The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-13
By Coy. McSweeney to the General
Assembly. .a3,..
AT SESSION BEGINNING JAN. 18th.
Chief Executive dives Some Sound
Advice to the Law makers of the
Palmetto State.

Palmetto State.
The following Is In substance the
annual message Of Hon. Miles b. Nc
Sweeney. Governor OF South Carolina,
read in both houses OF the General
Assembly:
Gentlemcn Of the General Assembly:
You come fresh from the people to
legislatn for the welfare of South
Carolina. There are many grave
problems demanding solution. 1t is Il
time pregnant with opportunities and
possibilities. There Is demand for
the exercise of wise counsel and pru-
dent Judgment The office of lcgis.
lator is one OF great possibility. You
have the power to lay the burden Of
taxation upon the people and at the
same time the power to spend the
money gathered from the people. You
also have tho power to make tho laws
by which they are to be governed.
They have trusted YOU with this great
power and expect you to ase II with
wisdom and with prudence. looking
only to the best interests Of all the
people. Whatever promotes their
happiness and welfare should be your
constant concern If all men would
refrain from interfering with the
rights of others or Of molesting them.
government would not be ncceSsar..
But, unfortunately we have not reach.
ed that high standard OF morals.
Government, however, should attempt
to do no more than to protect persons
and property and enforce contracts
voluntarily made. 1t is true, as a
rule. that the least governed are the
best governed.
In sending to you this. my last an
f,,;,,
the. good feeling which prevails
among the people throughout the
State. and the absence Of factionaI bit
terness which at ono time divided our
people. During my administration
have endcavorcd to ignore factional
divisions and to be the Governor of
all the people-to insure to each com.
munity as far as possible the right OF
local government. In making 10.
cal appointments l have sought in
each case the advice and recommends.
ton of the representatives Of tho
county. believing that they were bet
ter acquainted with local affairs and
the wishes Of their people than
could possibly be. If by this course:
| have IN any measure contributed CO
the unifcation OF sentiment among
our people and the wiping out Of fac
tional lines, I am gratined. III this
day Of rapid industrial development
and progress there is not time for
factional chickering's. Our chief pur-
pose should he the material progress
and development of our State. along
with the moral and intellectual uplict-
ing OF our people.
The State has enjoyed an era OF ma
tcrsai prosperity which is unprccc-
dentod Now enterprises are being
projected, and the building of rottor
, mills goes constantly on. Business oc
every character has been cxccptlon.
ally prosperous the past year. Peace
ana good order prevail throughout
the State, and at the same time pro
gress has been made along cducation-
al lines.
FINANCES.
The income to the State for the
4 year ending December 81 was not sur-
flcient to meet its obligations. The
6 Governor and the State Treasurer
were forced to borrow the full amount
@of the 100000 authorized by the last
&Iegislature. This was made ncccs.
$lsary by the fact that tho last Appro-
8priation Act carried with it more than
athe revenue rom the levy for State
%Durposes won, realize. It is not
( good business Judgment for the STATE
to borrow money to meet current ex.
Densts. Knowing the total assessed
property of the State, the lovy should
be sufficient to raise enough money
to meet the appropriations. Or if 1t
IS desired to fix the levy the Appro-
priation Bill should be kept within
the amount such lcyy will realize
You should so regulate the two that
the State will not be compelled to Dor.
row money for current expenses and
hn 70 t,,t~
TAXATION.
The Constitution of 1895 says: "All
lakes upon property, real and person.
al, shan be laid upon the actual value
OF the property taxed, as tho same
may be ascertained by an assessment
made ior the purpose Of laying such
tax And In another section it
says: "All property subject to tax.
alton shall be taxed In proportion to
Its value" And why not at It's "ac.
tual Valuc?" You will note the lat.
suagc Of the Constitution. 1t says.
shall be-" not may be-" 1t Is man.
datory. and yet we arc going along
violating this provision every year By
trying to fix some percentage Of "ac.
tual value" and this percentage is diff
ferent in every county. The State
Board Of Equalization, at meeting
held the past summer. found such III
equai1ty in the assessments that they
decided to mcmorializc the Lcgisla-
t'ire to fix sixty per cent of the ac.
tual value as tho proper basis Of vaiu-
alton for the purpose of taxation. Why
sixty per cent? sixty per cent? Why
not follow the plain language of the
Constitution? 1t was found that in
some counties eighty per cent. Of the
actual valGo was tho basis, while in
others it vas as low as fifty per cent.