The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1915-01-15
MESSAGE REVIEWS
EVENTS OF YEAR
Scissors Used Freely in
Compiling Document
Hints at Peonage = A
Sketch of Governors
Family and His Own
Career Fills Many Pages.
Wednesdays State.)

| The governor of South Carolina. in
framing his last annual message to
the general assembly, which was pre-
sented yesterday on the converting of
the TWO houses, made liberal use of
| scissors and paste pot. The docu
| ment consists largely in quotations
| from various sources.
Inc governor reviews his admins
tratlon during the past year and
makes some suggestions. The deliver
ance is not so violent as previous mes
sages. He discusses the States obliga
tlons, the extension of the time for
the payment of taxes, taxation. the
States institutions, free Scholarships.
the Medical College of South Caro-.
Ina, the hosiery mill, the tuberculosis
hospital, the general business condi-
tlons, the States prosperity, economy
of the administration, the common
schools, alleged federal encroachment
upon State rights, auditing of ac-
counts OF State officers, immigration,
State levy, former convicts. In CON
cluslon the governor gives an account
Oh MS family, written by a friend"
Hints at Peonage.
Under the head of Former Con-
vets, the following statement is con-
tanned in the message:
1T has been reported and rumored.
whether true or not | do not knew.
ana therefore am not in position to
state, that some fomer convict; are
held and required to work in paw
ment of efforts used to secure their
release. If this is true, it is great
pity that any man would be guilty cf
such conduct--a great pity that he
would so treat one of his unfortunate
fellow beings. I, therefore, recon-
mend that you investigate this matte
'IH oruer TO ascertain II there are any
former convicts being so held, either
on the farms of any of the electors
OF the State penitentiary or any tf
the officials of the State penitentiary
or anywhere else, by anybody"
The governor in the beginning of
the message refers to his refusal to
sign notes for a loan of $150,OOO to
meet the current expenses of the gov
ernment. He declares that ther. is
plenty of money in the State treas
ury. He also refers to the extensions
of the time for the payment of State
taxes, which was ordered by the
comptroller general with the approval
e
of the governor.
In the message, under the head of
taxation, it is stated that the people
are "taX-ridden."
1T is a crying shame and a dis
grace that our people should have to
pay the amount of taxes which they
are now paying and receive so little
Farm Demonstration Work.
fDr
conducted in this State by Clemson
college and the United States depart
ment of agriculture is heavily scored
by the governor.
Concerning the work, the chief ex-
ecutive says:
"The farmers who are the back
bone of this State are treated as if
they were set of ignomamuSeS, or
plain fools, to be more explicit and
emphatic. There are now being sent
around over the State people called
farm demonstrators who are being
paid large salaries out of the tax
payers pockets, and who are giving
absolutely no return for the money.
The very idea of a man being paid
salary and his expenses to go
around and tell the farmers the ne
cessity for them to plant grain, to
raise hogs, to diversity crops" The
governor charges that ''in many in
stances these men use their Offices
for political purposes, going around
to act the political henchmen of
somebody and they are of absolute
ly no service in the world to the
| farmers of the State" These demon
straton agents are largely paid out
Of the funds of the United States gov
| ernment
1t is charged in the message that
| the State institutions of higher learn
| ing are being supported "entirely too
extravagantly." what good is Glen
! son as an agricultural institution?"
asks the chief executive. After de-
nouncing the college in the severest
terms the governor declares that he
would do nothing Individually "to
hurt or cripple the college" He says
many representatives of one fam
lily are being educated free in State
colleges.
The work of the South Carolina
| Medical college at Charleston is high
| ly praised by the governor. 1t was
started during his administration. He
believes that the college will prove
| of greater benefit to the State than
any of the other State schools.
The governor quotes statistics to
! Continued on last page.)