The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-01-22

business in this State, and while their
residence and assets are without of tho
State may thereafter do an insurance
business in this State without q license
fee.
Therefore, I suggest that the secre-
tary of State be required to collect and
turn into the State treasury prescribed
fees for charters, the minimum of
which shall be $40, and gradually in
creasiug 80 as to bear some relation to
the amount of capital stock involved
and to the magnitude of the munich
pality chartered. Under our charter
laws, on the 25th of February, 1895,
charter was issued from the secretary
of State to the Atlas Fire Insurance
company. The incorporators are all
citizens of Indiana, Wisconsin and
Illinois. Their principal place of
business was set forth to be Columbia,
South Carolina. Since the issue of
the charter nothing has been heard of
the company exceptsome inquiries from
some people of another State as to
their standing. This company evil
dently organized under our charter
laws on account of the facility and
economy with which they could obtain
a charter, and possibly with the inten-,
tion of never opening an Office in CO.,
lunbia or doing business in our State
There may be other companies doing
the same thing, and it certainly is pos
sible under the existing laws for any
unreliable company to obtain charter
from this State and impose upon the
citizens of another State. 1t will be
readily seen how this privilege may be
abused by wildcat companies and char,
ter speculstors, if the necessary re-,
strictions are not thrown around it.
The pocketbook is the tenderest point
with such schemers, and if an enter,
prise is worth having, the small fee
charged will be no hinderance. The
statute now of force against trusts.
combinations, contracts and agree
ments against the public welfare is
strong enough for all purposes.
The provisions of this article of the
Constitution should be incorporated in
your general act for the convenience of
the officers who execute it. This ar
ticle will require Immediate attention,
otherwise the progress ofthc State may
be impeded.
FINANCE AND TAXATION.
It is your duty to privide general
system for the assessment of property
for taxation, and this assessment shall
be taken by all municipalitiesand 9TH
er Subdivisions of the State as their
basis for taxation. You are authoriz-,
ed to impose graduated tax upon in,
Gomez and license on occupations
and business, It is further made your
duty TO pass laws making embezzle-
ment of public funds felony, punish
able by fine and imprisonment and
proportional to the amount of the de-
ficiency or embezzlement, and for the
forfeiture of the Office OF the person
found guilty of such an offense. The
legislation under this article, with the
exception of the punishment for en-,
bezzlement, may be continued until
your next session, except such as will
hereafter be called to your attention.
EDUCATION. ,
The people are to be congratulated
upon the liberal manner in which the
Constitution has provided for the COM;
mon schools of the State. It is in;
cumbent upon you to provide the ma
chinery for carrying out the provis-,
ions of the Constitution, and to this
end you are given absolute power in
the election or appointm snt and con-:
troll of all school officers. The school
commissioner is no longer constitu-
tional Office, and you may abolish the
Office or continue it as you see fit
Great dissatisfaction exists as to the
competency and ability of the school
commissioners in some of the coun?!
ties, and it would BE- we'll for you to
prescribe the qualifications of this of.
Hce, so that in his election or appoint.
ment some regard may be had as to
the character, fitness and ability to
perform the high duties of the Office
If this is not done, in my judgment,
the Office should be abolished and the
entire management of the schools be
placed in the hands of the county
board of examiners and the local trus-
tees. In some cases men have been
elected to this Office who could not
read and write, and certainly were un-
able to w,its sentence correctly, and
whose moral character was not well
calculated to elevate the tone OF the
teachers or pupils under their super
vision.
The common schools of the State are
required to be separate and distinct
for white and colored children, ana
pupils of either race are prohibited
from attending the schools so set apart
for the other race.
The county authorities are required