Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-12-02
State Affairs.
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
A REVIEW OF THE SITUATION IN s. CAROLINA.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT,
Co11,MpIA 6 G. November %, 1880.

of this State, w. -. Simpson was electet
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Souti
Carolina, and on the 1st of September last h
resigned the office of Governor of the State o
South Carolins. The Chief Magistracy of th
State having thus, under the provisions of tn
Constitution devolved upon me as Preslden
pro tempors of the Senate, Immediately as
sumed the duties by taking the oath OF office
1t now becomes my duty, under the Con
stitution, to give you information OF the condl
tion of the State, and recommend for you
consideration such measures as seem to mi
necessary or expedient.
I have not had time or opportunity to be
come sufficiently acquainted with the depart
ments of the State, or the wants and necessi
ties of the people, to be able to give such full
and satisfactory recommendations, as l an
sure my distinguished predecessor would have
made had he continued in office.
congratulate you, as the representatives
of the people. upon the great improvement
which has been effected in the affairs of South
Carolina, by the administrations which have
had charge of the State government for the
last four years. The cloud of despondency
and gloom, which came Of proaigate, reckless
and corrupt legislation, is being gradually
cleared away, and the hope Of prosperous
future invites US to renewed efforts. Every
interest material and educational is being
surely and constantly improved. Agriculture
the principal occupation of our people and
the chief source of all wealth, is remunerative
whilst land is being gradually enhanced, not
only in price, but in real value. Commerce
is extending and adding her stores to the
wealth of the country. Cotton manufactures
have been increased in power and humber
and whilst in many portions of the world such
enterprises have been run on short time, or
closed temporarily, in South Carolina they
have been pro6tably run on full time.
The sessions of the Legislature have been
reduced from duration Of several months
to about one month. The credit of the State
is fast rising to the high position it had be,
fore the war The railroads have been i'm
proved in condition and are doing an in
creased business, which indicate, as surely
as anything, the growing prosperity of the
country.
The success of the jetties in deepening
THE BAR OF CHARLESTON
harbor, which is now regarded certain, will
develop prosperous future for the city, and
yet verify the wisdom of those who in former
days selected Charleston as the Southern
terminus of the road from the Northwest to
the ocean, Already the increased number
of vessels seeking that port, and the much
larger receipts Of cotton than at the same
time last year, indicate the approaching
wave of prosperity. Before many years the
great trade of the West will require port
on the Atlantic most accessible to the trade
of the West Indies and South America, and
none will be found combining the advantages
of Charleston, S. G.
We have just passed through one of our
EXCITING QUADRENNIAL ELECTIONS,
in which so much is done to derange the
business Of the country, disorganize labor
and excite the worst passions of the people,
especially the most ignorant. | believe 1t
would be better for all the interests of the
State if we had State elections but once in
four years, and then at time different from
that on which United States elections are
held. If persons held office for four years
they would become better qualified for their
duties, and the State is more interested in
having an Office we'll filled than in finding
berths for untried aspirants To show what
progress has been made in the way of
REFORM AND ECONOMY
under the Democratic administration Of the
State Government which went into power
four years ago, ask your attention to the
expenses of the State for last year, as COM
pared with similar expenditures for the State
while the Legislature was in the entire con-
troll of the Radical party. Taking the aver
age annual expenditures of the State Gov.
ernment for the six successive years begin.
ming December 1st, 1868: For these six
years there were paid and appropriated for
contingent funds 1916, 1924, or an annual
amount of s62sO54S Contingent fund for
last year S6,S2017. Difference S559e531
The cost of the session and expenses OF
the General Assembly for the same period
were $2l47, ,43097, and besides this amount
there were outstanding bills payable issued
on account of legislative expenses for the
same period $l92,275.l5, the average cost Of
each regular session being about $500 40516
Legislative expenses last year. $40, ,504 80
Difference $279, ,900S4. The average expen.
dtures for each regular session for the six
years for attaches and contingent expenses
have been about S25S, ,424 65. Let it be borne
in mind that this sum represents only the act
ual payments made. There was large
amount of unpaid claims in the form Of leg.
islative pay certificates estimated at not less
than S500,000 The corresponding amount
of last year, including expenses of pay off
GERS of the General Assembly, was Sl2, 1855
Difference S24= ,648.30.
During three years, ending November !
1874, the cost to the State of permanent and
current printing, and of printing the laws in
the newspapers, was S9lS, ,629S6. Deductine
from this amount all such items as may be
called extraordinary, amounting to s375,OOO
there remains as the cost of printing for three
years the sum of 43,629.86, or al average
annual cost Of S181, ,20995. Public printing
las, year s12,2l1.4O; difference S16S. S.99S.55
There was collected from the people in the
years 1873, 1874 and 1875 the sum of 81 ,349.
46l. Of this amount treasurers were paiC
commissions for collection Sl5l ,070; county
treasurers defaulted for SlO9 1888 ; total s26l,
05S; leaving paid into the treasury s4,O86,
4O3. Amount collected from the people il
1876, 1877 and 1878, Sl,90S,572. Of thi
amount treasurers were paid commissions TO
collection s35,00O Amount unpaid but Sc
cured by judgment or thoroughly solven
sureties s5O5; total s35, 800, leaving paid in
to the treasury S1,873,067. The saving il
money taken from the people s2440 ;Sss
In money paid treasurers for collection Sll6
O7O. In money fraudulently or negligent
lost s1O9,9S5. Total s2,666,944. Poll tax
es for the common schools collected in 1875
1874 and 1875, Sl77,3l6; collected in 1876