The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-12-05
LEGISLATIVE DOINGS.
An Interesting Letter About the Legislat ure
A Look At the Personnel OF the Body.
The Old Time Leaders Rotated into
Better Places-Some Of the Pro-
spective Leaders-Conserva-
tism to Govern.
Especial to Herald and News.

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COLUMBIA, S. c., December 4.-The
first weeks session of the General AS
seubly is always uneventfui, and this
year less even than usual has occurred
to lend it interest. This is Bot with
out certain significance. 1t probably
Indicates that, unlike the sessions of
the last four years, it will not be char
acterized by radical or novel legisla-
ton.
The fact is that little is left for Re-
formers to do. Scarcely one Of the
multitudinous measures which they
set out to accomplish has been left un-
done, and the feeling appears to pre-
vail that once more the whole State,
politically speaking, is about to return
to humdrum existence.
In the Senate the familiar form Of
Lieutenant-Governor Zimmerman, Of
Edgefeld, once more casts its Uncle
Sam.like shadow from the rostrum. :,
ROTATED INTO BETTER JoRs.
Tbs membership of the House is
very much the same in character that
it was last year. From Beaufort Coun-
ty the Conservative Of last session is
replaced by Tillmanite. Otherwise
the relative strength Of the two fac
tions remains the same. 1t is noticea-
ble, though, that the Tillmanites have
lost a number of their strongest and
most influential leaders, not by defeat,
but because they have been promoted
to higher stations with better salarie7
attached. Jordan, of Aiken, Kirkland,
Of Kershaw, and others are now in the
Senate. Watts is Judge and Frank,
the youngest, is the only remaining
scion of the Gary clan on the floor. 1t
is evident already that while the Re-
formers are not without men Of brains,
they lack leaders of trained ability and
parliamentary skill.
PROSPECTIVE REFORM LEADERS.
J. Belton Watson, of Anderson, ap-
p ,ars to be developing as leader. J. E.
Breazeale, Of Anderson, is again chair
man Of the judiciary committee, but
there is strong likelihood that he will
inherit Judge Norton's shoes, though
bis opponent, Gen. Earle, of Green
vile, is said to have rs votes already
pledged.
Among the new members certain to
have weight in the body are Judge
G. P. Townsend, of Marlboro; Col. Nc
Sweeney, Of Hampton; J. Ed. Ellerbe,
of Marion, brother of the Comptrol-
ler; aud DR.. e. T. Wyche, of Newber-
ry. Frank B. Gary succeeds Yeldell
az chairman of the committee on ways
and means.
In the Senate appears the same ab-
sence of leadership. Senator STAN
yarne Wilson, to be sure, is still in his
seat, but it is scarcely to be expected
that since his election to Congress he
will 60 out of his way to exert himself;
Senator Finly, of York, is concededly
a strong man Of indomitabie energy
and will, but he has shown too much
conscientious independence and disre-
gard of partisan affiliation to be re-
ceived as a leader by the administrA-
ton. His personal strength in the
Senate is great as he is known to be
reliable and straightforward.
Col. D. K. Norris, of Anderson, q
new Senator, is man who is already
an acknowledged leader. Nearer than
any other be will fill the shoes Of w.
D. Evans, who was while a Senator
looked upon as the Senator to whom
the Alliance Senators always lent a
favorable ear.