough to furnish one room, all
pictures and a few fancy dishes snd silverware
and a few souvenirs, and never
keep another boarder as long as !
live. I also agree to live a pure and
chaste life forever. Dispense ith Mr.
Huxley's service forever, will tear up
41-? ^1" ? cvn a oKn p<r!n(v
trie petition, me a new uao ^uUrb,u,
non-support, incompatibility and cruelty.
This is a copy of my new petition,
never to be altered. As I hope to
meet my God. Ida D. Ingram. Sworn
to before me. a no'ary public, in and
for Columbiana county. N. Y. Howell."
The report that Senator Proctor, of
the Vermont Marble Company, has secured
control of the famous Carrara
quarrjej in Italy at a cast of $10,000,000
thus giving the Vermont Marble Company
practical control of a large proportion
of the marble output of the
wo. kl. suggests to the Eo ton Transcript
the possibility of "corners" la
"certain unnecessary, but familiar object?.
such as tomb-tones, table tops,
mantelpieces, soda water fountains and
statuary." Fortunately, it adds, "all
of these things can be mnde of other
material than marble.