The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1879-12-05
>-s.1s-Al1NE3AFfs sfisSsAtsE or -
.GOyERNOR w. ID. SIMPSON,
s&&S TO THE
s. GENERAL ASSEMBLY,
AT IT'S SESSION
C0MMENCINGIUBSDAY, NOV. %, 1879.

1t is with pleasure that, as the Executiye
of the State, tender you kindly greetings
upon your reassombliug for the purpose of
entering upon the discharge of the high
duties imposed upon you by the Constilu.
ton.
have no doubt thlt you Have each come
prepared to meet fully your responsibilities
aud 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
tion. My love for South Carolina, always
strong, has grown with N.Y. growth and
strengthened with my strehg until now
sEit is.o1a.es the sfr9Q llaiI =
heart, and j assure you Z am 3ared Co
unite with you in an earnest effort to accom-
plish during this the last session OF The
General Assembly of the present admins
tration such results as may rebound to her
lasting prosperity, honor and glory,-and [
earnestly hope that such may be its con-
summation.
In addition to the ordinary and daily
duties of the Executive, some of which have
been difficult and perplexing, the Constitu-
tion provides that the Governor ''shall from
time to time give to the General Assembly
information Of the condition of the State.
measures as he shall jud &C necessary or ex-
pedient." 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 promotive of the common
good
In proceeding to discharge this two.fold
!, duty, you will permit me, first briefly to
scaif your, attention, by way of Information,
to several matters which seem to me should
afford abundant cause for great congratula-
ton, not only on the part of the General
Assembly but of the whole State, and espe-
cially on the part of the General Assembly,
for 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 tho 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 intcrcStS-it is. in fact
the groundwork Of all else. Let it anguish,
and everything else languishes let it -four
ish, and everything else hourish?s. When
in successful operation It gives rise to all
other improvements 1t ncccssitates the
building Of railroads aud the establishment
Of manufacturing enterprises. 1t creates
commerce, and extended educational facli-
ties arc its legitimate results. During the
past Summer this great interest was threat
cned ut one time with serious aud wide.
spread disaster by an impending drouth,
but at length the showers came and the
Il 1,l IL; L.
ativcly, passed off, and our people, taken as
a whole, have been blessed with 4 rcasona-
able harvest Their sarncrs are generally
full L 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 orindus,ry, during
the current year than for many years past,
aad am rGjoicsd to bclicyc that the new
relations Of labor and capital which our
sudden transformation has imposed upon us
as Il people arc 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 aud 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 aud under the protection of their
own eyes. When this practice is more gen
orally established and fully adopted our
future, agriculturally, think, will become
more secure, and, while ai(ording all Of our
people the means Of comfortable living
it will largely tend to relieve them from
those fearful pccuniary disasters which not
unlrcqucntly occur among every people
relying upon bu. one industry and the cul-
tivation Of Il single staple.
La this connection it affords me pleasure
to state that the law known as the stock
law, passed at the last cssion, has fully
realized the hopes Of its friends in those
Counties where it has been put into opera
ton. OF course measure SO radical in its
character and 50 sullcnly adopted would
meet with some opposition, aud, as was cx-
p1ctod, some compllin:s were made against
this but this wAS Immediately upon the
passage of the Act and before the people
had pr pared themselves to meet it. Since
IL. :. l,