The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1886-04-29
Facts and Figures.

'Wo have read with interest the reply
Of Captain McMcckin TO our article,
published in our issue Of the 18th inst,
,and we add with no little surprise.
By way of preface to what wo shall
lhave to say, we refer to his former
article, in ordor that we may under
stand properly the Issue Of the pres
cnt controversy. :. He alleges that the
State is governed by an oliearchy of
lawy crs, that this fact is too plain to be
denied, and that this is the pith Of tho
complaint urged by the present farm
ers' movement. BY all oligarchy we
understand q government in which the
supreme power is vested in few per.
SONS. In case Of the present alleged
oligarchy the few persons vested with
tho power of government arc the law
ycrs of tho State. Under the coll Of
Mr.. Tillman for convention of tho
farmers Of tho State, which was the
origin of the present movement, we
think that the issue that the State was
ruled by an oligarchv was squarcly
made in substance if not in exactly
the words in which our friend makes
it. This leads lis to inquire if tho
allegation is supported by the facts of
the case, and if the statistics of the
Legislative department Of the gov
crnmcnt will corroboratc those
facts. From the Senate journal
of 1882 out Of thirty-tbrcc Senators
who answered to their names ut the
first roll call, leaving only two MEM
bers absent, there were eighteen law
ycrs and fifteen farmers. There urc
twcnty-seven committees in the Sell
atc, and out of this number tho chair
men Of seventeen Of them were law
yers and the chairlnen of ten Of them
were farmers. In The House of 1882
tho farmers had large majority. oui. of
twenty-siX commi,,ecs The chairman
ship Of sixteen of them were given 10
farmers and ten TO lawyers. This
bbGsTY bGsTYiSl4tnEe 10 +. ,nmr friend Wns-n-. .nnmlr,
ia" 'lic cnillrllahslnp or ma jDrity OF
the committees OF tho House and lhut
Ihe senate was composed almost cX-
cllslvely of lawyers. But we con-
tlhne the investigation further and SEQ
what was the makeup of the last
General Assembly. In the Senate out of
total membership Of thirty-fivc there
were thirteen lawyers and twcnty.two
farmers. There were twcntv-scvcn
committees. Farmers were chairmcn
OF the following committees: Aeri-
culture, Charitable Institutions, Claims
and Grievances, Commerce and Manu
features, Contingent Accounts, Eli
crossed Bills, Federal Relations, III
nance, immigration, Legislative Libra
ry, Medical Affairs, Public Buildings
and Public Lands, Retrenchmcuts and
Roads, Bridges and Ferries. Total Is.
Lawyers were made chairmch of the
following committees: County Offices
and Officers, Education, Enrolled Bills,
interpretations, Judiciary, Military,
Mines and Mining, Penitcntary, Print
ing, Privileges and Elections, Rail-
ronds, Rules. Total II. From tho
foregoing it will be seen that instead
OF the Senate being composed cxclu-
sivcly of lawyers, that the farmers hud
" majority of nine, and were chair
men OF e majority of the committees.
In the House out of total membcr-
ship of one hundred and twcnty-tour
members there were thirty four law
ycrs and ninety farmers, a majority in
1aVor OF The farmers of titty-six.
Ont of the twontv-six committees
lawyers were chairmcn of the follow
ing: Privileges and Elections, Ways
ana Means, Judiciary, Interpretations,
ha'lroads, Edncation, State House and
Grounds, Mines and Mining, Printing, |
EngrosseG Bills, Legislative Library.
Enrolled Acts, Rules. Total 13.
Farmers were chnirmcn of the fol-
lowing: Agriculture, Federal Rcln.
tio"s, Claims, Roads, Bridges and Fer !
rics, Internal improvements, Pub)ic .
Buildings, Accounts, Military, Pcni- !
tenilary, Commerce and Manufactures. !
Oflicee and Officers, Lunalic A>ylum
anu Medical. Total l3.
Now we think that our friend will
ADMIT that from time immcmorio,
IN all legislative bodies the chairmou-
snip OF the committees arc given to
thosc who have had the longest cxpe-
fie'ce and service in the body, or in,
other words The older members of tbc
house shall have preference. An in
Vestigation of tho above committees
WIN pear us out in stating that the
Legislature of our State Is no exccn.
'ioi 10 the rule, and that the chairmen
OF all committees are given as far as
those who have had lonp
experience IN the body. The appoint
'Hcht OF chairmen is simply an emntv