SOUTH CAROLINA 



5460 



SOUTH CAROLINA 



Transportation. The railroad accommoda- 

 tions of South Carolina are unusually good. In 

 1915 there were 4,466 miles of railway in the 

 slate, the greater part being operated by the 

 important trunk lines of the South, the South- 

 ern, the Atlantic Coast Line and Seaboard Air 

 Line. There are also many shorter roads con- 

 necting with these main lines and over 100 

 miles of electric road. There are over 4,500 

 miles of improved road v/itliin the state. 



The larger rivers are navigable by steam- 

 boats as far as the fall line, and the construc- 



tion of two or three short canals would extend 

 navigation to the western border. Canals have 

 been proposed which would afford navigation 

 beyond the Savannah and across Florida to the 

 Gulf, opening a safer and shorter route to 

 Panama. Charleston is one of the important 

 seaports on the Southern Atlantic and is one 

 of the greatest cotton ports of international 

 trade. At Georgetown, on Winyah Bay, there 

 is another important commercial harbor. 



Charleston, Beaufort and Georgetown are 

 ports of entry (see PORT OF ENTRY). 



Government and History 



Government. South Carolina has had six 

 state constitutions ; the ' present one was 

 adopted in 1895. Amendments may be pro- 

 posed in either house of the legislature, and 

 if approved by two-thirds of the members of 

 each house they are submitted to the voters. 

 If accepted by a majority of the voters and 

 the next general assembly, they become effec- 

 tive. Constitutional conventions may be called 

 when voted for by a two-thirds majority in 

 each house and a majority of state electors. 

 In an attempt to restrict the negro vote strict 

 qualifications for voters have been demanded. 

 Only those male citizens are entitled to vote 

 who are able to read and write any section of 

 the Constitution; who have paid all taxes for 

 the preceding year on property worth $300 or 

 more; have lived in the state two years (min- 

 isters and teachers of public schools excepted), 

 in the county one year and in the precinct four 

 months, and have paid a poll tax six months 

 previous to elections. Idiots, paupers, convicts 

 and the insane are disqualified. 



The legislative power is vested in a general 

 assembly which consists of a senate and house 

 of representatives. There are forty-four sena- 

 tors, half of the number being elected every 

 two years, and 124 representatives, elected for 

 two years. The legislature meets on the second 

 Tuesday of each January. 



The executive department consists of the gov- 

 ernor, lieutenant-governor, secretary of state, 

 comptroller-general, attorney-general, treasurer, 

 adjutant and inspector-general and superin- 

 tendent of public instruction, all of whom are 

 elected by the people for two years. An in- 

 surance commissioner is elected by the general 

 assembly for two years, a commissioner of agri- 

 culture is appointed by the governor and three 

 railroad commissioners are elected for terms of 

 two, thrpe and four vears each. 



The judicial power is vested in the supreme 

 court, circuit courts, courts of common pleas 

 and general sessions. The chief justice of the 

 supreme court and three associate judges are 

 elected by a viva voce vote in the general as- 

 sembly for terms of eight years. Eight circuit 

 judges are elected in the same manner for four 

 years, and justices of the peace are appointed 

 by the governor. 



The state constitution is peculiar in that it 

 contains numerous provisions for the preven- 

 tion of lynching and in being the only state 

 constitution which prohibits divorce upon any 

 cause. Since January 1, 1916, state-wide pro- 

 hibition has been in force. 



Colonization and Proprietary Government. 

 South Carolina was visited by Spaniards from 

 Cuba in 1520. In 1562 the French settled at 

 Port Royal, but soon abandoned the settle- 

 ment. About a hundred years later, Charles II 

 of England, claiming the territory through dis- 

 coveries in North America by Cabot, granted 

 the, tract including the Carolinas and extending 

 as far west as the Pacific to a company of 

 eight Lord Proprietors. The first permanent 

 settlement was made at Charleston in 1670. 

 The early history of the colony is a story of 

 continuous struggle between the people and the 

 Proprietors. The "Fundamental Constitution," 

 framed by John Locke, outlined an impractical, 

 obsolete feudal system which established the 

 foundation of a slave-holding aristocracy and 

 aroused the discontent of colonists, ending in 

 the overthrow of the proprietary government in 

 1719. North Carolina and South Carolina, 

 though a single province, had separate gov- 

 ernors after 1712. See NORTH CAROLINA. 



Royal Government. As a Crown colony the 

 contests between the popular legislature and 

 the royal governor and council continued. The 

 spirit of democracy grew, and delegates were 



