The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1894-12-06
HOW IT IS DONE
ON OPENING DAYS.
ORGANIZATION OF THE GENERAL
ASSEMBLY.
RED TAPE, FRILLs AND FURBE.
LOWS.

There is lots of amusing red
tape about the organization of a
General Assembly. The frills and
furbelows are as few in South
Carolina rs in any State, but to
the uninitiatcd there seems to be
too many here.
/ will give few samples of this
red tape business for the instruc-
don of the public, the vast ma
jority Of which has mover been IN
either body Of South Carolina $
law-making machine on an OPEN
ing day or on any other day.
1t was ten minutes to ~ clock
yesterday when Gen. J. w. Gray,
Clerk of the House of Representa-
tivcs, appeared on the rostrum of
the House dressed in Il flowing
silk gown, Il custom started in the
days of our forcfathcrs aud kept
up: General Gray raped on the
Speakers desk with tho gavel and
called tho House to order. The
members at once gave attention
to the words of the Clerk. Inme-
diatcly a motion was made that
Hon. f. B. Gary Of Abbcville be
selected as Speaker pro tenn.
Clerk Gray put this motion and
MIR. Gary was declared elected.
He was escorted to the chair in
the most formal manner. The
oath, long stcm-winding, Water
bury affair. was read to him,
which he subscribed to by a nod
of the head and a pressure of q
right hand on Bible. The next
stop in the House VAS to swear in
the new members according to the
roll prepared by the Clerk. The
roll is tho same as published Sun
day in the Register. The mem
bcrs were sworn in by counties,
each delegation stepping forward
and touching II Bible in answer to
the oath read to thom.
Over in the Senate tho proceed
ings were somewhat similar, excert
that the Clerk did not call the
body. to order This duty was
performed by DR.. Zimmerman,
President pro tenn, the next Lieu
tenant Governor. DR.. Thinner
man has to wear n black silk gown
trimmed with slices Of blue. Tho
Doctor does not cut a judicial
figure attired in this kind of a
costume, and why such u costume
was ever adopted l don't know.
1t looks something like that worn
by Iii Hung Chang, the deposed
Crown Prince, or Prime Minister
OF China. All it needs to be thor
oughly Chinese is little yellow,
with a requirement that the pre-
siding officer wear Il peacock fcath-
cr.
Another difference between the
Senate md House is that prayer
was offered in the Senate, Rev.
MIR. Blalock, the blind preacher of
Edgcfield, asking Divine blessings
upon tho body.
The old Clerk of the Senate, Dir.
Pope, and Reading Clerk Cal
Caughman were in their seats. 1t
was Il farewell service with them
but they were on hand to do their
last days work.
DR.. Zimmerman extended cor
dial greetings to the Senators and
hoped that the session would be a
pleasant one in every respect. The
Senate will now come to order, he
said, and he took his scat. wrap
ped his gown around his legs and
tho honorable Senate was ready
for business. The new Senators
watched ali this with deep inter-
est, and Joe Barnwcll, ihc new
Senator from Charleston, kept his
black eyes on the presiding officer
nearly all the time. 1t was the
first timo he had seen DR.. Thinner.
man and he appeared to be sizing
up that individual for all he was