The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-01-26
Prospective Legislation.

Mr.. EDITOR: The average Legislator
is always anxious TO confer with his con-
stituency in reference to the adoption OF
proposed measures for the public good.
While the independent action OF the
Legislator should be sedulously guarded
and maintained, yet as it is his province
to represent his constituency in the per-
formance of his delicate duties, the views
of his constituency should be earnestly
sought and carefully weighed, especially
on matters Of greatest interest to them,
end on which tile IRE supposed to bc
we'll informed.
Tho proposed change in the election
laws, b. as to procure purity ut the ballot
box, might surely have been reached
without so much circumlocution and so
much expense to the State. But for this
measure there would have been no neccs-
atty for continuance of the session be-
yond the Christmas holidays. A simple
registration law, with such details as was
necessary 20 make it effective, was ali
that was necessary. The taxpayer will
remember that every day the session Of
the Legislature is prolonged beyond tho
absolute necessities Of the case imposes
upon the people an expense of not much
short of one thousand dollars per day.
While very healthy spirit of economy
was manifested on the part of our Legis-
lators in opposing appropriations, even
for the establishment of our State
University, yet it never occurred to them
that double that sum might have been
saved to the people by finishing up the
business Of the session previous to the
Christmas holidays. The great evil of
the times, and one demanding speedy
correction, is, we have too much legisla.
ton and too many elections. If the
people could have breathing spell be-
tween elections, under simple system of
wholesome laws, fewer but we'll defined,
it would be q great relief Even our
Courts are being weighted down with
litigation, in many cases costing moro in
civil actions than the amounts involved,
hence the question is being agitated nj.
ready whether to save the time and ex.
pense of the Circuit Courts it would be
better to increase the jurisdiction Of the
Trial Justices Courts, or establish Dis
trict Court system. Without undertak-
ing to decide that question, We will ven
ture to make the suggestion that we
should return 10 the old system of but
two Circuit Courts in tho year, and q
carefully prepared statute enacted by
which civil causes might be adjusted by
arbitration rather than litigation. The
objection to this system is that it presup-
poses compromises rather than litigation,
but does not every mans Judgment and
observation confirm the opinion that
such is the better policy. International
Law has long recognized the great value
OF arbitration in settling national dis
putes, often substituting a peace policy
for war measures; and If our legislative
bodies would carry this wise policy into
the settlement of local disputes, We think
it would work wonderful improvement.
We cannot close this article without
alluding to the Railroad law before the
Legislature for consideration. 1t strikes
us that on this question, as on all Others,
there are two sides, and both sides in this
case are wrong-wrong in the premises
on which they start out, and. Of course,
likely to continue wrong while operating
On such basis. On the one hand 1t is
that it is necessary for the
of the people that the rail-
Dads in their management should be