Newspapers / Polk County News and … / Jan. 15, 1903, edition 1 / Page 8
Part of Polk County News and The Tryon Bee (Tryon, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Strong State Paper Read In Both Bouses of General Assembly S TATE OFFICERS MAKE REPORTS The Governor flakes Suggestions on s Many Problems That Will Come Up For Consideration. The message of His ! Excellency, Hon Chas. B. Aycock, governor of North Carolina was transmitted to the house and senate of the General As sembly on Thursday at noon. It is a comprehensive docu nent, dealing at length with the pol lems confronting the State. The substance of the mes sage is appended herewith: INTRODUCTION. The Honorable, the General As sembly: I welcome you with much pleasure to .the Capital of the State. With the beginning 'of your labors my own are appreciably ! lessened. You come to your work jfresh from the people with a knowledge of their wishes -and with a sincere desire to meet their just expectations and de mands. The year just passed has been one of great prosperity to the people of the State produced good crops reasdnable prices for have increased and have been kept busy. .Farmers have and received them. Industries manufacturers Labor has had steady employment : at fair wages and the State has probably never enjoyed a period of more general success. The State Government, however, has been embarrassed by a want of sufficient revenue to meet the appropriations provided" for by the last General As sembly.. It will be ond of your first duties to devise means by which the expenditures of the State will corns within the revenue. I am of the opin ion that the Revenue Law now in force under the , new assessments which will be made next June will supply all the demandss for current ex penses. The Revenue and Machinery Acts, of the last Legislature were much criticised at the timei of their pas sage; but experience has shown that with a few. modifications they are per haps as good as can be made under our Constitution. The adjustment oZ taxation so that the burden shall fait -equally upon all and in proportion io the ability to pay is one, of extreme difficulty; -if indeed it is not alto: gether impossible. There has been much complaint of thej inequality of assessments in our State. Farmers and merchants complain that the cor porations do hot pay their proper part; of the taxes for : the- support of the Government, while some, of the cor- noTrVmc Insist thn- tipv nrp tavpri in excess or me taxes j leyieu upon other property. The laws now in the statute books provide for equality of .asses&ment, hut by equality 'fit assess ment it is not understood Lthat those who have secured franchises from the State and thereby enjoy special privi leges, should be - exempt from pay ment of . taxes pn the jvalue of the franchises and privileges which they enjoy. Mr. . Justice Miller i in a case be--forei the Supreme Court pf the United - it i i-l , , States declared that it has. been, a condosideratum, perse not yet fully attained, to find a metLod of taxing this species of property which will be at the same time just -to the owners of fty equal and fair in it 3 relations to taxes on- other property, and which will enforce the just contribution that! euyu yiuyviiy ouuum lui liic benefits which more than property generally receives at the hands of Government." The law now on our statute books for the taxation of railroads follows the line of this decision That law provides the method for ascertaining the value of the property of the rail roads and the method provided seems to me to be fair and just. This law baa the advantage of ihaving been passed upon by the Supreme Court of the United States in cases going to that court from other States. Much of the value of corporations is intangible and no tax law which ignores this in tangible property is just to the own- "ers of tangible property assessed at Its true value. The law now in force recognizes inis iact ana provides lor the assessment of this intangible property and lays down rues by which it can be done with reasonable ac curaTcjr. These rules proceed upon the icfea that "whatever property is worth for the purposes of income and sale it is also worth for r taxation." No just man demands more than) this and no fair-Minded man, can justify anything less. , . ' . , '-.,...."..'!' There is much property other than railroad property undervalued for taxation. When the law says that property shall be assessed at its truo valtfe in money any custom or rule of assessing it at less than its true value , ought to be abandoned. - Obedience ' to ttte law toy those charged with its ex ecutioa is essential to ) the main nuance 01 good government. Ttv obedience in matters of! assessment of all property . ample revenue will come to me' State for every legitimate i purpose, and those who are already paying upon full values I will thai equality which by right belongs to every citizen in. bearing the bur dens of government. The- Machinery Aet; passed by the last Leeiflinturi this end. I, therefore, recommend that both the Revenue and Machinery Acts now constituting our, law in reference to taxation shall remain as they are with the modifications ; recommended by the Treasurer and Auditor. Much time is consumed by each. Legislature in passing a new Revenue and , Ma chinery Act. Before the people be come accustomed to Uhe new law an other is enacted, creating constant uneasiness, misapprehension, ; and criticism; The officers and people alike begin now to clearly under stand the present law. . It t is .wise, therefore, as a matter of economy of time to the Legislature and for the benefit of the tax payers to make few changes in the existing law. THE. SOUTH DAKOTA SUIT. ' The State, has been sued in the Su preme Court of the United States by the State of South Dakota on ten bonds secured by tan alleged second mortgage on the State stock in the North Carolina Railroad Company. All of the bonds of this class have been adjusted long since except about two Hundred and fifty, of which those sued upon are a part. They are held or controlled by Schaffer Brothers, brokers in New York, and the ten bonds sued upon were assigned by them to South Dakota without con sideration . and for the purpose, as North Carolina, contends, of evading the Eleventh Amendment to the Con stitution of the United States, and for the purpose of drawing into the juris diction of the court the bonds held by the said brokers. This is the first case of this character ever brought by on State against another and it Is confi dently contended by North Carolina that no court has ' jurisdiction to en force public obligations in the hands of an assignee which could not be enforced by the assignor. The prin ciple involved is of serious import ance, not only to this, but to all-the States of the Union, and if the suit can be maintained it will be a dan gerous departure and one seriously Infringing upon the sovereignty of the States. I have employed counsel for the State who in conjunction with our able Attorney General are repre senting. STATE TAX COMMISSION. The report of the State Tax Com mission is a very interesting docu ment and well worthy of your serious study. Some of the recommendations contained therein are new to our peo ple and may not meet with ready acceptance. It is certain, however, that .: the commission has given dili gent stdy to the problems presented to them for consideration under the act creating the commission. I tru3t that the views presented will not only arouse interest on the part of the General Assembly,; but $ will cause a general study of the subject of . tax ation by all our people. Much revenue is undoubtedly lost to the State, counties, and towns', by refusal to properly list personal , property in these communities where the com bined tax rate is so high as to become fined tax rate is so high as to become vised which this can be remedied nd thereby cause a full listing of property at its true value, a long step will be taken towards the adjustment : on an equitable basis, of the burdens of tax ation. The recommendation of the commission that a tax should be levied for State purposes on distil leries, rectifying .establishments and saloons seems to be well founded. The State has heretofore, levied a tax on saloons for the use of the school fund only. It would seem that an additional tax should be levied for State pur poses. There is no reason apparent why distilleries and rectifying estab lishments should not also contribute to the support of the State Govern ment. EDUCATION. i I commend to your careful con sideration the very full and able re port of our Superintendent of Public Instruction. I concur in the main in the recommendations, which he has so thoughtfully made. But for the fact that some of your Honorable Body have come to the Legislature in structed by the conventions which nominated you to secure the adoption of an amendment to the Constitu tion by which the taxes paid by the whites shall go to the , education of the white children and the taxes paid by the negroes- shall go to the educa tion of the negro children. I should make no mention of any race ques tion. 1 had confidently hoped that this matter would not be before you. We have just eliminated by our Constitu tional Amendment the negro from any large participation in the government of the State. It was my fortune to be the candidate at the time when it was adopted of that party which, supported the amendment. In my speech of ac ceptanie made to the convention which unanimously nominated me for the office of" Governor I used th!s language, "While universal suffrage is a failure, universal justice is the perpetual decree of Almighty God, and we are entrusted with power not for our good alone, but for the negro as well. We hold our title to power by the tenure of service to God, and if we fail to - administer equal and exact justice to the negro whom we deprive of suffrage, we shall in the fulness of time lose power ourselves for we must know that the God who is love trusts no neonle with au thority for the purpose of enabling them to do injustice to the weak." The reception which this statement met at the hands of that great conven tion, will ever; be to me a nleasaWt 1 memory. This declaration with t me wo not mere sentiment Tt wr tfco J expression of deep conviction. In my 11 11 1 z : z - iterated thia gtatement. il eaid to the last Generar; ABSemDiy, xou wm. ., hare aufiUt to fear when you make ample provision for the education of the whole people Rich and poor alike are bound by promise and necessity to approve your utmost efforts in this direction. . The platforms tit all the parties declare in favor of , a liberal policy towards the education of the masses.'. The ; platform on . which I ran for office contained t this. v pro vision, "We heartily commend the ac tion of the General Assembly of 1890 for appropriating one hundred thou sand dollars for the benefit of the public schools of the State, and pledge ourselves to - increase the school fund so as to make; at least a four months' term in each year in every school district in the State. There Is In that platform declaration no suggestion of any purpose to take from the negro any part of the school fund which he was then enjoying. Al most from the time, of my entering upon the office of Governor to the present I have gone through the State making speeches advocating univer sal education. When , the Democratic convention assembled in Greens boro they endorsed this educa tional policy- In v the follow ing language : ; "We ; renew our pledges for the extension and improve ment of the public school system of the State; so that It may keen nace with the needs and conditions of our peo ple. We point with pride to the great impetus and progress in this sreat work during the last two years .and call attention to the fact that this vear for the first time in the history of the State, every school district has been able to, maintain a public free school for four months, as required ' by the Constitution." When the Republican convention met in the same citv it used this ranguage,,Intelligence be ing the corner-stone of the State, and the education of the masses beinsr de pendent solely upon our public schools, we fear the support by public taxation of at least a four months school in ev ery school district in the I State." It appears, therefore, that both parties represented in your Honorable Body are pledged to at least a four months' school in every sqhool district in the State and this, of course, Includes the negro districts. I am not unmindful of the fact that the education of the negro has been somewhat disappoint ing,, and there are many of our people who really believe that education is injurious to the. negro The Governor argues that educa catlon does the colored man goodL He sustains this proposition by facts that show the education of the negro to be beneficial to society in general. " THE UNIVERSITY. The Governor speaks of the Univer sity as the acknowledged head of our public school system and recommends favorable consideration of its needs. STATE NORMAL AND INDUSTRIAL COLLEGE. The recommendations concerning this institution' are for Increased facil ities, as its growth demands. .A. AND M. COLLEGE. The Agricultural; and Mechanical College is highly commended for ' its usefulness. Our people must be for many years largely engaged in agricul tural pursuits. Hence i we should fos ter all institutions looking to their bet--terment. - s-:":r DEAF AND DUMB INSTITUTION AT MORGANTON. This institution .has done in the past two years the best work since its or ganization, here are now in attend ance9 two hundred and thirty-seven deaf xhildren. Superintendent Good win after a careful investigation is of opinion that there are four hundred and fifty deal children in the State who ought to be in the school. To get them into the school without a com pulsory, law can only be accomplished awakening interest among all our peo ple in the education, of this class of our citizens.- Every community ought to see to it as far as nossihio that ho deaf children shall Have the benefits of I me excellent training given at this in stitution. Many of the children there are being taught to speak and to read what he says from the lips of the per son with whom they talk. To what ex tent this can be carried is not yet cer tain, but the problem is being worked out carefully and scientifically, and so far with excellent results. The boys and girls who complete the course at this institution become almost without exception self-sustaining. The State engages in no greater work than the teaching of these unfortunates nnri t am sure it will be eratif vine- fnr to know that nowhere are the children nener taugnu our Deaf and Dumb In stitution ranks ; with the best in the world. You will find in the Report of the Directors, the Superintendent, and other officers of the Institution full in- lormation as to the .work accomplish ed and the needs for the future. ' . uorAHTMENT OF STATE. The Governor by the Secretary of State: nrifl ravr he needs our assistance during the session of the Legislature. ; - THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT. The. work of Jthe Trfiasiirv denart- ment is fully set forth in documents accompanying the , message. ; AUDITOR'S DEPARTMENT. The Audltlns dfinartmpnf ia covered hy reports, submitted with message. TKEASURY DEPARTMENT. This department is fully covered by accompanying reports. ' THE BOARD OF, i AGRICUITUHE. This board has done excellent work durinir the nast twn vira 'extendine the scope of its usefulness as the needs oi the state manifest themselves, l transmit herewith the report of the Commissioners of . Agriculture and commend .the same to your careful conr sideratlon. I concur In the recommen dations therein made 1 , v THE NORTIJ CAROLINA CORPORA TION COMMISSION. This commission is doing work of far more valne to the State than in c ti Aral. I ly understood and Its beneficial results j ts trriixLtw T fir red if the ccoole in the Ctate understood that all com plaints made to-the Commission In re ference to any matter In regard to transportation, whether i of persons or of property will receive a prompt, and careful investigations If those who are disposed to complain about the Com mission would complain to it much good would : be done. During the past year the passenger rate was made the same on the branch lines of the Southern, Atlantic Coast! Line and Sea board Line railroads as theretofore ex isted on the main lines.: This reduc tion in itself amounts to a consider able eum to the travelling public. The reports accompanying this Message set out in detairthe work of the Commis sion for the past two years. , CHILD LABOR. - The Governor argues that the State has a right to regulate the working 'of children in mills and- factories, and should exercise this right by wise leg islation. ...'; '-:V V-Vv PENSIONS AND SOLDIERS' HOME. During the past two years the State has. paid out to the soldiers and widows in pensions $330,597.50, and in the support of and additions to the Soldiers' Home $1,000.00. It is admit- ! ted that North Carolina sent more sol diers to the Confederate Army ' than any other State. The amount paid to the widows of these soldiers and to the survivors of that gallant i army, must appear to everyone pitifully small. These old men and the widows of those who have passed away have been much honored ; on the platform and in the press end the State has done what she has .felt able to do to make their lives more pleasant es they approach the end. The debt which we owe to them can never be paid. The sum which we pay to them is but a small part of that which tey merit. Their bitter neces sities will appeal to you and I cannot doubt that such provision will be made as you find the State able to bear as you find the State able to bear. CULLOWHEE HIGH SCHOOL. This school located In Jackson Coun ty on" Cullowhee Creek, a tributary of Tuckaseege River, Is doing a most ex cellent work at extremely email cost. During the past year I had the pleas ure of visiting this excellent school and inspecting the work there being done. I know of. no Investment which the State has made In the way of educa tion which b.as brought larger results in proportion to the, amount expended. A full report of Its condition and work will appear from the accompaning documents. COLLEGE OF, AGRICULTURE AND MECHANIC ARTS FOR THE COLORED RACE AT GREENS BORO, i ' i 4 I commend to your careful considera tion the-strong and clear report of the Board of Directors of this Institution. This board has been confronted with many difficulties. V When they took charge of the institution its plans were found to' include too large a literary course and tpo small' agricultural and industrial courses. With' a view to training the Colored population for the work which they must" needs do the literary department has becrt "subordi nated to the industrial and agricultur al. I believe under the wise manage ment, of the present Board; of Directors this institution .will soon become jot great service to the State. The needs of the institution will fully appear in the report named. . 1 THE OXFORD ORPRAN ASYLUM. This institution managed under the joint control of the State and Grand Lodge of North Carolina, A. F. and A. M., is maintaining its reputation for excellent work. It is doing a great service to the orphans of the State. I commend it and its wants to your fav orable consideration. v THE OXFORD ORPHAN ASYLUM. FOR THE COLORED. ( The reports from this I institution show increasing usefulness. Its needs are set out :in the accompanying docu- " avwuipaujriU5 uotu ments and deserve consideration at your hands DEAF, DUMB AND BLIND INSTITU- TION. This institution for the past two years has done most excellent work. The attendance has increased from the two hundred and sixty-six ; on - Decem ber 1, 1900 to three hundred and thirty one on December 1, 1902. The "attend ance at present is the best j ever regis tered in the 'school, but there still re main out v of the school . many blind children who ought to be, brought into it. -The Board ; of Directors haye very wisely determined that during vaca tion their superintendent shall visit the homes where blind children are to be found and seek to influence the par ents or guardians to permit them to be sent'to this' institution. The superin tendent 'engaged last Summer in this work with the result above set out. The blind always appeal to us. There is a deeper pathos about this affliction than almost any other. The State owes to the blind the duty of bringing light to them." It is hoped that the parents of the State will respond to the efforts made in this direction and put all the blind In the school. Many States com pel their attendance, Taut I believe that the course of the board of directors in going to the homes and laying the ad vantages of this institution, before the parents and guardians will ' perhaps obviate the necessity of a law compell ing atten3ance.The report of the board of directors and the sunerinto-ndnt and other officers of the Ihstitntlon ac companying this message will give you tne detailed information as to the work for the past- two years and the needs for "the future. . NORTH CAROLINA STATE GUARD. Accompanying this message will be found the report of the Adjutant Gen eral:, of the North Carolina State Guard.: I concur , in the recommenda tions of the . Adlutaht hftnprai if ia I ratifying to know, that the general condition oi the state Guard shows de- elded lmorovemAuf . Tfc powerful agency for the presJnrSf1? of t&e peace and good order ! State than is furnished by our soldiery. They respond promnJiv every call for their services ana freely of their time in any gpJST which the State demands. They entitled to the fostering care of State and the grateful appreciation U all lovers of peace and quiet, t TUB STATE BOARD OF 'HE-ALTtt ' From the report of the Secretary the State Board of Health, which herewith transmuted, it appears ti much work of the character expecSf of such- hoards has been accomplisi,rJ during the past two years. This i eludes among other things sanitary f spection of the State's Institutions- Cf all public water supplies, and of pected private supplies on request; at vice and instructions to munlcinalL ties; neaiin ouicers anu inuivmual cit izens; the collection of vital statistic and the dissemination among the pe, pie of varied information as to the preservation of health. The educa tional effect of this work is apparent in the improved public sentiment on. this very important subject. THE PENITENTIARY. The Governor expresses gratification at the good showing made by the board of penitentiary directors. STATE HOSPITAL FOR THE IN . . SANE, This institution makes a good shov ing. Its needs should be carefi looked after. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. . The State Geological Survey has done a great deal to promote the wel fare of the State. It should be amply provided for in the prosecution of its work. BOARD OP PUBLIC CHARITIES. -TTiW work nf tha IRoard of PnhU 1 Charities has been a laborjrf love. Tht T members of this board have accom- nlfshed a srreat deal, andi deserre th gratitude of every individual in the State. BOARD OF EXAMINERS OF STATE INSTITUTIONS: . Under an act of the last General As sembly I caused to be mailed to each member of the General Assembly dar ing the month of November, 1902, a printed copy of the report of the Board of Examiners of State Institutions. This board was created by the last General Assembly and the report shows the resulfof its first work. Full and detailed Information in regard to each of the institutions investigated is to be found in said jTepprt, together with thA rffwriTnp.ndnt'inTis nf th( hftartf for legislation. PARDONS. .The Governor, transmits a list of pardons granted, with his reasons for granting the same. , SALE AND MANUFACTURE OF LIQUOR;. The Governor devotes a section of his message to a consideration of this subject. His recommendations are for a uniform, law, giving the highest re striction to the business.- I LYNCHINGS. The recommendations are for the elimination, as far as possible, of the cause of lynchings, and the removal of PUBLIC ROADS. A section of the message is devoted to the question of public roads; with appropriate suggestions. ' GENERAL THOMAS f! TOON. On the lt)th of February, 1902, Gen eral Thomas F. Toon, Superintendent of Public Instruction for the State, fell on sleep. His record is' one of which the State may well be proud. Ho en tered the Confederate army a young man as a private and without outside influence, by merit alone, won promo tion after promotion until he became a Brigadier General. He freely offered hfs life for the Independence of his i ottiuu. lie Ullilliy gave It ill UBJlaiJt ui the education of the children. He was section. He finally gave it In behalf of ensasrprt in nan vas sine' t.h StatA In ad vocacy of larger educational facilities when he was attacked by pneumonia. He ended his life as he had spent it. In patriotio service for the State. As sol dier, as citizen, as officer, he was al ways" faithful and gave to- the caise which he espoused his full devotion. He died as he lived without other fear than that which we are told is thebe-c-fnnfne of. wisdom. LOUISIANA PURCHASE EXPOSI- - TION. : ; ' ' The recommendation is that asuita hie exhibit be provided for at this ex position. ; STATE DEBT. r A paragraph is devoted to the btate s Indebtedness, with recommen dations ; : 'S--. v ( :,, ' . . CONCLUSION. There are many matters not noted in, the message which will claim your at tention. Perhaps no General Assem bly has ever assembled ; in the State in ttme of peace that has had greater opportunity for real service to the State. You will hot forget the dread of our people of debt and their oppo sition to excessive taxation, nor will you fail to appreciate the great under- taxings wnicn the , State has entered upon and the larger future for whfca we all so earnestly hope. Money wise ly and prudently expended now in be half of these things which tend to de velop the State will prove a beneficial investment. Economy should i not he overlooked, nor should parsimony in the : expenditure of mQney " for our larger growth hinder our development There is but one way only to serve th people well and that is to do the rit thing, trusting, them as? they may teir be trusted, to ,ap prove the-thinc3 count ror rnA AAttPfmAn fk.
Polk County News and The Tryon Bee (Tryon, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Jan. 15, 1903, edition 1
8
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75