The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-03-01


ColumbiE. Fob. 2T.--Now that the
general assembly has adjourned. after
an unprecedented close on account of
the veto message OF the governor. per-
haps IL Will not be amiss for me 10
give my version OF the results brought
about by the principal items vetoed.
First OF all. 1 desire to say that the
appropriation bill was prepared by
the ways and means committee in an
unusually short time. on account oil
the Inaugural address of his excel
lency and also on account OF his ut
terances on the stump prior to the
primary last summer. 1t thus reached
the senate much earlier than usual
and that body doiibcrated over it
much longer than they usually have
an opportunity of doing, so that 1t
was only returned To the house one
day earlier than 1t was absolutely
necessary
The senate had passed what was
known as the Stewart bill. providing
for a new building at Winthrop, the
authorities there preferring this
method rather than taking their
chances I'm the appropriation bill.
While I was heartily In favor OF the
new building. opposed this bill in
quiet way in the house, feeling that
winthrop should come In on the
same basis as the university and the
Citadel. but the bill passed the house
and received the approval of the gov
ernor. shall recur to this matter
= = little further on In this article.
~ " as TO the principal vetoes-
the tenn Of $4,000 to the comptroller
Eef srafs department was given to
en4ble that department OF the gov
efnment to make thorough investi-
-<>tion of the various county Offices
and through this appropriation TO
establish a uniform system of book
Keeping. During the past few years
numbers OF counties haze made hap
hazard Investigations that In most
cases amounted to nothing. and vet
they have cost a great deal more
than this general appropriation would
cost and we still have no uniform
system OF keeping the books In the
various county Offices. While the
present comptroller general may not
have devised the very best system
possible uniform system would have
been infinitely better than no sys-
tenn at all. as at present. and i'm my
opinion would have saved to the tax.
payers OF the State at least $50. 900
over and above this appropriation.
His veto OF $500 for an actuary
in the insurance department will
cripple that department very mate
rally and especially I'm dealing with
those companies who write insurance
principally I'm mill villages, collect
Ing the premiums weekly or month";.
The man who Is able TO take cu;
large policy In an old line company
Is able TO Investigate for himself His
veto OF $4,000 for the Florence re-
formatory shows that his excellency
haS revised himself. We have in
LeNngfSn a reformatOry for young
negro criminals where these young
boys are separated from the old and
hardened criminals OF their race. with
the hope that they may he discharged
without contamination and reformed.
The Florence reformatory was in
tended TO do this and more for the
young whites. who were wayward or
had made one false step. 1t had
proven Its efficiency so well that IT
had outgrown its present quarters.
and this appropriation was intended
TO enlarge the plant that its field of
usefulness might be greatly extended.
As To his veto OF the appropriation
for heating plant at the negro col
lege, Z shall not argue the question
as TO whether that race should be
educated or not. simply stating this
fact which his eXcellency Is well
aware OF. that we have TO maintain
this institution to secure the funds
from the national government which
constitute a considerable item I'm the
revenue OF Clemson college. but /
shall argue II from an economic
standpoint. and that Is, that this
institution Is tho property Of the
state, and as such should be protected
from danger or losSShy fire. \ very
large domitory was burned about Is
months ago. The replacing Of vhich
has cost Tho lnNnnNDrs nf Snnth Cnrn