The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-11-25

unpaid appropriations. 1t would perhaps bet
ter satisfy the people of the State if the LegiS
lature would have this reserve fund invests
gated by a competent Committee"
The myth or mystery Of this "Treasury
Reserve FUND.- has long puzzled many be
sides the State Treasurer.
The Act OF December ~, 1856, creating the
Reserve Fund, set apart S2I2. III .33
and required That said fund shall be held by
the Treasurer of the state OF South Carolina
to be used in payment OF all interest due up
the bonded debt of the State and appropri
ations made by the General Assembly Pro
rided, There be no other funds In the Treas
ury applicable thereto. And when taxes are
and paid into the State Treasury
tons. replace the amount Of said Reserve
Fund which has been used. 3" SAD
fund TO be used and replaced as ~hereinoeior
Greeted in each succeeding fiscal year :,
Now, these figures either represented cash
or they did not; and il the money was there.
has been since spent in excess of the receipts
from taxation, II should appear. III the money
can be honestly accounted for, IL VIII De y
OF satisfaction TO know 1t. Therefore
cordially join In the recommendation that
steps be taken TO thoroughly investigate the
whole matter. 1t Is die 10 continue TO Keep
mythical fund on the books OF the
Treasury, and the Act creating 1t should be
repealed.
As will be seen by the Comptroller Gener-
ais Report, there Is an increase on the assess
ed value Of property this year over last OF SlI,
bbU 10, anu ludI OluCST ucselNCS tOhi'iSlNe'
tion for the Jealous and unfinching manner
in which he has endeavored TO ferret out tax
dodgers md make them share the burdens ol
the government. The law pro-
videS that property shall be assessed at us
"real market value.' And, while this is diff.
of accomplishment, the Comptroller and
his s~ubordinates are non the less bound by
their oaths TO carry IT out, as far as prlctlcil'
BILE. 1t cannot be done in one year, or In nve
and there Is neither sense nor law for the
claim that 1t must be done "all In one year
not at all. 1t Is like requiring a child to
walk before 1t crawls, or forever In the
There is, and always will be, great IN
equality in taxation. Much property will al
ways escape entirely but when it can be
shown that any one species Of property is
placed on the tax books at its "selling value,
we have gone q long way towards bringing II
all up to that standard. We have begun on
the railroads u banks. Justice demands
that we go through the whole list, and l JON
the Comptroller In asking that provision he
made Tor a reaSSeSSment OF land next year.
In this connection would urge the necessity
for a change In the County governments ana
the mode of assessing property.
County Governments.
The office of County Commissioner should
be abolished. and in place Of 1T a government
by townships substituted. Three intelligent
men in each township, elected by the voters
thereof, should be entrusted with the man.
gemen of the roads and bridges, Schools,
and the assessment of property lii the same:
The Chairmen of these local Boards should
county finances, audit accounts aud ORDER en-
penditureS. The salaries, If any, paid these
Township Commissioners. or SelectInen, can
be determined by the voters or fixed by law.
The Constitution can be changed 10 abol Sh
office OF County School Commissioner,
and these charges will inevitably result -. q
great saving 10 each County, while there Will
be q corresponding increase In efficiency;
Property will be assessed atits real value, ana
now hidden will be made to pay It's
share of taxes. This County Board should al
so constitute the County Board Of Equaliza-
instead Of being appointed as at present
by the Auditor.
In this connection l suggest the propriety
of requiring all notes, &C., 10 be stamped by
the County Auditor aud placed on tax books
to make them collectible by law Make the
shaver or lender pay taxes as well as Inc
land owner whose property stands In ms
while he perhaps owes as much as IL IL
worth. Equity would require that a man de-
duct his debts from his property and pay TAX
the remainder. This Is impracticable, Dul
it is better that property shall be treely tax.
ed, both debtor and creditor paying, than that
the debtor must pay double, as he Is Obliged
to do and the creditor pay nothing, Us is toe
often done.
DefaulterS.
The Investigations by different officers dur
ing the year have brought TO light the fact
that the 'incipient rottenness" charged last
year as existing in the government was NOT
myth. A shortage Of s5,52S was dlscovercd IN
the office of the Adjutant and Inspector zen
eral, a like deficit Of $3.50 in the account OF the
clerk of the Penitentiary. and the Comptroilel
General has found shortages still unsettled IN
the TreaSu:ers' offices of Charleston, sumter
and Union. aggregating S9,GOS. Ihat oHlceI
says in his Report that there had been a goou
deal OF money made good Of which no men
ton Is made, and that In nearly every county
Irregularities aud errors existed, the amounts
aggregating upwards Of SO,OOo, when he COL
lected aud turned into the treasury. Lnese
are the fruits of an examination OF the books
for one year only. What would DE uneartheu
if the Investigations were carried back sever
al years, is lett TO conjecture.
The Asylum.
At YOUR last session q special COMMITTEES
was appointed to Investigate the affairs u
this Institution. This Committee began Its
labors in April, and, after taking voluntary
testimony from some of the employees OF the
institution, adjourned without completing its
work. They found, as / afterwards learned
that one of the inmates had been allowed &c
retain a pistol in his possession, and other re
prehensible Irregularities. Shortly after
wards this same patient made a murderous
assault on one of the attendants, and the mat
ter being called to my attention / immediate.
~ summoned the Committee to come back
and conclude its labors. " of the mem
beers, DR.. Strait, Senator from LANCASTER, anC
DR.. Goodwin, member OF the House IRON
Greenville, responded and as l am under
the Constitution, charged with the appoint
ment of all officers and employees Of the In
stitution, l went with the Committee ana We
made a thorough and searching investigation
into its management. A stenographer wal
employed, who took dow all important ties
timony. Il part Of which will be printed iol
your Information to accompany the report o
the Committee. We found that there hat
- ~ ~NI M Nf ~ Il
butable TO the superintendent. Dr.. T. E. Grill
fin and after giving that pentleman an OPP
%portunity to disprove the charges mao
against him, which he refused to accept, III
was removed and the institution pIaced TEN
porariiy in charge of DIR. Thompson: tn
correspondence in the case Is on file In TIT
Executive office for the inspection OF any
member Of the General Assembly who de
sires to read 1t. My insight into the condi
ton and workings Of the institution ant
knowledge of Its want was largely increase
by this personal in vestigatlon, and l can relt
crate, with confidence, the opinions ana al
vice given in my inaugural address as II
changes in its management.
The present superintendent, DR.. j. w. Bah
cock an accomplished and thoroughly edu
Gated specialist, who was appointed lr Jul!
last, and assumed control on August ID, ma
made some suggestions in when l hearlll.
occur. in reference TO the admission OF pa
tients and to other matters connected VIII
the institution.
a Joint Resolution was passed last Decenl
Der. authorizing the appointment by the EX
~ecutlve of a special Committee of three ply
sicians and two citizens who should examine
The patients in the Asylum and report as I
the number of imbeciles and harmless luna
tics who could be more economically support
ed at the County Poor Houses. l have nerc
appointed this Committee. because l felt tha
il was an unnecessary expense. and bectuS
of the fact that the laws governing the ad
mission of patients to the institution woul(
in all probability result in the speedy return
of such inmates to the Asylum. But at IN,
request the three physicians Of the institu
ton have made an examination nto the con
dition of each ratient, with a view to obtain
IT, thic ,,oru infnrmatinn DIR. RahcOck'S r.