The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-03-24
LEGISLATIVE TOPICS.
pREsENr STATUS or IMPORTANT
PUBLIC MEASURES.
Facturo OF the School Book Schemos--
Concoaslon Made 10 Prison Reform-
crs-Tho Registration and Eloc-
tlon Bills.

special Dispatch 10 The Appeal
NASHVILLE Tenn, March 25.-rhc week
which hns Just closed hns developed some
very interesting features of legislation. all
of which have been duly recorded In TnE
ArrE,i. There have been four or five
measures before the General Assembly In
which the people were specially concerned,
| which have been acted upon in one way or
another These nrc the uniform text book.
| prniicntnry, registration aud election bills.
| The vote uf the House yesterday, tahling tho
uniform text book bill. settles that question
| for this Assembly. aud thcrc l. every reason
10 believe that there will now be- no lcgisa-
| ton whatever on the subject OF school books
| The sentiment " the body II manifcstly
| against all schemes calculated to require of
| the school children oi the state the purchase
| Of particular books
Although the hin has pissed releasing
the pcniicntinry. the action ~ the Senate to-
day IN appointing a committee 10 propose a
plan ~ piorm 10 the neKt Legislature u
concession IA those who are opposed ~ tho
convict lcnsc system. with H. incidental
denominations. aud will ncccniuatc the no
rrssity II rofurm tu n dogrcU that will mako
the question nu issue IN tie next campaign.
Possibly the course taken by the lcgisla-
turc is the best that could have b,en ex-
pcctcd, in view oi the fact that In
the last campaign the politicians mndc tho
Senatorial question Tie uvcrlnhowinE one,
aud the REPRESENTATIVE and senators came
- the Assembly without much discussion
among the people NJ the Ilfis0n question.
There I, one good thing about the pcnitcn-
tlnry hill as pts.rd. and that il iis very busi-
ncss.likc provisions. II holds the lcssccs
down i0 bins, tncks 20 tospcak. The Lcgis-
lniurc has yet a. oct upon the Myers rcgis-
trtion and Durich election bills although
L.. IA
cial order for ono day neat week. What
the ultimate action oi tho Legislature
may be- l. not altogether certain, but
this uncertainty is due to the fact
that oil tho Democratic members were not
present ni the caucus which indorcd both
mcasups. There seems 10 DC 40 doubt 81
The passage of the registration bill' - iar ns
can learn, unless tlig nchpciH shhl .ec' hs
they should. that a rcFi iraiinn law without
the election law, as proposed IN Nj. Dorich's
bill Wuuld be- piece ui useless legislation,
~ not only falling 10 effect the reforms pro-
posed by Mr. Dortch, but really tending TO
uggnvntc the evils that now exist ~ u
very plain to the wiser men here that tho
registration bill Il the elective aud proper
of the election bill and that
both should be passed ,ogciher' That tho
the D0riCh bill will make the
mistake Of their political lives II they do not
vote for both bills. IL evident enough 20 any
body who i interested In the welfare OF tho
State" said a prominent Tennessee politi-
elan and publicspritcd citizen 10 the writer
today. In this case a half loaf u not better
than no bread at all. The people want the
whole loaf as would be given IN the coinci.
dent passage OF both the registration and
election bills Tennessee wants to keep
step with other great and progressive states
in this matter n ballot reform aud V viii DO
dcplomhlc u the present. General Assembly
fails 10 take full advantage Ot the golden
nov before IT,
OccAuoSAL