The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-12-05
FROM COLUMBIA.
OUR IsDITcRIAL LETTER.

OUR EDITORIAL LETTER.
Since its organization, the Legislator:
has been industriously engaged at the
work before il With view of ellecting
an Adjournment before Christmas, and
the prospect for accomplishing this result
is good, since both Houses have passed
the concurrent resolution fixing the 23rd
OF this month rs the date of final adjourn
ment, and it cannot now be changed
without consent of both the Senate and
House of Representatives. The date was
fixed thus early in the session, in order
to stimulate the members to work rapid
ly, so that a short session might be Sc
cured and the wishes Of the people car
ried out. If this date had not becn fixed
thus carly, the introduction of bills, reso-
lutions, &c, would have continued, and,
instead of adjourning before Christmas,
we would only have taken q recess and
returned for an indefinite period after the
holidays, while by the course pursued it
is expected to wind up with session Of
only twenty eight days.
TIE WORK
to be done in the time allowed is con-
siderable, aid the financial portion Of it
will be very embarrassing. There are
deficiencies from last year which will
have to be paid off out of the next tax
levy; the Bills OF the Bank of the State
are still very troublesome problem to
deal with; the report Of Commissioner
Colt upon the floating Indebtedness of
the State presents little over million
dollars Of Indebtedness after scaling it to
fifty cents on the dollar, which must be
provided for, and then comes the ordi-
nary expenses Of the government. The
session has not progressed sufficiently to
tell what will be done with the Bills of
the Bank Of the State, or the floating in
dcbtedness, but, of course, the dcficicn-
cics Of last year and the expenses Of the
government for the current year must be
met in full, and unless the present Leg
islature makes very material reductions,
the rate Of taxation will Of necessity be
very much increased. The present body
not only is embarrassed by the expenses
of the government during their own
term, but will also have the additional
burden of clearing up the ar-earagcs OF
last year. The members Of both Houses
have addressed themselves assiduously to
the task, and in addition to the short scs-
sion, there is every probability that the
per diem will also be cut down. DR..
John Wilson, of our delegation, has in
troduccd bill fixing the per diem of
members mt
THREE DOLLARS PER DAY,
and there is very little doubt that it will
be adopted, and thus thu Legislature
having cut down their own compensa-
tion, will be enabled to curtai other ex-
penses without subjccting themselves to
criticism. Three dollars Ii day is n small
compensation, but it is sufficient to Sc
cure the services of "a good men ns can
be procured Mt higher salaries. and there
fore it is all that the State ought to pay.
The reduction will make the position n
more honorable one than it would be
with high salary, for the experience OF
every State has been that high salaries
for members of the Legislature brings
into competition for the office class of
aspirants who care more for the money
than for the honor of representing their
constituents. There are q number of
arguments which will be adduced in sup.
port of this bill if necessary. 1t is, how
eyer, useless to occupy the time of our
readers in recounting them, for nine
tenths Of them. arc fully satisfied that the
reduction should be mndo, ami it is this
well-known public sentiment which will
secure its passage. DR.. Brown, of our
delegation, filed protest against one
Hastings CAN'T, who was elected to the
House of House Of Representatives from
Beaufort, on the ground that he is dis
qualified to serve as member because
he is known to have accepted
BRIDE FROM PATTERSON
in some of the legislation concerning the
Blue Ridge Railroad. The protest will
result in expelling CAN'T, and, although
another Radical will be elected, the
party will learn that it is useless for
them to continue electing their corrupt
men to Office, for they will not he admit
ted to seats in a body which will in
future be controlled by gentlemen. Mr..
Murray has introduced, among others,
bill to employ convicts sentenced to
County jails upon the roads and streets
under direction of County Commissions
ers, which, if passed, will utilize set OF
criminals who have hitherto been bur-
den without any benefit to the County.
Last session of the Legislature there
were fifty charters granted by the Legis-
lature which could have been given by
the Clerk Of the Court in each County,
and these charters at q moderate estimate
cost the State twenty thousand dollars.
The same thing was begun again this
session, but hgs been checked by indefi-
nitely postponing the drst one presented.