The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1890-12-25
THE LEGISLATURE.

The first session Of the Legislature
elected under the cry Of Reform" has
completed its work and adjourned.
A number of local and private bills
have been put through as is the case
with every Legislature. But what has
been the result of the work of this Leg
islature in the way of retrenchment?
Very little or nothing because there
was no room for any. The govern
ment has been economically and hon.
estly administered for the past fourteen
years. Then what was all this hurrah
and excitement and bitter campaign
for, the past summer? Simply one set
Of men wanting to get control Of the
government and it was the method
used to accomplish that end. In that
far it was successful. But where is the
benefit to the people, the hard working
tax payers to come in?
The appropriation is fraction lower
and the tax levy is reduced half mill,
which results chiefly from stopping
work on the State house.
The salaries of the State officers
and clerks have been reduced and Will
probably save $4,000 year Thatlsa
very small matter to each individual
taxpayer but pretty big thing for the
officials. We do not think this reduc-
ton ought to have been made. The
State ought to command the very best
talent and efficiency to do its work and
it ought to pay good price for 1t. The
Legislature reduced the pay Of about
all the officers except their own per
diem. They declined to make it any
less. AS matter Of fact it is low
enough but there is no more sense in
reducing the pay of the other officers
than there would have been in reduc-
-t-.s EiIsir a--n .ax- .--------
The separate coach bill has been
killed. Mr.. Wigg, the colored member
from Beaufort, made a speech against
this bill and it seemed to have the de-
sired effect.
The bill to regulate the hours oflabor
in factories was killed in the Senate,
although a compromise measure had
agreed upon by the advocates of the
bill and the representatives. ofthe mills,
and the law stands unchanged.
Governor Tillman has signed the bill
extending the time for the payment of
taxes to the first of February.
The important bills of the session are
summed up by the Greenville News as
follows:
u The rail road commission bill;
~ The phosphate commission bill;
81 The University, Clemson College
and the Department Of Agriculture
bills.
The rail road commission bill makes
no immediate change. 1t is copied
closely after the Georgia bill and gives
the commission absolute power to fix
and determine rates of transportation
for freight and passengers within the
State. The new commission is to pre-
pare and publish the rates when decid-
ed on. Whether this bill amounts to
row Of pins or not depends on the COM
missioMers who are to be chosen to-
day. The rail road men made no fight
against it. They believe the United
States Courts can defend them from
any fragrant wrongs and say they are
willing to have this law tested. They
do not believe it will cause any general
change which will be felt by the people !
and that as it is the extreme limit of
anti rail road legislation the Legisla- !
ture will be satisfied to rest on it and
let the long veNed question rest. Fur
thermore an increasing confidence is
developing in the Governors purpose |
to be conservative and refrain from any
action likely to disturb the business or
impede tie prosperity OF the State.
The phosphate commission bill, also, |
will result in only such action as the |
commission created by it decide to |
take. The Coosaw people against
whom it is aimed, have several very |
strong cards to play The whole busi-
ness settles down to the question |
whether seven miles Of Coosaw River |
in which the Coosaw company has |
been at work forseveral years and from |
which half million tons or more of |
rock has already been taken, shall be
left for the exclusive use of the CoosaW |
Company, which is using a million
dollar plant, or thrown open for the |
mining Of anybody who will pay a
royalty to be agreed upon.
This bill is the only one to which
there has been strong and organized
opposition which has gone through.
The Jim Crow car bill, the factory labor
bill and others Of Importance which
met with opposition perished in one
house Or the other. It is doubtful if
the phosphate bill would have survived
even trimmed and pruned as it is, if it
had not had behind it in addition to
the administration the power of the
land phosphate companies and their
friends. Vet this is Governor Tillman's
own Legislature elected on his plat
form and largely composed of men
chosen because of their enthusiastic
support of him: and it has not been
bambcoz}ed crdebaUched in those mat
tiers.
1t is to be hoped that the University,
Clemson College and Department of
Agriculture matters are now settled
and definitely out OF politics. The set
tlement is one which promises to work
well and to the general satisfaction of
the people. 1t is settlement by gen.
eral consent and agreement and puts
the two institutions on q definite and
solid basis.
Probably most of the members of the
Legislature will, when they come to
review their work, be astounded to see
how little there really VAS to be done
to bring the States affairs entirely into
line with the Farmers Movement plat
form, how slight the changes are and