Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-25
MUCH ADO OVER NOTHING,
LITTLE HARM DONE BY THE
PALMETTO LEGISLATURE.

latiye session, which came to a close yes
terday, was in many respects one OF tho
most extraordinary that has been held in
the ten years that have elapsed since the
overthrow OF the Radical regime. Owing
to the peculiar factors which entered Into
the campaign preceding its meeting, very
grave fears were entertained as to tha
probable outcome OF the legislative ses-
sion. In many counties there was much
rash talk OF Democratic extravagano8
and misrule. Politicians anxious for
place howled and ranted about eform aud
| the reduction OF expenses to such an ex-
tent that they almost brought them-
selves to believe that the administration
OF state affairs was as corrupt and
extravagant as 1t had been Under tho,
administration of the now almost forgot-
ten oarpetoagger, and, as that veteran
| from Union county, Col. Mex essec Is,
| would say-"the skallawagger." Tho
friends OF the denomiD atiOnal COLLEGES,
| taking advantage of the hue and cry, also
made an active attack on the university,
and when the election was over it looked
very much as II there was to be another
revolution--a kind OF Overthrowing OF
everything aud an Inauguration OF a new
order of things. When the General rs
sembly met, and for two weeks after in
had been in session, things dids
look little squally. A balfl
branch Of the General Assembly and two
| or three Senators were found constantlvl
on their feet talking about economy and
| reform, reducing taxes, cutting DOWN.
expenses, the floods, the short crops, ofiil
cial extravaganza, ETC., until thought
full people really began to fear that there
was danger OF serious attempt beingi
made TO run the State government on the
"three-ior-a-quarter"p plan, and OF closing
the doors OF all the institutions OF learn-i
ing, which are at once the pride and thg
| safeguard OF the State.
THE FARMERS MOVEMENT.
The fears that had been entertained Oh
the farmers movement proved to be-
| groundless. While IL is true that hand
ful of inexperienced tillers OF the soil
were TO be found who were constitution.
ally opposed, as they announced, "to all
appropriations" the representative mem
OF the newly-formed Farmers Associa-
tion were conservative and liberali
minded.
There has been considerable said akaiiS 4
an alliance between Capt. Dawson andA
Farmer Tlllman. Farmer Tlllman's obj
jective point was an agricultural coll
lege. He started out, as has been stated
In this correspondence, by declaring opena
war on the State University and STATED
Military Academy, but soon found Uhati
on this platform he would have "a
bitter and unrelenting foe In tho
News and Courier. Accordingly on Capti
Dawson's return from Europe Farmeri
rillman sought an interview with him.
The result OF that interview was that
Farmer Tillman agreed on his part tos
abandon his war on the educational insti-l
tutions OF the state, and Capt. Dawsont
agreed that the News and Courier would
not oppose any reasonable and practical
BILE plan looking to the establishment 0d
an agricultural college. While / have nos
right TO say IT, at these were the terms OF
the so-called alliance, the proof that they
we're 80 is to be found In the fact that the
Tilmanites in the General Assembly
voted freely for the appropriations for the.
| State colleges, and the Charleston deIega-
tion stood faithfully by the Tillman bill
for the establishment of experimental
farms and stations.
THE ELECTION BUREAU.
In the election bureau other dangerous
elements entered. The unreasonable and
intense hatred Of Charleston by several
of the upper counties, hatred which noE
dteven Charleston's awful calamity seems
4 TO have abated, aud the jealousy OF the
denOminatlonal colleges made itself felt.
1 The economist opposition in the House,
| strange to say, was com posed of six or
eight ministers OF the gospel, half dozen
uU EOunIl lAW1tlrs au tHuhl mum u6I
OF physicians and a handful OF farmers.
| The most remarkable feature OF the
| session, however. was the bitterness with
| which The ministers opposed every meas
ure looking TO the advancement OF the
| State by means OF education. The infiu.
ence OF these men, however, II they ever
| had any, was soon lost. There Is too
much pride of birth and pride OF State In
Carolinians to take backward step, and
IL was this feeling more than any other.
perhaps, that defeated those clerical, legal
and medical reformers.
Barring the action OF the House on the
Charleston earthquake relief bill there ia
no act OF this General Assembly which
can bring the blush OF shame 10 the cheek
OF any Carolinian. So far from crippling
the State government the General Assem-
bly, has rather held up its hands by voting
liberal appropriations. ln an experiences
OF twenty years l have never known q
general appropriation bill 10 90 through as
clean as did that OF 1885. The 'sreformers.v
IL is true, made desperate fight against
It, but they were routed very early in the
struggle and the bill went through both
the House and the Senate without a sim
gle amendment except those recon-
mended by the committees having it in
charge
BADLY LEFT.
The Farmers Association has been bad
lN
the Charleston delegation In the lower
house two Of the measures demanded by
Farmer TIllman and his convention
we're passed. These were (l) bill 10 re-
organize the Agricultural department,
which turned that department over TO the
entire control OF the farmers Associa-
tlon, and (2) bill to establish
experimental farms and stations,
which, as has been explained in this cor
respondence, was intended as a prelimi-
nary TO the establishment OF an agricul-
tural college, OF which Farmer Tillmsn
was 10 have been the guiding star and
beacon light. Both bills came TO grief in
the Senate, in which body majority OF
the members are farmers.
To sum up: The Legislature OF 1883
has added Ia round numbers about 100
laws to the statute books, Of which num-
Der about 10 only are Of public Interest.
After looking over the list can see Dut
one measure which amounts 10 anything
In the way OF substantial reform--viz. a
bill to provide for the transporla-
tion OF convicts from tho
various county jails 10 the
STATE penitentiary. The expenses OF this
transportation have heretofore been a
heavy burden upon the counties. the
average cost of transporting single con-