The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-01-16
The States of North Carolina and

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Georgia have already prohibited them
from doing business within their
boundaries, and we owe it to our
selves and the good name Of the State
that we follow the example so worthi-
ly set US. We now have on our stat
ute book an act declaring unlawful,
contracts for the sale of articles for
future delivery, made under certain
circumstances" etc.
Let us now follow this up with an
act prohibiting any bucket shop, or
cotton or stock exchange or any other
exchange of like character from do
ing business in this State.
I further wish to cali to your atten-
ton another matter which I consider
Of grave importance at this particular
time in our history. and that is the
enactment of law providing the
death penalty to any male person
making an assault upon female
with intent to ravish, granting the
right to the jury trying the case to
fix the punishment at life imprison-
ment in the State penitentiary If in
their Judgment the facts warrant e
less punishment than death.
In this day when we read of so
many assaults of this character being
made, it behooves us to wake up to
the situation and make the penalty
so severe that the women Of this State
may be protected from this heinous
crime and the perpetrators punished
so severely that all will be deferred
from committing the same.
I further recommend that an act
be passed providing that in all cases
of rape or assault with intent to raw
ish, the female may be allowed to tes-
tify in private, before the judge, in
the presence Of the counsel for the
State and defendant and the defend
ant himself, and that the testimony so
taken shall be read to the jury as
the evidence of the said witness on
the trial Of the case. This is the law
in at least ore if not more Of the
States, Of the union, and should be
| the law in this State.
In this connection, I think it I'M
portant also to ask that you pass an
act making it rnisdemeanor to post
or display in any public place OF on
any street or highway indecent pic
lures of females. It is an evil that
has been growing in the last few
years, and one that calls for action
on our part It is not necessary for
me to call to your attention the rea-
sons why this act should be passed,
it is obvious to all right thinking per-
sons.
I respectfully recommend that
system of mounted police or patrol
/ for the rural districts be established.
This is no new idea, but one that is
being carried out with great success
in many countries. When there are
so many vagrants and idlers roaming
about, and there is 50 much work to
be done on every side, the work or
move-on system should be establish
ed, an dthat can be carried out better
I by such mounted patrol or police sys-
tenn, than by a7y other plan. Give
them authority /, arrest all violators
of the laws {; tee State, and carry
them before tie nearest magistrate
for trial or commitment for trial to
the court of general sessions.
When we hear so much complaint
from so many sources Of the neglect
or omission of the railroad companies
doing business in this State, Of giving
to the people proper passenger and
freight accommodations and rates
and accurate information of delayed
trains, it is very evident to every
thinking person that the railroad
commissioners should have power 20
corerct these things and to give relief
where it is fair and just between the
railroads and the people. The rail-
road corporations should be dealt
with fairly and justly, but at the same
time the peoples rights should be pro-
vided for and respected.
I, therefore, recommend that such
additional powers be given to the
railroad commissioners as will enable
them to compel the railroads to COM
ply with such reasonable rules and
orders as may be just and proper.
In this connection, I would recon-
mend that the act now Of force re-
quiring the salaries of the rail-
road commissioners to be paid by
the railroads be repealed. The Office