The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1904-01-20
state institutions is wise and kind.


We observe that the railroad COM
mission wishes the power to employ a
civil engineer to investigate under it's
directions. The governor does not re-
commend it-merely states the fact.
The objects Of the commission could
be accomplished by the passage of a
law requiring that one Of the commits.
s%ioners should be an engineer and pro-
yiding that he be selected under civil
service rules after examination. One
Of the commissioners places becomes
vacant this year and thus nc hardship
would be worked. However, to sug-
gest the abolition of an office would
cause q dreadful squeal. If the state
were liberal, 1t would increase the
number of railroad commissioners to
three dozen.
The governor believes that manual
training should be provided by the
common schools. In which we applaud
him. To carry out his idea we propose
that o portion of the ~dispeusary school
fund be set aside for the building Of a
manual training school in each c,unty
and that such schools be located in the
town Of each county that will contri-
butte voluntarily the largest sum TO-
wards the establishment, above a mini
mum amount. In short, let the legisla-
ture agree to permit Laurens county to
have 92500. each year from the dispen-
sary fund for o school where trades
may be learned, provided Laurens,
Clinton Or some other town will con-
tribute $4,000. towards buying the
ground, erecting and equipping the
building, etc.
The governor talks about lynchings
sud lawlessnese and d%eprecates them.
His references to lynchings are a waste
of words. The l~ynching OF people for
"the usual crime" is not the most Sc
rious matter in this state and he need
not worry about it. Those lynchings,
just as he says, will continue until the
crime ceases. South Carolina is suffer-
ing from the lynchings for other
crimes. People are lynched for petit
larceny. People are sometimes lynched
to please the taste aud fancy of the
lynchers. Men are shot down in South
Carolina because a large part of orr
public opinion deliberately vindicates
murder. There are thousands of good
men who openly say that for certain
reasons n man is justified in shooting
down another though that other be I'M
armed aud unaware of danger. The
%lynching of black brutes for the one Of
fence Is unfortunate, even il excusable,
but it is not these lynchings that en-
stttute an over-shadowing problem in
South Carolina. The governor should
have recommended that murder be
made q crime.
The governors recommendation in
favor of biennial sessions of the legisla-
ture is an exhibition of downright cru
city to the persons to whom his mes
sage was addressed but Of course it is
what every other intelligent MAJ In
the state heartily favors.
Considering its length, the governors
message was one of the most harmless
that we have ever seen. 1t teens with
useful information and shows that the
governor is g careful and diligent Off
Ger. Generally, it is attuned to a high
conception of patriotic duties and
breathes an air of sincere affection for
the state.
AS we have heretofore remarked, iJ is
probable that Mr. Howard is q better
governor than we deserve.