650 



SOUTH CAROLINA. 



to protect them from white regulators, who had 

 twice visited the town, beaten people, white and 

 black, and promised to return and kill them. 

 Work on the surrounding farms had been stopped, 

 and people driven from their beds. 



A trial at Orangeburg to collect damages from 

 the county for a lynching, under the law that 

 allows such damages to be collected by the legal 

 representatives of the victim, resulted in a ver- 

 dict for the county, which was set aside, and a 

 new trial was had, with the same result. It is 

 not deemed possible to enforce the law, but it is 

 said that its effect has been to decrease the num- 

 ber of lynch ings. 



Historical. Among some rubbish in the office 

 of the Secretary of State was found in January a 

 veneered wooden case about 3 feet long by 2 

 feet wide, and printed upon the top was " Pro- 

 ceedings of the Convention, 1832-'33. Secretary 

 of State's office." On opening it, he discovered the 

 original ordinance " To nullify certain Acts of the 

 Congress of the United States," as it was en- 

 grossed and signed by the members of the con- 

 vention, the original ordinance as it was drawn 

 up and presented to the convention, Chancellor 

 Harper's original draft of the ordinance, a cer- 

 tified copy of President Jackson's proclamation as 

 printed, and a certified copy of Gov. Robert 

 Y. Hayne's proclamation in reply as printed in 

 the Columbia Telescope, the manuscript journals 

 of the conventions for 1832 and 1833, both beau- 

 tifully bound, and 2 printed copies of the same 

 journals, and the original ordinance rescinding 

 the first ordinance. 



One of the flags carried in the Mexican War by 

 the Palmetto regiment was turned over to the 

 State in April, together with what is left of the 

 regimental records. These and the 2 flags were 

 sent from Columbia to Chester at the time of 

 Sherman's march. The State flag was lost; the 

 army regulation flag is the one just brought back 

 to the Capitol. It passed through 4 battles of the 

 Mexican War, and 5 officers were shot down 

 while carrying it 2 mortally wounded. It went 

 to Cuba in 1898 with the Second Regiment of 

 South Carolina infantry. The " Jackson vase " 

 was also sent by the survivors of the Mexican 

 War to the Capitol. 



The Columbia Chapter of the D. A. R. have 

 placed in the State Capitol a marble tablet to the 

 memory of Emily Geiger, a Revolutionary hero- 

 ine, who in 1781 took a perilous ride of more 

 than 100 miles through forests and across rivers 

 to carry a message from Gen. Greene to Gen. 

 Suniter. She memorized the written message 

 given to her, and, when taken on suspicion before 

 Lord Rawdon, tore up and swallowed the paper 

 secretly, so that nothing was found when she was 

 searched, and she was allowed to go on her way. 

 The result was that Gen. Sumter joined Gen. 

 Greene as he was desired by the message, and 

 Ninety Six. th<> most important point in upper 

 Carolina held by the British, was evacuated, and 

 l.uid Kawdon was compelled to retreat to 

 Orangeburg. It was desired to mark her grave 

 with a monument, but its place could not be 

 found. 



Walhalla celebrated its semicentennial this 

 year. A monument to the memory of Gen. John 

 A. Wagoner, founder and president of the German 

 Coloni/ation Society, was unveiled. 



Legislative Session. The Legislature met for 

 the nnnunl session Jan. 0, and adjourned Feb. 17. 

 Frank B. Gary was Speaker of the House. 



Associate-Justice K. B. Gary was re-elected. 

 The number of acts and resolution* passed was 

 188. The Governor sent a special message asking 



for legislation providing for the draining of the 

 swamp lands of the State, and a resolution was 

 I closed for submitting to vote, in November, a con- 

 stitutional amendment giving the Legislature 

 power to provide for condemnation proceedings 

 and assessment of lands drained. Another con- 

 stitutional amendment proposed was one providing 

 that the 8-per-cent. limitation as to the proportion 

 of bonded indebtedness a town may assume should 

 not apply to Charleston, Columbia, Rockhill, 

 and Florence, if bonds are issued only to provide 

 water and sewerage, nor to Georgetown, if they 

 are only for water, sewerage, and light. Thes'e 

 were voted upon in November and carried; but 

 they take effect only after being ratified by the 

 Legislature of 1901. 



A proposed amendment changing from annual to 

 biennial sessions passed the House, and lacked but 

 one vote in the Senate. One extending the term of 

 members of the Legislature to four years was pro- 

 posed and lost. 



Changes were made in the dispensary law. The 

 Board of Control was abolished, and a board of 

 three directors elected by the Legislature is to 

 have charge, with the assistance of a commissioner. 

 They are removable by the Governor. The county 

 boards of control, formerly chosen by the State 

 board, are to be chosen by the delegations in the 

 Legislature from their respective counties. The 

 constables are to give bonds, and their names 

 must be reported to the General Assembly, thus 

 doing away with the secret service. The liquor is 

 to be sold to the county dispensers at 10 per cent, 

 above cost. 



The State will hereafter insure its own buildings 

 and county public buildings, except schoolhouses. 

 Half the amount that has been paid for premiums 

 will be paid to the commissioners of the sinking 

 fund for an insurance fund. When the insuran 

 fund reaches $200,000, no further premiums wi 

 be paid except to maintain the fund at thi 

 amount. Foreign insurance companies are prohi 

 ited from taking insurance through unlicensi 

 agents ; policies must be countersigned by reside 

 agents. 



A reformatory for male convicts under sixt 

 was provided for. It is made a misdemeanor f 

 sheriffs to neglect to arrest escaped convicts. 



The Secretary of State may, on a majority vot 

 of members, amend the charter of religious, edu 

 cational, social, fraternal, or other associations no 

 for profit. Regulations were made for the charter 

 ing of continuing building and loan associa 

 tions. 



Two bills affecting railroads became laws. On< 

 requires separate coaches for white and coloret 

 passengers, allows no second-class cars, and pro 

 vides for a uniform charge of 3 cents a mile. For 

 merly the roads were required only to provid 

 separate compartments in the coaches. 



A law was made permitting homo?opathie phy-i- 

 cians to have an examining board of their own 

 school, and creating such a board. Registration 

 of births, marriages, and deaths is required by 

 another act. 



The military law was amended, and a new pen- 

 sion act was passed designed to restrict the pen 

 fiions to those really needy. An appropriation ol' 

 $10,000 was made for a monument to South Caro- 

 lina soldiers at Chickamauga, and the erection of 

 a monument to the women of the Confederacy on 

 the Statehouse grounds was autlioi -i/cd. 



Several laws were passed, though none of the 

 first importance, changing the common or statute 

 law in tlio State at laiL'e. 



Provision was made for completing the State- 

 house, the money to be taken from the sinking 



