The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-01-18


session OF the senate mad house his
fourth and last annual message. Nhlle
he remains in Office until next tues
day, the day on which Robert a.
Cooper will be inaugurated, this was
his farewell address 70 the general
assembly and was, therefore, appro-
priately a retrospect and review OF
his four years administration The
message was substantially as fol-
lows:
Gentlemen of the General Assembly:
Under the Constitution i IS my
privilege and duty to submit to you
nay annual message. We are more IN
terested in the future than II the past,
but, IN view of the fact that am now
nearing the close Of my second term.
trust you Will pardon me for making
partial review OF the progress OF
the past four years. To note what
s has been accomplished will aid ana
encourage US with respect to the tu-
ture I desire at the outset to ac-
: knowledge the cooperation and as
sisfance Of the Legislature. the pulpit
the press, and all other agencies that
have contributed to these results. i
4 have earnestly striven to select men
solely with q view to their character
fitness and efficiency. and II IS . source
OF pride to me that the men appoint
ed to serve on the different boards
3 and commissions have performed the
work so efficiently and thoroughly.
When I assumed the Office Of gov
Hernor four years ago, you viii recall
the, fact that the party rules and the
laws governing primary elections were
loose, and were conspicuous by iscN
Of safeguards which would guarantee
u to every man qualified TO vote the
right 60 vote once, but only once. N
an election Now the party rC'eS
have been strengthened. and the
laws governing primary elections nave
been tigl,tened.. AS far back as 1924
II introduced in the legislature 4 Dill
to provide the Australian ballot sys-
tenn The Australian Ballot system
i has now been enacted into law. ard
has been fogad safeguard and
guaranty fors the free ard un:raE2-
rneled expression Of the popular VIII.
Four years. ago the law was by
word and reproach- The verdicts ot
iaries and the sentences Of the ccNl''s
had been, ruthiessly set aside: bar
rooms were in operation in violation
OF the law; gambling was cTealy
practiced, and the race-track cove;
had free swing to operate as tne5'
I pleased. Other lawless ard immoral
acts were committed without conceal
n1ent, and without punishment. These
conditions had so much encourage
ment that they were regarded as al
most irremediabIe. Criminals clam
ed a vested interest in crime, and re-
garded themselves as secure from
punishment Violations Of law vcre
committed with the certain knowledge
that pardons would be forthcoming
During the four-year period preceding
the beginning Of my first adn;inistra-
ton, one thousand seven hundred and
eight pardons- and paroles were grant
ed, an average Of more than one con-
vfcted criminal a dag released upon
society.
In my campaign I had promised
the people Of South Carolina TO cor
rect these evils. put my hand on
the situation relent,essly and w!t:1ont
discrimination. Today the situation
is changed: good citizens respect and
criminals fear the law, and there is
no longer any one community that can
be held up as an example Of lawless-
ness Grand juries, from the force OF
public opinion, now bring in true bills.
and petit juries bring in verdlcts o.
guilty where guilt exists. Certain local
authorities which formerly flaSrantly
{ violated the law now faithfully and
efficiently support the law Public
sentiment is healthy and this p;i'i'ic
spirit has strengthened cu:. courts AID
the hands OF officers Of til" Jaw.
In the enforcenIent OF the pr2hi2'-
ton laws the work of The .~r..f" cor.
stabulary must be ssii,cn rcc,:s.li;; on.
The constabulary has taken the i! ia
tive in keeping DOVE vioi2tions. and
in rigid enforcement ard wilde TIE
cooperation OF county ard npnici-
pal law officers has pe~a @;Tcn :s!ta
convinced that without the STATE con-
stabulary violations CT Ii" liquor laws
would again multiply. I considcr the
censtabulary essential to enforcement
of the prohibition law.
Throughout the State 2dEocatca
local option compulsory scooI at
tendance. The opposition 10 compul-
sorry attendance was vigorous. be-
heved then that such 2 law woni1 90
the opening wedge for State-wide
compulsory attendance law. and paD-
lie sentiment would demand incraas-
ing school facilities until such 4 il".
would become d necessity. The leg
islature enacted the local option com
pulsory attendance iaw. and il I3ts
been put into operation In :wc Inn
dred and thirty, or one-eighth CT he
school districts of the State I; has
been demonstrated that it IS Drac-
ticable and workable. It has tho
fore achieved its purpose, and has
bIazed the way For an expansion Of
that principle. so that today there is
an insistent and strong demand for q
Statewide compulsory law.
A distinct advance has been made {
in legislation affecting education ,'i&c-
ing the insurance Of school houses