Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-09-28
Wednesday, September %.
Governor Talks of "crime
Wave"

Law enforcement, taxation and
education were mentioned as the
three greatest questions before the
people of South Carolina today by
Governor Cooper, in a statement
given to the press in Greenyille on
the eve Of his return to the capital,
following his summer vacation spent
on Paris mountain, near Greenville.
The governor ended his vacation this
week, bringing his family home and
returning to his Office Thursday, for
q hard season of work, he said, in
much better physical condition to
tackle the duties of state than when
he went away.
In his statement to the press, the
governor made reference to what ap-
pears to be a wave of crime in. this
state and declared that crime was
no more widespread in South Caro-
lima than throughout the nation but
the fact that it is national in scope
makes it no less serious in this state.
The officers of the law need the sup
port of every good citizen in check
ing crime and UNFOLDING the laws, he
said.
To Forget Politics.
Governor Cooper said that he was
not going to think of politics for a
while and would make no statement
as to whether or not he would retire
from the political field when his
term of office expires. 81 am going
down to my Office" he said, "to get
down to hard work" Speaking of
the political situation in general all
that the Governor would volunteer
was that, 81 believe if the people are
convinced that those who hold pub
-Ic-6Rce are, making an honest and
conscientious effort to serve the peo-
pie, the political situation need not
give us serious concern"
The governor announced that ne
would soon issue a message to the
people of the state in which he
would touch fully on the major is
sues before the state and the needs
confronting the people.
Turning to a discussion of the
main questions before people of the
state at the present time, Governor
Cooper named law enforcement, tax
alton and Education as the three out
standing issues that will engage the
public mind for sometime to come.
The Crime Wave.
"Every intelligent man, must be
concerned with what appears to be
the crime wave," said Governor
Cooper. eft is no worse in this state
than in other states, and it is prob
ably a national reaction from the
a But the fact that it is national,
doesn't make it any less serious. The
officers charged with the duty of en-
forcing criminal law need the support
of every good citizen"
The governor said that his posi-
ton on the question of taxation was
pretty well known. "our tax on visi-
BILE property" he asserted, sis en-
tirely too high. There must be a COM
plete reform of the entire system.
1t is my purpose to discuss this ques-
ton at length in the near future. 1t
should be borne in mind that in con-
sidering the matter of taxation that
the money collected by the state is
expended for the benefit of all the
people,"
Turning to the educational ques-
ton, Governor Cooper said: "We can
not fail to go forward in the matter
Of education. Good schools cannot
be had without money and the only
way to get the money is by taxes.
We must also continue the work that
has been started in the matter Of
building better highways. This also
means the expenditure of money.
Statistics will show that South Caro-
lima has the cheapest per capita gov
eminent of any state in the union. 1
am almost willing to say that very
few if any of our sister states get as
much value for every dollar collect
ed as does South Carolina. We must
not overlook the fact, however, that
we are face to face with a serious
condition in agriculture due to the
boil weevil. Some means must be de-
yised to relieve those who are suf-
fering most from the pest. But we
must not contemplate any move that