The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-01-16
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
Reviewing the Conditions
in the State.
Industrial Progress and Educational
Advancement.

Gentlemen Of the General Assembly:
1t is gratifying to me to wclcom,
you as the representatives of the Deo
pie under such favorable conditions
You come as the first Legislature /,
assemble in South Carolina in the new
century. The Nineteenth century ha.
been one OF marked progress and de
Vclopmcnt in all the arts and sciences
ana 1t contains lessons which we may
learn with profit to ourselves and which
may be OF use to Is in lcgisating fol
the future. Those who constituted
the first Legislature one hundred years
ago little dreamed of She advance in
all lines Of industry and Of the discov-
cries and inventions which have signal
lied the century just passed into his.
tory. We cannot realize or even con-
ceivc the advances that will be made
during this century upon winch we are
entering. There seems to be almost
no limit to the achievements of the
human mind. 1t Is for us to contrib
ute our part to make the world better
and happier by our having lived in it
and to leave to our children 4 goodly
heritage and name untarnishcd. 1t
is your privilege to meet and to coun-
sci with one another and to consider
and enact such laws us will be of hcnc-
lit not only TO the present, but to the
future growth and development of this
grand old commonwealth.
The march of material progress and
the development OF the State, to which
/ had the pleasure to refer one year
ago in greeting the members of the
Legislature, has kept up with steady
and sulc step. The business dcprcs-
sion through which the people bad
passed AMI which was almost unprccc-
dented seems to have been followed bv
a revival which is touching all branches
of industry. The increased price which
our farmers have received for their
staple crop makes large amends for the
falling of in the yield Our farm crs
are learning the Importance Of diversi-
fed farming and in consequence are
becoming more independent.
You need no better evidence Of the
progress and prosperity Of the State
than that presented in the figures con-
taincd i'll the annual report of the Sec
retarY of State. From this report it
Will he seen that approximately fifteen
million dollars were invested the past
year i'll South Carolina companies; and
while large proportion of 1t is in cot
ton mill building, yet many smaller
manufacturing enterprises and indus
tries have been organized.
New manufactures continue to 90
up ard we are no longer simply an ae-
ricultural people, but are fast bccom-
ing as we'll a manufacturing State. We
now lead all Southern States in the
manufacture of cotton goods and are
second only to Massachusetts in the
number of spindles, and at the present
rate of progress will soon lead all the
States in the Union in this important
branch of industry 1t is we'll TO keep
this fact in mind as you deliberate.
Taxable values have increased Sd
2iD,G ,G95 during the past year, as will
be seen from the Comptroller Generals 8
report, but the increase is not near as
large rs it should be or would be if cur
system OF assessment and taxation
were 80 revised and amended as to
have placed on the tax books all the
property of the State now escaping
taxation and if that which is assessed
were equitably assessed.
tcr:zed our people during the past year.
We have not been visited by plague or
pcstilence and no resort TO mob vio-
lencc has marred the record or stained
the fair name of the State, though in
one or two cases the strong arm of the
military had to be called into rcquisj-
ton, but the majesty of the law was
maintained and no blood was shed. In
one case there was strong provocation
for summary justice, but with the as
sistancc of the military the culprits
were protccte,l, lawlessness was pre-
vented, anc through the ordinary chan
nels OF the courts stern justice will be
administered and the penalty paid.
You as the chosen representatives
OF the people should guard with ical-
Gus eye their interests and welfare
which have been committed to your
keeping, remembering always the re-
sponsibilltJ which rests upon you.
POPULAR EDUCATION.
Not the least gratifying evidence of
our progress is the remarkable awaken
ing in all departments of education
At the beginning of the century just
closed tho civilized world knew nc
such thing as State system of cduca.
ton; and in many quarters, until q
comparativ recent date, the position
of those who advocated free public
education as legitimate function OF
State government was stubbornly con
tested, tie opposition in our state
being largely due to peculiar racial ant
social conditions. State education is
now the settled policy of Our country
being recognized as both function
and duty of the government; and i
may well be questioned whether th,
nineteenth century has made NOR,
Important contribution to the cause O
democracy land civilization. Sine,
1870 the public expenditure for com
mon schools in the United States ha
nearly trebled, being now $2.G7 pc
capita CT population, or an aggregat
of <200,000,0c0 annually. It is
principle now well recognized that tn
safety of the government itself re
quires that 1t give its citizens the OF
portunity to fit themselves for an il
telligent discharge of their duties I
the State.
Encouraging reports come from th
schools and colleges of our own Stat,
indicating that they have entered upo
an ora Of unexampled prosperity. An
yet much remains to be done to II
crease the efficiency of our publ