The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-04-16


Jennings and assured him and the
new council that they had his best
wishes for a successful administrat-
ION. Mayor Boyle also presented his
successor with a handsome boquet of
roses
Mayor Jennings thanked the re-
firing officer for his expressions of
good and for the floral Offering.
Assuming the chair Mr.. Jennings
said that he realized fully that he
and the members of council had taken
upon themselves a responsible and
ardous duty that would call for their
very best efforts and all the ability
and all the public spirit of which they
are possessed. He entered upon the
discharge Of the duties imposed up
on him by the woes Of the people Of
Sumter with but a single idea-to do
his full duty with the strictest impair
TALLY, and to do this duty regard
less of praise or censure. He would
do his utmost while in office to pro-
mote the growth and welfare of the
city, to build up industries and to
induce desirable citizens to locate
here and to establish new industries.
He pledged himself to the enforce
ment Of all laws, especially the law
against the Illicit sale Of liquor, which
is admittedly one of the most diff
cult of all laws to enforce. He was
not prOhibitionist and had not
voted for prohibition for the reason
that he had not believed it possible
to effectively enforce the law, yet he
would use all the power of his Office
and all the machinery of the law to
put a stop to the sale of liquor in
Sumter, in SO far it Is possible to
bring this about. In this connection
he emphasized the fact that the en-
tire police would be made to under
stand from the first that the laws
of the city must be enforced and en-
forced to the letter. If there are
laws that should not be enforced they
have no place on the statute books of
the city and should be repealed at
the first opportunity. If there are
men on the police force who do not
do their duty, who do not enforce
the laws as they find them-and he
did not charge that there were such
| men on the force-they would have
either to mend their ways and en-
force the laws or get off the force.
The police force will be required to
do it's full duty and this can be
counted on for a certainty.
AS to the matter of finance he
could say little without fuller infor-
nation and more comprehensive and
intimate knowledge of the city's re-
sources, liabilities and fixed expenses.
He would take pains to inform him
self at the first opportunity and would
use his best judgment, always with
the advice of the council, in expend-
ting the money Of the people for the
best interests of the community as
whole-never for some special or
favored person or interest.
Directly related to the matter Of
finance is the matter Of taxation, and
this brings in the question of Just and
equal taxation, which is now largely
in the public mind. Before the pri-
| mary he had pledged himself to make
an honest and determined effort
without fear or favor, to bring about
the equalization of taxation in this
city. He was pledged to stop if pos
sible the practice of tax lodging, and
in order that he might do something
toward redeeming this pledge he had
anticipated his formal induction in
to office by calling together the coun-
Gil elect and appointing a committee
to cooperate with the township
board Of equalization in the re-assess-
rnent and equalization of real estate
values. 1t was necessary that this
action be taken before the new
council took office as the township
board was already at work on the re-
turns and the report had to be made to
the county auditor at an early date
if the appointment of the committee
had been delayed until the new coun-
ell was sworn in it would have been
too late for the committee to accom-
plish the desired result. He desired
the appointment of the committee
confirmed by council. The committee
appointed was r. B. Belser, D. r.
McCallum, Jr, and D. D. Noise, and
the compensation is SIS a day each
for the actual time engaged in the
work. The committee has been en-
gagged in going over the returns for the