The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-09-16


continually reformed till it hurt, we
are dazed.
Can it be possible that anybody has
been ~bambauched and deboozled?
Perish the thought!
1t is true that taxes are paid on many
millions more Of property than in the
days when the state was ruled by "the
~oligarchy" and "incipient corruption"
was Observation-Disclosures days, by the way,
when the state lived within its income.
1t Is horribly true.
What are we going to do about it?
Plainly we need reform and need it
quick. In the monday ~splendor of re-
form the Octopus" alias the hateful
Coosaw Phosphate monopoly" was
slaughtered. Since then the phosphate
royalties have about disappeared.
Give us reform. Verify we weep for
il.
What are we going to do? We might
smash the state colleges, but Mr.. CAN'T
tells us that the saving thereby would
hoV dIlouhO Y ~ StSuU uSui'
Really, we do not think South Caro-
lima should live beyond her ellen"
The proper remedy is to reduce
salaries.
To begin with the salaries of the
members of the state whiskey board of
control should be reduced from $500. q
year to a dollar a month This would
save about $l164. q year.
The salaries of The three railroad
commissioners should be reduced to q
dollar q month and the members of the
legislature should be allowed to ride
on their free passes. Thus the emile
age" OF all the Legislators would be
saved.
The salary of the governor should be
abolished entirely. "A governor should
be abe to live in Columbia on the gar
den truck raised in the ~penitentiary,
The governors mansion should be
rented. 1t is far too nice q house for a
governor. Some of the bottle factories
or distilleries now flourishing in Co
lumbia might pay $50. a month for it.
From what we have heard it would
not do 20 reduce the salaries OF any of
the other state officers. Since the cree
ton of the "sk~y-scraper" in Columbia,
the expenses of living in that town are
said to have gone up thirteen stories.
Some think these officers could dwell
owe in Lexington County, it's only a
mile, but that is out of the question.
There's a toll bridge across the river.
It's no use to talk about reducing sal
aries of state officers. We've got to re
duce the state officers. The trouble is
that they arc u tonier set than this
down-trod state can afford.
Mr.. CAN'T favors raising additional
revenue by Il franchise tax" So do we
but our franchise tax" is of Il differ
ent kind. Let the constitution be
amended SO as t allow every mar not
now emitted to vote to do so on pay
ment of ten dollars each election year.
Roosevelt, Hanna, Lodge and other
%plutocratic Republicans in the North
would be glad to pay this tax, out of
the Republican campaign fund, for
$1,000 negroes. We could afford to let
that number be counted; at $40. per.
Here is another good scheme. We
are told hat 1000 men applied for posi-
tions as state constables and were re-
jected. Let the governor reconsider
and appoint all, charging each q fee of
So, to go into the state treasury. This
would raise $4,000. The 1900 new con
stables could be stationed in Columbia
and Charleston where they could easily
seize enough blind tiger beer and whis-
key to pay their services.
In conclusion we wish to remark that
among all the firms in the United
States engaged in the whiskey bust
ness the proud state of South Carolina
is probably the largest single dealer
and when such IL firm is getting behind
every year there must be need Of more
reform.