The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1884-11-27
tones, "Wait till the clouds roll u;
Jenny, wait till the clouds roll by.
Yours Truly.
BROADBRiAI
TIE So. 3s. 1.EE1Sz. az e
SoIle timely Suggestions Conce-ai' 6 a Loci
iza.ion OF Seats and Legislation

S3iEe iimely Suggestions toncsrcl II .1Gc.1
lza:ion OF Seats and Legislation
TO the Editor OF The News untl Cour "r.I
Leg that you will allow me through.
your columns to call the attentions o..
the members elect OF tn liouS,: ui
Rcpt esentativeS TO Il ln; TT III rcla
ton to their organ:z t:on which
ti:ou1:: 1T first may appear o! snail
lu0nl~nt, has a'A convinced . srrl
uu~ effect uf'Ou the character and
Conduct OF uu uSiness. | aliuSe to 4
rule adopted iii 1880 by which tie
SEATS IN the House are drawn by
counties and not 10y individuals.
ljvtOre this tnrre was 10 rule upon
. t!,e subject, and the members took
tIi~lr Seats iudlfiGreEtly throughout
tAe House. in 1880 some dissatis-
faction with the dist ibu lon of seats
having arisen. the rule aliotting seats
by counties was adopted and the
representatives Of each county are
t.'s seated togetinr in a group.
..s L ranyelnent. | suggest, is rs
unfortunate aid mischiCvous rs it
is ulusual. do not el'ere that
! tnvre is i single other instance
| OF legislative body III which such j
lu!e exists. Think Of tne members
of Congress sitting Ivy States, or
those OF Parliament sitting by coun
ties and bolougIs.
l say the practice is not only unu-
sual III Legislative bod!e hut 1t is
essentially wrong, because it destroys
the ilou .geneity Of our representa-
tlvvs and tends 20 en- ouyage local
pr>ju'i!c,s rather t:.an broad view
for the whole >tate. instea; Of
members regarding themselves as
ieyisl;l. ors ior the Commonwealth 1t
cncoui ages the false idea that. they
are merely representa- ives OF coun-
| ties.
The reason usually assigned for
t.le rule is The convenience Of mem
bers from the same county consulting
togeth r. But ~ the floor of the
House is rot the place for such con-
ferenccs; consultation between mem
bers ol' a delegation should take
place wien d. sirahIe in private, and
not while the general business is pro-
ceeding. Such conferences should
not be l:;ore favored than the consul
tations of the committees Of the
House, and the committees are for
biideu by rule to sold meetings du-
ring the session Of the Houses. (2)
Such consultations are really i'm
practicable while the House is en-
gag, d, aud so the proposed object is
not attained. (3) The principle
itself is wrong, and it induces dele
cations to caucus amongst themselves
on meas res, instead Of voting accor
ding to the individual convictions OF
| members.
The members of the Legislature.
though representing particular con-
stitueucies, are Legislators for the
whole State and not for their respect
i've counties alone. They should not
vote as delegates to q nominating
convention do--so many votes from
New York and so many from South
Carolina, &c. Each member should
vote on his own responsibility and
not upon a caucus OF his colleagues.
Then, again, he sitting together Of
delegations prevents the intercourse
between the representatives Of the
different parts Of the State, which is
so essential to a proper understand
ing Of lie condition and needs of the
whole people, and it tends to foster
sectional feeling and prejpdices.
One of the growing evils of State
Legislation, rot only with US but
throughout the Union. is local and
class legislation One of our judges
observed to me q short time since
that lie had to Learn the particular
statute laE OF eacll county in which
he held Court. A questionable
measure is introduced, the represen
tatiYes Of county asking for its ap-
plication only to their own county,
and tie measure is passed as con.
cerning no other part Of the State.
Presently the representatives Of an.
other county come forward and ask
that ttl4 law be extended to their
county. qnd aAy hesitation to extend
| the me- ssure is met with argument
that il is unjust to allow one county
s. law denied to another In this way
measures which would at once be re-
jected, if applicable on the first in:
stance to the whole State. are gradu.
ally extended. This evil is greatly
fostered by the delegations sitting
together.
/ ask you, Mr.. Editor, to allow ne
to call the attention Of he members
of the new House to this matter in
advance of their meeting, because in
adopting the Rules, as is usually
done Immediately after the election
Of the Speaker, that in regard to the
seating of members is accepted with
he body of the Rules, and once
adopted it requires two thirds vote
to alter it, and members are reluo'
tant t, change their seats when once
taken. A MEMBER ELECT,
On the motion to adopt the Rules
of the !ast House I propose to move
the following substitute for Rule 81.
EDWARD McCRADY, JR.
RULE 81. That as soon as practical
BILE alter the House has been organ
lied the seats Of members shall be
allotted as follows: The seats in
the Bouse shall be numbered in reg
ular sequence from "one' 10 lone
L,r5,,f7 e,5 f,zantvfour' The