Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1903-01-21
ANNUAL MESSAGE.
BY Coy. MoSweeney to the General
Assembly.
AT SESSION BEGINNING JAN. 18th.
Chief Executive Gives Some Sound
Advice TO the Law Makers of the
Palmetto State.

annual message OF Hon. Miles b. Me-
Sweeney. Governor of South Carolina.
read in both houses of the General
Assembly:
Gentlemen o. the General Assembly:
You como fresh from the people 10
legisate for the welfare OF South
Carolina. There are many grave
problems demanding solution. 1t is 4
time pregnant with opportunities and
possibilities. There is demand for
the exercise nf wise counsel and pru-
dent Judgment. The office of legis-
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 tine
money gathered from the people You
also have the power to make the laws
by which they are to be governed.
They have trusted you with this great
power and expect YOU TO Usc il 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 necessar.
But unfortunately, we have not reach
ed that high standard of morals
Government, however. should attempt
10 do no more than To protect persons
and property and enforce contracts
voluntarily made. II is true. as
rule. that the least governed are the
best governed.
In sending to you this. my last an
nual message, II is gratifying to note
the good feeling which prevails
among the people throughout the
State. and the absence of factional bit
terncss which At one time divided our
people. During my administration /
have cndeavored to ignore factional
divisions and To be the Governor OF
all the peoplc-to insure to each com.
munity ms far as possible the right %
local Seli-povernment. In making 10
cal appointments I have sought in
each case the advice and recommenda.
zion OF the representatives of the
county. believing that they were bet
ter acquainted with local affairs and
the wishes of their people than ]
could possibly lie. If by this course
have III any measure contributed 10
the uniiication Of sentiment among
our people and the wiping out of fac
ionai lines. am sratificd. IN this
day of rapid industrial DEVELOPMENT
and progress there is not time for
factional chickering's. Our chief pur-
pose should be the material progress
and development of our State. along
with the moral and intellectual uplict-
ing of on- people.
The State has enjoyed an era of ma.
tcriai prosperity which is unprecc.
dcnted. Now enterprises are being
projected, and the building of cotton
mills goes constantly on. Business of
every character has been exceptions
ally prosperous the past year Peace
and good order prevail throughout
the State and at the same time pro.
gress has been made along education.
nj lines
FINANCES.
The income to the State for the
year ending December 81 was not SUI.
hctent to meet its obligations. The
Governor and the State Treasurer
were forced to borrow the full amount
OF the 100000 authorized by the last
Legislature. This was made neces.
snry by the fact that the last Appro
priation Act carried with it more than
the revenue from the levy for State
purposes would realize. 1t is not
good business judgment for the State
to borrow money to meet current ex.
penses. Knowing the total assessed
property of the State the levy should
be sufficient to raise enough money
to meet the appropriations. Or if II
is desired to fix the levy the Appro
priation Bill should be kept within
the amount such levy will realize
You should so regulate the two that
the State will not be compelled to Dor.
row money for current expenses ano
be forced to pay interest charges
TAXATION
The Constitution OF 1896 says: "Au
taxes upon property, real and person
al. shall be laid upon the actual value
OF the property taxed. as the same
may be ascertained by an assessment
made for the purpose of laying such
tax" And In another section il
says: "All property subject to tax.
alton shall he taxed in proportion tc
its value" And why not at its "ac
tual value?" You will note the Ian.
guage of the Constitution. 1t says.
shall be" not may be-" IL is man.
datory. and yet we are 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 a meeting
held the past summer. found such in
equality in the assessments that they
decided to memorabilia the I.egisla
ture to fix sixty per cent. of the ac.
tual value as the 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 value was the basis. while In
others it was as low as fifty per cent