The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-01-11

change my views as formerly express
ed and reiterated. For considerations,
which you will readily understand,
shall make no further recommends
tions, leaving this more specifically
Tor my successor in office.
~: The situation demands your care
full thought, wise and judicious ac-
ton, and | believe it will be thus con-
sidered, free from prejudice, with the
Spirit not only Of fairness for the
views Of all concerned, but also for
what are the highest interests of our
state.
Ilawlessness and Lynchings.
I have endeavored, during my two
administrations rs Governor, to do
!, my utmost to prevent lawlessness in
any shape, and especially have I tried
sto suppress the awful crime Of lynch
ing. This crime as all Thoughtful cit
Liens know, is serious menace to the
maintenance of all law anl order.
!. am ashamed to have to report to
!. you that, in spite of all efforts to the
/ contrary, the crime Of lynching has
been committed more than once in
four state during the past year. Let
git be remembered hcrc-not In at
tempted justification, nor to extenu-
Sate, in any degree, the perpetration of
sthe crime Of lynching-that these law
less acts occur always under what is
considered the strongest provocation.
The greater the provocation, however,
the stronger is the majesty of the law
made, manifest, when our citizens
then unite in leaving justice, stern
though it may be, to be mcted out
Through our organized courts of law.
1t can be stated here, with absolute
struthfulness that it is not the color
tof the offender, but the nature of the
crime, that makes lynchings occur.
have asked for a special fund for
the suppression of lawlessness and
flynchings, and twice has this appro-
Spriation been made by our General
EAssembly.
Il have endeavored to use this fund
smost judiciously, and I have had many
Rcalls upon it. In spite of the obstac-
4es in the way Of bringing direct, tan
agible results, 1 am convinced that
good has been accomplished. In my
sppinion, we should not only seek to
Tpunish those who commit the crime
$where this is possiblc--but we should
Gseek to prevent the crime also. An
4ef1icient rural police might not only
sprevent the crime Of lynching by be-
ing ready to assist the sheriff at a
moments notice, but the presence of
such officials would do much to pre-
vent criminal assaults. Our rural COM
munities are entitled to this protec-
tion.
Recently the legislature of Virginia
enacted a law making an attempt at
rape a capital offense, and providing
also that the testimony Of the victim
could be taken in private and not be-
fore the public in a court room. T
am Informed by state officials Of Vir-
Eginia that this law is work salts
sfactorily I think this very import
Eant consideration, and I recommend
Ethe passage Of such a law for our
state. The holding Of special terms
l.of court has many objections, the
principal one being the appearance of
sthus yielding I'd lawless demands has
Itily made. For the crime of rape,
fhowever, + am Of The opinion that
Especial courts should be held to try
$thc culprit at once, and T hope Our
laws can be so amended in this re-
sgpect.
81 State Hospital for the Insane.
S@ The care Of the insane is one OF
%5hc responsibilities Of humane and
governments. For this
saateason, therefore, the everincreaslng
Xhumber of the insane is one of the
Sburdens Of modern life which must
Efall heavily upon the taxpayer. Sta
.Ngtistics show that the population of the
insane asylums Of the United States
doubled in the thirteen years ending
with 1908. The asylum population Of
sthe country in 1890 numbered 98,-
1000, and at the close Of the year 1908,
sih round numbers, a population of
100000 was the aggregate shown by
sathese figures. What is true of the
|Scomtry at large, is true, I am sorry to
Nsay, in our own state. In 1890 the po-
1pulation or our asylum was about 700,
on1 n ronulotinn IF I 321 ic shown or