The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-05-30
FLORIDA LEGISLATURE.
The End Of the Session Close at
Hand,

A Review of Some Of the Bills That
Have Been Passed and Some That
Have Failed Personal Mention of
Members Who Have Distinguished
Themselves in One Way and An
other-The Record That Has Been
Made and What is Thought of Tt.
Tallahassee, Fla, May 29.-1'he legis-
latwe adiourns on Friday next-and, il I
am not altogether mistaken, it will close
upon a session singularly ineffective and
barron of results.
have no desire to appear cCnsoPious, /
object to severity on principle; but due
regard for veracity will permit no man to
say of this legislature that it has made
the most of its opportunities and en-
ployed to the best advantage its inheri-
lance, A cynic-and they are to be found
in the most unlikely places-not long
since said, by way of venting his spleen:
This legislature reminds me of nothing
so much as q mutual admiration
society, in which every member is
animated by the lofty principle of you
tickle me and I'll tickle you. Bills private
and bills local have wamped the true
business of the public and any man has
been able to get a vote on any subject at
any time"
This is hard on the legislature, but it is
a good deal harder ON the public which
pays for a such policy under the naive
supposition that it is getting the genuine
article of democracy which is by experts
commonly coupled with the name of
jefferson. MY cynic is not complimentary,
hTat hr. fov al
publiC's time and the publie's money have
to a great extent been squandered upon
ends purely local. 20.
Upon such measures as the Jacksonville
charter bill has been wasted more time
than they were worth, and in the success
of those who in this instance manipulated
the machine, others have found enCour-
agement to follow u like course, Last
Monday morning, for example, the Pensa-
cola people took turn at the wheel of
the ship of state and steered through the
breakers brand new bill, abolishing their
present provisional municipality and
comforting upon their town new charter
similar to that recently given jackson
vile.
The fight was hot enough, but it was
hardly interesting the strength was all
on one side the weakness on the other.
And here, too was unearthed petition
hundred citizens, with their names all ar
ranged in alphabetical order and all re-
corded in the same flowing hand, prayed
that the adverse conditions under which
the city has so long labored should be in
definitely continued, This amused the
ungodly-were | to add that it was not
without its influence in determining the
result, few who know anything of GER
tain political clique In this state, afflicted
nit CV,,o11 ryinxH nf1H oh
would dispute me.
1t is curious thing, but it is neverthe-
less fact, democrats daily give voice to
their faith and in the next breath protest
against the logical result Of their pro-
fessed principles This legislature has
had more than one such doubtful breath
blown upon it, and there has been seen
here nothing more significant than the
obvious disposition 10 enlarge the powers
of the people and contract those of the
professional politicians. Based upon this
sovereign principle are such measures as
those making elective the offices of county
commissioners and members of the county
boards of public instruction; and though
this session may not see their triumphant
passage into law to the tune of home rule,
the mere fact of their appearance upon
the political stage makes the next step
easy.
The defeat of House bill 220 last Tues
day. together with the downfall of the
elaborate little structure erected by Mr..
Nicholson above the cOrpOratiOps--all this
indicates the dissolution of the anti-rail-
road crusade for the present, at least.
That it will be revived can hardly be
doubted that it will again meet with
deserved Saster is even clearer. The
spirit, or the lack of it, in which the ques-
tiOn is likely to be carried before the peo-
Mo ic hpc+ ilinCflratpH hU tho t1,11lNr
posterous resolution introduced by MIR.
Williamson in the Senate Friday In itself
hardly worthy of mention, this resolution
is valuable as an indication of the nature
of the reserve fund relied upon by the
commission cranks for success in tho
next campaign. 1t involves the incOrpor-
alton into the constitution Of the state of a
clause providing for the establishment Of
a railroad commission as part and parcel
of our organic law, Comment is super
huous-almost as much so as the resolu-
ton. ...,
have spoken of Mr.. Nicholson; if l am
not mistaken, / have referred to him as
the brainy and alert" If so, let me say
that never did this young gentleman more
fully establish his claim upon those com
plimentary terms than on Tuesday last.
The occasion was tho Strengthening, not
only Of House bill No 800 but of his own
railroad. commission bill, introduced so
early in the session that the simple head
board Above its legislative grave bears
only the legend, House bill No. 81 That
1.-The gentleman frOm3 Madison" rose to
that occasion may be seen from the fol-
lowing words:
Senator Williamson not long since
presented the senatorial household with
an interesting infant which was chris
tened Senate Bill No. TO- The family re-
fused to accept the waif and left it lying
upon the doorstep Of the House. Hore
four Good Samaritans of that body found
the little outcast. They soon carried it
to the baptismal font and Techristened it
House Bill No. 220. The bill now before
US is tho same infant as that the Senate
spurned after consideration sufficiently
deliberate to justify us In believing they
will do so again Why, then, should we
waste time upon the measured -..
Equally felicitous in its way was Mr..
Nicholson S requiem over his own com
mission bantling. Whatever else may be
said OF the young Russian Jew who has,
by a singular combination of circum-
stances, been sent here as the representa-
tive of Madison county, he adds to talents
far above the common that perfeet com
mdnd Of temper and resources which arc
among the longest arrows in the poll
tician's CULVER
Talking Of men, reminds me of another
one OF our representatives whose course
here has been such as TO attract attention,
and IN some instances 10 invite pri ticigu