The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-07-01
BENNETTsvILLE, S. G., FRIDAY. JULY /, 1904
THE office of attorney general is an

THE office of attorney general is an
exceedingly important one. AS the
legal adviser Of all the State depart
ments, including the dispensary insti.
tutions with its $4,000, 700 business
and large number Of officers; the du-
Ties as member of and advisor of the
phosphate commission, the State rail-
road board of assessors, State board of
health, and other boards, suggests the
amount and importance Of the work
OF the office. How that work has
been done the records show, and the
representatives of the various depart
ments will attest. : The work of the
railroad board of assessors is an illus
tration. This board, consisting of
i've State officials, spent number of
weeks In performing it's duties in as
sessing $50, 600, 900 worth of prcberty,
and increasing the assessment of last
year over 1000, 900 in round numbers
over the year before, to the satisfac.
tlon, lbelieve, Of all concerned, GER
tainly resulting in marked increase
In the depleted revenues Of the State.
Ihe sinking fund commission, of which
the attorney general is a member, has
charge of the handling of the sinking
fund to liquidate the public debt,
which fund now amounts to about
$3.50, 600 with an interest to our credit
OF nearly s20,0 year Tor money
loaned to the counties and otherwise,
or an increase of the year before of
over $4,000.
THREE HUNDRED OPINIONS.
Nearly 900 written opinions were
glyen,by our office as well as q very
large amount Of verbal legal advice
The opinions are almost invariably
sustained when tested before the
courts. The amount Of litigation has
been considerable and some of it yery
important, involving such questions
as the conStitutionality Of the dis
densary law. and the antitrust laws,
railroad merger laws, and others in.
volving questions Of vast legal, politi-
Cal and economic questions. The
course OF such cases, by reason of cir
cumstances that no lawyer can con.
troll, has been slow (more exasperating
10 me probably than any one else); but
sHcSc shhaatt have come to d judicial test
Gne State has won, and we have strong
faith In the hearings yet to be had.
IN the annual report l called to
The attention of the general assembly
that more stringent and certain laws
should be made as to gambling and
the operation OF slot machines. Such
laws were passed, of course not neces
sarily from that suggestion, but they
passed, and l stand ready to aid in
the enforcement of law and to dedi-
cate all the power of my Office to the
suppression Of crime, to proper recog-
milton OF constituted authority and
the furtherance of the noble name of
my State"
Chairman Dabbs announced the
candidacy of Mr.. John S. Wilson for
solicitor of this circuit. Mr.. Wilson
was absent attending court in George
town
ss-s-9,' sss+-s9' SSRAIbaoAD' D'e.1aiMissIoNER,
Chairman Dabbs stated that each
Of the six candidates for railroad com
missioner would be given 20 minutes
time. The arrangement of order of
speaking had beeu left to him and he
called the name Of Mr.. James Cansler
as the first speaker. Mr.. Cansler was
not present.
MIR. Q. w. Garris, the railroad com
missioner whose term of office expires
tniS year, was then introduced, as
candidate to succeed himself. MIR.
Garris expressed his pleasure at meet.
ing the people Of Sumter again. He
thanked them for their support in the
past. He proposed to conduct the
present campaign on a fair and dig
nlhed plane and he had Eaught to say
against any one Of his opponents. He
realized that he stood before the peo-
pie IN the same light as the other
candidates, that of man seeking n
position at the hands of the people of
South Carolina. But besides this he
mad an account to give of his steward
ship. Since he had taken his oath of
o1llce he had Striven to do what was
right between the people OF South
Carolina and the railroads. And he
had done what was right according to
his lights. The railroads were citi
Zens of the State the same as other
corporations and they were entitled to
careful consideration, and their rights
were not TO be diSregarded any more
Than the rights of the people. The
acts OF the railroad commission had
been criticised by shippers, but the
commission had tried to hold Justice
in view always, and the magnitude of
the operations prevented their decis-
ion with the readiness OF a 80 cent
transaction. He then took ND in
detail comparison Of the railroad
rates in South Carolina and other
southern States. His deductions
from these comparisons were that
the rates in South Carolina were more
favorable to the people than tie rates
in other southern States. He stated
that regardless Of the fact that -
years ago nearly all the railroads in
South Carolina were in the hands of
receivers, yet today there were more
applications for new dcpots in South
Carolina than in Georgia and North
Carolina combined.
lie spoke OF the matter OF claims
ana took the position that many hon
est Claims were not paid because of
the lack of local claim agents. He had
tried to have the legislature provide
for this. The legislature had not pro
fided for it, and there was loss and
delay.
MIR. w. BOYD EVANS.
The next candidate for railroad