The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-01-18
SUMTER. s. c.
Terms:
$3.50 per annum--in advance.

The annual message of Gov. Blease.
which was read in the House and
Senate when the General Assembly
convened Tuesday. was a document of
too great length for us to print in full,
and IL was therefore. impossible to
give our readers more than a synop-
sis. IL is. however. in spite Of its
great length, a document every citizen
can read with interest and profit. 1t
contains several recommendations Of
merit and Importance which, IL en-
bodied I'm laws. would he of benefit
60 the people OF the whole State.
Among the recommendations that
we endorse are the following:
An additional one mill tax for the
support OF the common schools That
the common schools are woefully in
adequate is fact too glaring to call
for argument, that the people who will
be benefited by better schools are
able TO pay the small additional tax
recommended by Gov. Blease is an
other patent fact and for these rea-
sons we endorse the recommendation
most heartily.
The abolition OF the hosiery mill in
the penitentiary has been demanded
by the State Board OF Health and IL
should be abolished at the earliest
date possible.
Inc bad effet OF towns granting
exclusive franchise to corporations.
public service or otherwise, have been
demonstrated time and again and in
many communities the people bearing
unneccF'~" .-ro.ns aud pa,.ue r,. ..-
less HN.s to corporation. % 10 .r.
earnlng big dividends on . .t..s.
stocS-the water r.prcs,tn.u. u1tu
lEs bat the capitalized franchise.
a tax on water power is a Just tax
and the corporations and individuals
who are reaping a profit from the
utilization OF this natural resource,
which is the heritige of all the people,
should pay into the public treasury a
reasonable and fair rental for the
pse OF public property
The reduction OF the legal rate OF
interest 10 6 per cent would be in line
with other States and would not be
unjust To capital.
The recomme II dation that a license
OF SIS be exacted OF every person
carrying n pistol that list OF pistol
licences be published at stated inter-
walls. and that persons convicted OF
corrying a concealed weapon, with
out a license, be imprisoned at hard
labor 10. twelve months. without al
ternative OF a fine. should be adopted
and a law enacted along this line The
laws now on the Statute books are a
farce and are neither respected nor
enforced.
The enactment Of cent mileage
rate law. applying to all railroads, is
question that is still open to debate.
II such law would not be unjust to
the railroads and as they claim, con-
hotdAbi3t Ahtn u SNob!u ne duOpNeu.
II the railroads cannot haul passeng-
ers at two cents mile, except at a
loss. then such a law should not be
en0Ctcd.
The recommendation that the work
Of various state colleges Ice system
atize1 ana that the same work should
not bc duplicated in two or more OF
the institutions is a plain common
sense statement of facts IL the rec
ommcudItion can be reduced to a
working basis, much educational waste
will o., eliminated, money saved and
tho educational system improved.
There be- much In the message that
W lo not endorse, but these features
are mainly political and are so ear
marked with Blcnscism that they
wee evidently thrown In for effect
and To maintain laburiously earned
repItutlun for this sort Of politics.
w prefer praia,nE Wha; seems good
Go finding fault with what wc find oh
JcCuonablc. and We believe that Gov.
Bic1sr should bc supported and en-
couragcd In every effort he may make
for the b,ucut of the people of the
whole state