The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-07-26

year to S165,000 last year, not costing
the taxpayers single dollar; crea-
ton of commissioner of agriculture,
commerce and labor, bringing in con-
siderable revenue; % aid weak
schools; 10-hour law for cotton mills;
pure food law; act to refund State
debt; to submit to the people meas
ure to enlarge and improve the State
hospital for the insane; to require
railroads to accept mileage on trains
and check baggage; to establish cot
ton warehouses-known by many
members who were informed in the
Constitution-"and felt the same
that it would >be declared unconstitu>
tional, which the court has done, and
is null and void; factory inspection
act; joint resolution to disallow $13,S00
to Architect Todd for building model
of the State house; doing away with
the proposed improvement to the
State house, to cost 100000.
We commonly hear it said, he said
and he did not mean to charge any
person with misquoting facts-that
the legislature does a great deal for
the colleges, and nothing for the COM
mon schools. If that were true he
would be ashamed to come and shake
the peoples hands and raise his voice
under the shadow of Gods temple of
worship. By legislative enactment
and by constitutional enactment the
public schools were given a revenue
annually amounting to s2,6CC,0OO. He
did not mean to be exact to the cent,
so he would put it at s2,500,O0O, and
he knew that came below the sum.
That came from tax On property, from
poll tax and dog tax. He would say
for himself that he would not feel that
he was performing his obligations if
he had not made some provision for
the cap-stone of the educational sys-
ten-the colleges. Every time a teach
er was elected for the common schools,
it was wanted to know where the
teacher had graduated. The law re-
hot tnonhn,- hn crod11ofn
of some college or have frst-grade
certificate. Education was not lux
ury of the rich; it was a necessity of
the poor. He paid a tribute to the
late Jenkins A. Smith. "Do you tell
me- he asked, 'ethat nlan--and I say
it with the utmost love and respect
for his memory-gifted in high pur-
pose as he was, if he had had the ad-
vantage of common school and col
lege education, would not have been a
greater power than he was?" The nan
who had no property had the oppor-
tunity to send his son Or daughter to
college. He had sent his son to the
University to study law. He did not
send him free-he was not rich man,
but had some little property, He paid
because the appropriation was not suf-
fcient for the poor peoples, children
there, who did not have the means,
and also to hold out to give to others,
and the rich people had 20 pay. The in
stitution had stood there all these
years "an opportunity for YOU" No
loose money had ever been spent by
his vote, he said, and none would be.
He believed those he had served with
in the house would say he had been
in his seat and at his place of duty,
and that the senators would say he |
had made an honorable record there. |
The poor mans taX-and some of the |
best friends he had were among the
poor, and he loved and reverenced /
hem more than some Of the preten-
sive rich-the poor mans tax was on
lis dog and head, and that went to the
school to which his children go. But
his other opportunity awaited him if
le wished to send his children there.
He explained the act to submit a
million dollar bond issue to the peo-
Die in November for enlarging and
the State hospital for the in
sane, saying sixty acres could be cut
,ff in Columbia and preserve the util-
ty of the buildings there, which would
cave 300 acres, estimated to be worth
$4,000 an acre, which the act contem-
plated should be placed in the hands
If 81. king fund commission, in order
10 be disposed of most advantageous
Iy, and the bonds retired with this
money, without extra cost to the peo-
pie. The enlargement of the State