The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-05-23
FL(RIDA'S LEGISLATURE,
Man, Bills CTOWdins The Last Days
Of the Session.


Tallahassee, Fla, May 21.-It is Sun
day. The streets stretch away deserted.
beneath ths familiar Florida sun;
a silence like unto that of the
grave; lies upon the little
town, ami in little less than two weeks
the placidity of to-day will pergade the
entire week with it's heavenly calm. A
week from next Saturday will see the leg
islative exodus in full swing the parlia
mentary prologue to the next campaign
will have played itself out, and the "plain
people" of Florida will be afforded an op-
portunity to contemplate at their leisure
the work of the gilt-edged politicians and
the bucolic statesmen who have for sixty
long days kept the printers busy and
themselves at fever heat.
Were l asked the nature of the result
that is to follow all this-the character
of the verdict the people are likely to
pass upon a performance for which they
nav. but which they do not always com
prehend, | should find an intelligent re-
ply as difficult as the local statesman
sometimes finds legitimate legislation.
out of the confused mass of material in
which this legislature has somehow in
voved itself, one or two points stand out
against the dubious background of dem
agogery with sufficient distinctness. It
has believe, already been intimated in
these columns, but it will bear repetition
the defeat of the railroad commission
bill in the Senate is to be utilized in dam
aging the political prospects of those OPP
posed to its passage, on the one hand, and
in accelerating the boom of its super
heated partisans on the other
"But"-and you may hear it said here
every day and with every variety of
vehemence-''the people of Florida want
a commission" This is interesting, but
it is not necessarily accurate. The people
of Florida certainly wish to see imposed
upon corporate encrOachment some check;
they may even imagine commission a
necessary instrument, but l am somehow
convinced that they are much less con-
Cerned with the means employed than
with the end attained All roads may
not lead to Rome, but there is fortunately
generally more than one avenue to the
realization of the popular ideal, and a
case in point is afforded by a railroad bill
not long since introduced by Senator
McKinne.
This bill is strong where Williamson's
commission bill was Weak-it is brief,
terSe and simple. A child could compre-
bend it, but do not believe a corporation
could dodge it. AS this measure is, from
the characteristics l have mentioned, a
rara avis in legislation, a brief resume of
its condensed contents is not out of place.
Described as an act to prevent discrimi-
nation in the carrying of passengers and
freight by railroad, steamboat and other
transportation companies, the bill is
divided into two sections The first
makes it unlawful for any such company
IN 4
person, firm or corporation las to charges
of passenger fare or freight transporta-
tom" the second provides for the viola
ton of the first by making such discrimi-
nation mlsdemeanor, punishable by
fine of not less. than one or more than ten
thousand dollars.
1t is difficult to see how this could be
improved upon, except upon the accepta-
ton of the enthusiastically limited at
here-that our courts are open to corrup-
ton and that our people can protect
themselves only by the multiplication of
costly boards.
However this may be, the anti-corpo-
ration members will soon have an oppor-
tunity to show their hand with Senator
McKinne's bill for leader. Win they
vote for it, or will they endeavor to defeat
1t and keep alive an issue in which
blindman may discern considerable doubt
full political capital2 venture to predict
the adoption of the latter course.
The general revenue bill has been
printed at last-a vOluminOus document,
containing thirty-seven pages of dry-as-
dust detail. 1t is, however, a necessary
evil, and shows signs of the care and in
tellIgent discrimination so much needed
here at this iuncture. The license occu-
patton tax is retained and is made to APP
ply to express companies to the tune of
500 in cities of $4,000 inhabitants down
TO $40 IN cities of less than LOCO popula-
tlon. A tax of per cent. upon gross re-
celpts is imposed upon all water works
companies, ice factories, telephone and
electrlc light companies; and similar
TAX OF per cent. is placed upon life in
Surance companies, and per cent. upon
al other insurance concerns. The sale
OF cigarettes is practically prohibited by
tax of $1,000 for each place
Of business. Banks do not escape;
the drag net is comprehensive, and
a return to the old method of
TAX sales on delinquent real estate is re-
commended. The bill has been made a
special order in the Senate for Tuesday.
winch, as it will probably be considered
Dy sections, is none too early to obviate
any such disaster as that of '91 when
TINS most important of all bills was not
iACNt LAOll bllG 6hIO14lHS Clbfh ulLlI
II 80 o'clock on the last night of the ses-
sion.
In view of the fact that over 500 bills
nave thus far been introduced, | cannot
Suti1ciently admire the hopeful spirit with
which certain members still apply them
selves to the thankless task. In the great
rush of the next ten days many meritori-
GUS measures must necessarily be over
looked, and l fear that more than one bad
Dill will have good luck
One timely measure that has already
oeen lost is Senator Brownies bill to reg
uate the holding of party primaries
and conventions, which was killed in the
House last Friday. The same gentleman's
Dill to prevent wrongful combinations
against workingmen had a narrow escape
IN the Senate, having been defeated one
Jay only to be reconsidered and passed
the next-a result largely due TO such
champions as Broome, st. Clair-AbramS,
Browne and Calhoun
IN speaking to me of this measure, Sen
aIor Browne said: Il consider it one Of
the most important bills l have intro
duced, and am certain that its defeat
aJ first by one vote was due solely
TO misrepresentation as to its
PROBABLE effect. 1t was designed to pro-
tecJ rather than menace organized labor,
ana provides for the punishment of all
combinations and conspiracies against
Wofklngmen that might either lead to
Ihelr discharge or prevent their securing
employment. The character of those col
leagues of mine who so heartily supported
u; me olll is, think, the best guarantee Of