The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-14
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
A VERY SOBER, NOT no SAY sOMBRE.
PUBLIC DOCUMENT.
PUBLIC DOCUMENT.
Tho People not to be Congratulated on the
Condition OF A fairs within tho Statc-the
Finances of tho State in Very Unsat-
) isfactory Conditioned Present Def
y cit of One Hundred Thousand
Dollars we Must Either En-
@ act Prohibition or Continue
tho DlsEensary System -...- -.
without tho Piont
~. .,a Feature" .s.s.

Gentlemen Of the General Assembly:
In this frat annual message l re-
gret that I cannot congratulate you
and the people of the State upon
the condition of affairs that faces
you today. But while we have not
had the predicted return of prosper
ity, we should recall with thankful
ness the good health, peace and hap
piness we havo been permitted to
enjoy. Without further preliminary
/ proceed to discharge one of the
most important duties imposed upon
the Chief Executive by the Consti-
tuition.
The finances of the State are in q
very unsatisfactory COL. 1ition. Dur
ing the session Of the General AS
sembly, for 1896, levy of four and
half mills was laid to meot the cur
rent expenses of the fiscal year be-
ginning January 1st, 1897, and end
ing December 31st, 1897. The sum
raised by this levy proved insufficient
>c meet the expenses, and we have,
therefore, deficit Of 100000 to be
provided for. BY using every dollar
from every available source and by
overdrawiog in small amounts upon
banks in which large sums of the
States funds have been deposited,
we have met promptly all current
obligations without borrowing
dollar. The books were oponed for
the collection Of taxes October 10Th,
and since that time we have used
money thus collected to pay current
expenses. This money now being
collected, however, belongs legiti-
mately to the current appropriations
tor 1893. BY refusing to borrow
100000, as is often done, though l
have not saved the State any great
amount in the way of interest charges,
/ have refused to sanction what ap-
pears to me to be bad policy-the
policy Of borrowing money at inter
est.
The levy for State purposes will
be high, but you must remember that
we have deficit of $l00,0O0---not
Of your making-to be provided for,
and tkat the State will no longer re-
ceive any revenue for current OK
penses from the Dispensary profits,
for under the provisions Of the Con-
stitution all profits from the dispen-
sary must hereafter 60 to tho school
fund. During tho past year the
general fun.. has boen augemonted
by $02,OUO received f.om the dis
ponsary; the year previous this aug
mentation amounted to 100000.
l have endeavorod to secure
statement Of the finances of the State
from the Treasurer. But, as his
books-were not balanced up to tho
time Of completion Of my Message,
beg to refer you to tho Treasurer's
report.
THE DIspENsARY.
T The most difficult problem that
confronts you is the regulation Of
the liqur traffic--and it is your duty,
as the trusted representatives of the
people, to use your best efforts in
satisfactorily solving this question
In my inaugural address L asked
that no material change be made in
the dispensary law until it could be
given a fair trial. This it has never
had. Upon my recommendation tho
law remained as it was, with the OK
ception Of a few unlmportant amend
ments. On assuming the duties of
Governor | undertook the enforce
ment of the law, endeavoring to do
10 with as little friction as possible
AT first, my efforts were encouraging
ly successful, but this success was
hindered by disagreements among
the members Of the State Board of
Control. The mismanagement in
tho State dispensary and the bicker-
lngs and dissensions in tho State
Board disgusted some of the warmest
supporters of the law, and caused a
great many to lose faith in tho sys-
tenn. But by reorganization of tho
force this mismanagement was cor
rected, and the Board has since
worked in harmony. BE it said to
their credit, the dispsnsary is now
conducted in more business like
way than ever before. Had it not
been for the Intervention Of tho
Feieral Courts do not hesitate to
say that the dispensary would today
have very little opposition, and would
have already proved, both inan-
cially and morally, great success,
The Federal Courts have seriously
crippled the law and rendered futile
all my efforts for it's enforcement, by
holding in the case of Donald vs..
Scott that citizens Of the State have
right to import 'whiskoy for per-
aonal use. A great many who were
engaged in the illicit traffic in whis.
key took advantage Of this decision
to import whiskey for sale; ii thus