The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1879-12-05
>...14.A4gNBlAI afHssH0E OF
Ss0yERNOR w. ID. SIMPSON,
,g& TO THE
81 GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
AT IT'S SESSION

at IT'S SESSlON
CoMMENCINGTUBSDAY, NOV. s5, 1879.
Gentlemen ofMc General assembly:
1t is with pleasure that, as the Executiye4
of the State, tender you kindly greetings
upon your rcassombliug for the purpose OF
entering upon the discharge OF the high
duties imposed upon you by the Constitu-
ton.
I have no doubt th,t you Have each come
prepared to meet fully your responsibilities
and to do all that you can for the promo.
tion of the welfare Of the State, aud to this
end YOU shall have my most cordial co.opera.
ton. My love for South Carolina, always
strong, has grown with my growth aid
!, strengthened with my strengths urttl now
s sssStsix,onSx6St thd stxS
heart, and assure you + am pfapafedS t9
unite with you in an earnest effort to ACCOM-
piish during this the last session OF the
General Assembly of the present admins
tration such results as may rebound to her
iastihS prosperity, honor and glory,-and [
earnestly hope that such may be its con-
I summation.
duties Of Inc Ezscusss sSs OF w;oAn GA sjs ssy
been difficult and perplexing, the Constitu.
tion provides that the Governor :shal from
time to time give to the General Assembly
information Of the condition of the State,
and recommend to their consideration such
measures as he shall judge necessary or cx-
pedicnt." This Message is intended to
meet this constitutional duty, to wit: to
give you information as to the condition of
the State and to recommend the adoption
on your part of such measures as, in my
Judgment, may be promotivc oc the common
good.
In proceeding to discharge this two.fold
!. duty, you will permit me, first briefly to
2caii your. attention, by way of Information,
to several matters which seem to me should
afford abundant cause for great congratula
ton, not ouly on the part of the General
Assembly but of the whole State, and cspe
cially on the part of the General Assembly,
tor the reason that some of these matters
have been the direct results of its previous
legislation.
First, you will permit me to congratulate
you and the country on the evidences of
agricultural industry which have come up
from all parts of the State. Agriculture,
as all understand, is the most important of
peoples various intcrests-it is. in fact.
the SrouAdwork Of all else. Let it languish,
and everything else languishes let it -four
ish, and everything else hourish?s. When
risrsucccssful operation, It gives rise to all
other improvements. 1t ncccssitates the
building Of railroads and the establishment
of manufacturing enterprises. 1t creates
commerce, and extended educational faci-
ties are its Legitimate results. During the
past Summer this great interest was threat.
cned ut one time with serious and wide.
spread disaster by an impending drouth,
but at length the showers came and the
rains descended, and this danger, compar-
ativcly, passed off, and our people, taken as
q whole, have been blessed with rcasona-
able harvest. Their garncrs are generally
full. have taken some pains to obtain |
information on this subject, and the reports
from the different counties show that the peo.
pie Of all classes and conditions have been
more industrious, more energetic and enter
prising, in this department ofindus,ry, during
tho current year than for many years past
aad [ am rcjoic;d to bclicyc that the new
relations Of labor and capital which our
sudden transformation has imposed upon us
rs people are beginning to adjust them
selves more tremendously !; we have certain
ly touched bottom and the rebound has
commenced Thcs, reports further show
that while cotton still forms the main pro.
duct, set that the people all over the State
are beginning largely to diversity their
crops More small grain, especially wheat
and oats, has been cultivated and harvested, |
at least in upper South Carolina, during
the past year than at any period since the
war, and greater attention is beginning to
be paid to grasses and cattle, and the people |
arc generally and wisely, think, coming
to the conclusion that while their soil is |
well adapted to the production of the great
staple cotton, and that this product should |
not be neglected, yet that their corn cribs
and meat houses should be built on their |
own lands and under the protection Of their
own eyes. When this practice is more gen
orally re.establishcd and fully adopted, our
future, agrculturally, think, will become
more secure, and, while atfording all Of our
people the means Of comfortable living. |
it will largely tend to relieve them from
those fearful pccuniary disasters which not
nnfrcqucntly occur among every people |
relying upon but one industry and the cu-
tivaton of a single staple.
La this connection it affords nc pleasure
to state that the law known rs the stock
law passed at the last csson, has fully
realized the hopes Of its friends in those
Counties where it has been put into opera
tion. OF course measure SO radical in its
character and 50 suddenly adopted would
meet with some opposition, aud, as was cx-
pocted, some complaints were made against
this; but this was Immediately upon the
passage of the Act and before the people
Ill Al.