The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-01-28

The trainers OF our organic law,
realizing that wealthy and populous
communities could provide schools for
themselves, while poorer and more
thinly settled districts were net so
fortunate, made it the duty Of the
Assembly 10 supplement the school
funds OF the latter, in order that all
the children OF the State may have an
equal opportunity to acquire somewhat
more than the rudimentS ofan educa-
ti0n.
For years the State has fostercd its
higher institutions OF learning, ana my
influence shall always be eXerted to
see that this is continued. The IN
creased care and attention given TO our
common school system. in years TO
come, will prove OF incalculable value
to all of our higher institutions OF
learning. IL Wiothrop, Clemson,
South Carolina College and the CIta-
del Academy-a royal galaxy-South
Carolina has much cause for pride, Tor
these institutions in their equipment
and management are well worthy to
be locked upon with pride by the peo-
pie of any State. Our omprehenSive
system OF education is. also, l am glad
to say. admirably assisted and made
more complete by the faithful work
annually pl;>iied in the various
denominaUional colleges OF cur State.
TRUSTS MUST EE REGULATED.
While it is true that one Of the
greatest difficulties we have had tc
contend with in the development OF
the State has been our lack OF capital
and while we should by legislation and
other means encourage outside capital
to come into the State and assist IN
building up our Industries and devel-
Oping our resources, and in coming
should make it feel assured that 1t Will
receive every protection that 1t can
rightfully claim, still capital should be
made TO understand that 1t is welcome
only when it comes for the purpose Of
earning its legitimate interest in fail
and legitimate manner. We should
have it understood that it cannot seek
through great combinations and Dy
over-capitaliZation to create monopo
lies by means Of which it can Stlf1e
competition. paralyze individual effort
reduce wages and control prices to the
Getriment OF the public.
Ii is true that great industrial com.
binations and powerful corporations
are the order Of the day and have be-
come fixtures in the business life OF the
country capable Of welding an I'M
menSe power for good or for evil
Through skilled management, and pos
sessing the ability to open up Wldel
markets for the sale Of their products
they are capable of doing much good
nevertheless, the fact remains that
as usually conducted, their tendenc,
is decidedly harmful to the best inter
ects of the country, and their prope,
regulation and control through legis
lation is one Of the greatest problem:
which to-day cOpfronts our laWmaker:
both State and Federal.
4 large majority Of the States have
enacted laws defining monopolles ane
seeking to prevent their formation
and Congress has likewise passed anti
trust legislation, yet the subject IS 81
complex and information upon which
to base action so difficult to obtain
none of the laws providing sufficiently
for the securing Of information-that
the tendency towards Capitalization o1
wealth and combinations in trade
dangerous to the public are becoming
more and more marked each year.
ANTITRUST LEGISLATION.
In this State we have conStitu'
tional article giving to the General
Assembly the power to enact laws tC
prevent trusts, combinations. etc, and
TO provide penalties TO the extent, il
necessary for that purpose, OF forfeiture
of their franchises" and in 1897 an Act
was passed carrying out the provisions
Of this article. This Act being deem.
ed defective and not farreaching en-
ough by the Attorney General, at the
last session Of the General Assembly
another Act was passed. amendatory
in it nature and goine nearer to the
root OF the trouble. Power was also
given to the Attorney General to secure
testimony in relation to the violation
of these Acts, and it is to be hoped
that this legislation will be found sutti-
cient to protect the interests OF the
people from oppression by. combined
capital. II not, it is the duty Of the
General Assembly to amend our laws
upon this subject from time to time as
the necessities of the case may demand,
with a view always to give to capital
all of its legal privileges and to restrict
in no way innocent associations among
our citiz MS. and yet to see that cor
porations, to which it has given life
and clothed with great powers, use
those powers for the betterment and
not to the detriment of the masses OF
the people, to protect whom is the
first dety OF all governments.
CHILD LABOR Law FAVORED
There has been considerable discus
sion throughout the State curing the
past few years in regard to the en-
ployment of children in our textile
manufactures and upon several occa-
sions bills forbidding their employ
ment have been introduced in the
General Assembly, but have failed OF
passage. This is one Of those ques-
tions which will not be settled until it
is rightly settlau, and the civilization
Of to-day regards such employment OF
children. no matter how favorable the
conditions may be. as an evil, and one
which is a menace to the future Of our
State In my Judgment the General
Assembly should pass a law prohibit
ing their employment, but in dong Sc
time should be given for both manu-
facturers and operatives to adjust
themselves to changed conditions.
This can be done by making prohibit,
tion to take effect gradual! with re-
spect to the ages of the children
1t is certain in this question that
what appear to be conflicting interests
are here involved. Under these cir
cumstances the rights of all partie:
concerned should be most carefully
considered and just and equitable
adjustment-after full and generous
idiscussion-will reveal that to a great
extent. these apparently diverse inter
estS have much in common. ANY radi
cal or sudden change would inevitably
work hardship upon the interests Of
all concerned, which can and should
be avoided. The end to be obtained is
tho UoNA Of q II concerned and thie