The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-12-04
The speaker, however, helped the House
1 L

The speaker, however, helped the House
out of its predicament by dispalching a
clerk 10 the Senate, with request for
leave to withdraw. The resolution was
secured and the whole matter then
indefinitely postponed. 1t seems proba.
BILE from this that the election for Circuit
Judge will probably take place at an
early day, while that for, Superintendent
and Directors of the Penitentiary will
be postponed until after the report has
been received from that institution.
This means that fight is brewing over
the office of Superintendent of the Pen.
itentiary. We do not know who the
candidates will be, but the Legislature
should be very sure that they are getting
a irstclass practical man before they
make a change. Col. Lipscomb has
made great improvements in the manage.
ment of the Penitentlary, and no expert.
ments should be made in the matter of
its control.
Col. E. NJ. Rucker has introduced in
the House bill to reduce the number of
the Railroad Commission to one Commis.
sioner, and pay his salary out of the
State Treasury, instead of by assessments
upon the aeveral railroads. With the
power which the Com mission now has,
it would be dangerous to conide the
trust to one man, for however conscien.
tious and honest he might be, the ques-
tions that would come before him are of
too varied aud complex nature to be
determined by single person. Every
man has his prejudices, his whims, or
his pet theories, and with the vast number
OF business matters that must be passed
on by the Railroad Commission, it is
almost impossible for one man to proper.
ly decide them. He must be familiar
with law, and with the varied business
interests of the State, and at the same
time must be a practical man in his
views. 1t is safer with these powers to
have three Commissioners. If the special
powers given the Commission are taken
away, then there would be good reason
to reduce the number of the Commission.
The other provision of the bill, that the
salary should be paid by the State, has q
great deal of justice and common right
to support it. The position of Railroad
Commissioner is an office of the State,
and as such his salary should be paid by
the State, and not by the railroads.
There is no more reason why the Railroad
Commissioners salary should be paid by
the,railroads than there is that the salary
of the Commissioner of Agriculture or a
Commissioner of immigration should be
paid by them.
The members of the Anderson delega-
tion have been assigned upon Committees
as follows: Mr.. Clinkscales, chairman
of Committee on Federal Relations and
a member of Committee on Privileges
and Elections Mr.. Scudday on Incor.
porations and on Enrolled Acts Mr..
Rucker on Ways and Means and State
House and Grounds; Mr.. Watson on
Agriculture. Senator John B. Moore is
on the following Senate Committees !:
Agriculture, immigration, judiciary,
Penitentiary and Rules, and is chairman
of the Committee on Roads, Bridges and
Ferries.
Col. McKissick, of Union, has intro
duced bill in the House reducing the
rate of interest in this State to seven
instead of ten per cent. If the bill
passes it will tend to raise the price Of
lands, and to promote the material de-;
velopment of the State. With low
rate of interest q great deal of money
would seek investment in land or man.
ufacturing, where the owner now is con.
tent to loan on mortgage at ten per cent.
Mr.. Rice, of Union, introduced a
resolution which was adopted, referring
it to the agricultural committee of the
House to suggest remedy tor excessive
taxation. This is rather large contract
that has been given to the Agricultural
Committee if the present rate of taxa
ton be regarded as excessive. TheState
will be delighted to have Mr.. Rice or
the Committee solve the problem which
has been submitted.
DR.. o. NJ. Doyle, of Oconee, has in
troduced a concurrent resolution pro.
vidipg for the appointment of a special
committee of one from each Congressional
District in the State, with instructions to
report by bill or otherwise, the best
means of repairing aud completing the
State House. This is an important mat
ter, and we are glad to see its coDsidera-
tion started by DR.. Doyle thus early in
the session. The State House ought to
be completed as nearly upon the old plan
as possible. To accomplish this object
wa would like to see q special tax levied
for series of years sufficient to meet the
sum required. By using convict labor in
the work the expense could be reduced,
and the work thus completed sooner than
would be practicable if the work were
done by independent contract. BY a
series of levies enough could be collected
to begin the work next year, and continue
in detail until the whole is completed.
We are in favor of State House that
will be creditable to the State. The
present dilapidated looking structure has
stood long enough to make every citizen
of the State ready for the work of com
pleting it to begin.
Mr.. Stanyarne Wilson of Spartanburg,
has introduced bill in the House to
repeal the law which exempts mannfac-
tories from taxation for ten years. The
lVays and Means Committee have sub.
mitted majority and mine ri,y repor 5 on
the questionable majority being opposed
to the bill. There will doubtless be an
discussion on the bill, but it
is not likely to pass, and in ourjudgment
ought not to pass. ,.,
Col. Rucker has introduced bill to
prevent and punish the conveyance or
concealment of property by debtors in
fraud of creditors. We do not know the
provisions or object of the bill as stated
in its title.
The action of the Directors of the
Penitentiary in allowing Col. Lipscomb,
the superintendent, an additional allow
ance of 81 $50 for managing the hands
on the Canal is meeting with considerable
opposition in the House. Col. Lipscomb's
salary was 81, 600 when he was elected to
the Office. 1t has since been raised to
$2.lOO, and the last allowance makes it
considerably more, $3.50. We think it
10 ontirelv wrong to increase the salary OF