The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1880-12-08
Governor E1agood'S Inaugural
Address,

IuIc You to-udJ W dSSuiDc, i'll CutultHCG
to the bchests of the people, the ex-
ecutive Office. Yen have been called
BY the same sovereign voice t" the
tt::>;i.arge Of an equally importa"t
trust. and in our hands is placed for
the next two years much that effects
the welfare of the State. Relying up
On your patriotism, and your wise co.
operation, aud with heart single III
It's devotion to my State and people.
i preach the duties assi%n"': ne,
and shall faithfully discharge then! so
far as in me lies.
STATE EXPENDITURES.
The honest, economic and efficient
administration Of the State govern
ment, which the party revolution of
1876 promised, has been realized. The
ordinary current expenses Of the State
| government have been reduced to one
| fourth of what it was under the man-
agement of the Republican party, and
have nearly reached the minimum ex-
penditure Of the period before the
war. Every obligation Of the State is
met from the income of the fiscal year,
and no deficiencies are Incurred. The
accounts of the State are cleared from
all confusion or uncertainty, and there
is laid before the representatives Of the
people once more, as is required by
law, "a true and accurate account OF
the actual state of the treasury
There is yet room for retrenchment;
and as from time to tine. without lln-
pairing the efficiency Of the govern
ment, retreuchment can be made III
the executive, Legislative and judicial
departments, as we'll as in the mis-
celaueous expenditures, each small in
itself, bu; aggreeating a considerable
amount, it should be doue In nay
observation, however, the path of fur
ther reduction of the burdens Of the
taxpayers lies now rather in the coun-
ty levics, Of which | will hereafter
speak, than IN those which reach the
State treasury. While the State levy
is four times less than it was under the
Republican administration, the Or
diDary county levy is the same now
as it was then.
You have, no doubt, observed in the
estimate of supplies required for the
support Of the State, submitted 10
you at the beginning Of your session,
the large proportion Of the whole
needed for the penal and charitable in
stitutions of the State. Where labor
is So valuable as it is with Us. do
not see why the peuitentiary should
not ooly be self sustaining, but
source eff revenue. Considerable pro-
gress has been made in this direction
under the present able management Of
that Institution but the object should
be kept steadily in view and attained
at the earliest possible day.
In connection with that noble chari-
ty, the Luuatic Asylum, [ hesitate to
speak Of retreuchuert; the circum-
stances Of our people require, however,
that it should be restricted to its pur-
pose and remain charity. The pau
per alone should receive the bounty of
the State; those who are able to pay
in whole or in part for the benefits of
the Institution should he required to
do so. am not prepared to assert
that the bounty of the State is now
abused in this particular; but it &C.
ours to me that an efficient safeguard
against such abuse is to return to the
plan prevailing before the war, and,
instead Of supporting the pauper iD-
mates of that institution by general
State appropriation, to require each
county to support its own paupcrs in
the Lunatic Asylum as we'll as at
home. This is entirely consistent
with the scheme of our poor-laws.
The county lcvies the fund for the
maintenance Of it's sane paupers, aud
it is expended under local supervision.
It should also levy and retain super
vision of the fund applicable to the
support Of these more unfortunate
persons anoug its INDECENT population.
The part of the State should be linz
tied to appropriations for such gene
raj purposes of building and repairs
as are necessary to make the institu-
| tion available for its humane purposes.
The revenues of the State are COL
lected with honesty and fidelity. The
mode accounting with the subordi-
nate tax officers provided by law is
rigid, aud it is impossible to cover up
| fraud or negligence ON the part of
these officers, if the accounting is
properly enforced in the couptroller's
Office. When the money has reached
the State treasury, its custody and
disbursement are jca!ously hedged
with stringent provisions of the law.
I know Of no practical safeguard that
is omitted.
COUNTY EXPENDITURES.
But with regard to the expenditure
of the county revenues it seems to me
that the law is seriously defective.
There is now levied and expended in
each county for county purposes a
larger SUN than it pays into the gen
eral fund which reaches the State
treasury, aud is there surrounded with
such careful provisions Of the law.
The county treasurer retains the coun-
ty funds in his hands, and is in regard
to their disbursement merely the
cashier Of the county commissioners.
In his annual accounting in this mat
ter before the county auditor an order
of the county commissioners, drawn 10