The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1869-04-08
MISCELLANY.
THE CLOSE OF THE SESSION


universal suffrage and under the restrlc-
tions of the Fourteenth constitutional
would be in a hurry to adjourn. The
body was chiefly made up of BARRIERS,
tailors, carpenters and plantation hands,
whose services in the field and at the IN
vii were worth, perhaps, ten dollars a
month "and found" In the I.eglsla'
ture they drew six dollars day and
mileage, besides perquisites; SO that II
is not surprising that they amused them
selves for seventeen weary weeks in DO
ing their best to turn topsy-turvy all
that the former session had left of re-
spectacle and venerable in the State
Happily, however, they have adjourned
at last leaving the tax payers one hun
dred and seven new Acts and twenty
one new Joint Resolutions.
We ought, maybe, to thank the Gen.
eral Assembly for not remaining in ses-
sion all the year round, and it's doubt
less captious criticism to suggest that
it was hardly worth while for the State
to pay at the rate ofsll0o each for bills
to incorporate colored fire companies,
to incorporate the colored Amateur Lit
erary and Fraternal Association, the
colored Longshoremen's Protective u
hion Association, and tie like. II is true
that the old Legislatures of South Caro-
lima, in which her people were repre-
seuted by upright and intelligent white
men, usually safe but three or four weeks
at cost of some $4,000. There is
something, however, to be paid for the
privilege Of being represented by white
adventures and iguotant negroes, and
as the wards of the nation held the
purse and Strings, VIC ought to thank
our stars that they did not bleed us to
tSe tNrie Of a cool half niillion. Gum
bling may be very unreasonable and
show very poor appreciation Of the
blessings of the situation but it must
be said tina, the white people of the
Slate do object most emphatically to
legislative session in Which so much is
done for the Radical tag, rag and b3b-tail
and so little for the White people Of the
State.
The list of Acts and Joint Rcs"lu-
tious is a curiosity in its way, giving
unmistakable evidence of the cupidity
and timidity of the combination party.
There is an Act to make an appropria-
tion.for the pay and mileage of members;
an Act to provide for the conversion of
State securities, au Act authorizing the
pawuing of State bonds, ad Act to au
thorize loan for the relief Of tic Trea-
sury, and the huge Appropriation bill
of which we hsVe already spoken. This
IS the financial work ofthe session. Five
Acts to give the members and officers
their pay, and to secure the State Off
cials from short of Veuce Clicquot and
Pate de Foie Cras, uutil the General
Assembly can meet again aud vote an
other supply! Aud the chrouic fright
of the "Honorable Senators and Repre-
sentatives," caused by the romances Of
Tolbert and Hoge, aud the proclainins
and swearing of that excellent individu-
al, R. X. Scott, Governor, found its
expression in the Act to organize the
militia, and the joint Resolutions au-
thorizing the Governor to purchase two
thousand rifles Of the most improved
pattern, with the necessary ammunition,
and to employ an armed fore for the
preservation of the peace. Only think
of it! Two thousand rifles ard an armed
force to keep the peace in South Caro-.
lima: Why, if one tithe of what Scott
and his miuions say were true, one hun
Cred thousand WHITE men to bear and
hse them could not keep the peace in
In the State. The Legislators supped
full of horrors.
Lank Leslie stood aghast in speechless trance
20 arms, cried Bosemon, and couched his
quivering lance
So they provided for the immcdi,te
annihilation of every man in buckram,
and relieved their overwrought feelings
by removing the county seat of Barn
we'll to Blackville and ratified the Fiji.
teenth amendment.
When we take from the long roll the
Acts we have named, the Acts ofincor-
poration--which could have been inclu.