The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-01-19
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE
The Dispensary the Leading Topic.
To THE GENrLEa1rs OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY:

shat I cannot congratulate you and
the people of the State upon the con-
dition of affairs that faces you to-day
But while we have not had the pre-
dieted return Of prosperity, we should
recall with thankfulness the good
health, peace ard happiness we have
been permitted to enjoy. Without
further preliminary I proceed to dis
charge one Of the most important du-
ties imposed upon the Chief Executive
by the Constitution.
The finances Of the State are in a
very unsatisfactory condition. Dur
ing the session Of the General Assem-
Dly, FOR 1896, a levy flour and half
mills was laid to meet the current ex-
penses Of the fiscal year, beginning
January 1, 1897, and ending December
81, 1857. The sum raised by this
isvy proved insufficient to meet the
and we have, therefore, a
leheit Of 800, 900 to be provided for.
by using every dollar from every
available source and by oyerdrawing
snassll amounts upon banks in which
large sums Of the States funds have
lseea deposited, we have met promls Fly
III current obligations without borrow
ing q dollar. The books were opened
tor the collection Of taxes October 10,
and since that time we have used
money thus collected to pay current
expenses. This money now being
collected, however, belongs legitimate
u to the current appropriations for
1888. By refusing to borrow $780,
000, as is often done, though / have
not saved the State any great amount
in the way Of interest charges, | nave
sefpsed to sanction what appears to
me to be bad policy--the policy Of
borrowing money at interest.
The levy for State purposes will be
high, but you mnst remember that we
have asdefeit Of 800, ,OOO-not Of your
nskiDg--to be provided for, and that
the State will no longer receive any
fovenue for current expenses from
dispeDsary profits, for under the pro-
Visions Of the Constitution all profits
ffsom the dispensary must hereafter go
10 the school fund. During the past
gear Che general fund has been aug
mented by s92, 600 received from the
aiFpensary the year previous this
augmentation amounted to 100000.
I have endeayored to secure a state
ment of She finances Of the State from
The Treasurer. But as his books we're
not balanced up TO the time Of COM
rietion Of my Message, I beg to refer
you to the Treasurer rs report.
= THE. DIspENsARY.
The most difficult problem that con-
fronts yoa is che regulation Of the
Eqaor trafic-and it as your duty, as
the trusted representatives Of the
people. TO use your best efforts in sat-
isfactorily solving this question.
In my inaugural address I asked
Chat Shat no material change be made in
the dispensary Law until it could be
given fair trial. This it had never
had. Upon my recommendation the
law remained as it was, with the ex-
ception of few unimportant amend
nents. On assuming the duties of
Governor I undertook the enforce
ment Of the law, endeavoring to do so
with as little friction as possible. At
'frst my efforts were encouragingly
successful, but this success was him
.dered by disagreements among the
members Of the State board Of con-
troll. The management. in the State
dispensary and the chickering's and
dissensions in the State board dis
gusted some Of the warmest supporters
Of the Law, and caused great many
to lose faith in the system. But by
reorganization of the force this mis-
was corrected aud the
board has since worked in harmony.
BE it said to their credit, the dispen
sary is now conducted in more busi-
ness-like way than ever before. Had
it not been for the Intervention Of the
Federal Courts I do not hesitate to
say that the dispensary would to-day
have very little opposition, and would
have already proved, both financially
and morally, great success.
The Federal Courts have greatly
crippled the law and rendered futile
all my efforts for its enforcement, by
holding in the case of Donald VS..
Scott that citizens of the State have
right to import whiskey for personal
use. A great many who were engaged