The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-09-25

lations. Full provision is made FOR all
city elections aud the first step towards
suffrage is made oy this committee III
its recommendation that women holding
property be allowed to vote 10 electlous
Involving the increase of the bonded
Indebtedness. This will be vigorously
opposed. The committee recommends
a section that will cover the Dispensary
and the State is given the right through
the Legislature to license the liquor
traffic to corporations or individuals or
to engage in it through State or county
agents. This committee makes the
maximum limit for municipal indebted
ness ten per cent. of the entire value OF
property, while the committee 90
finance and taxation limits it to eigh: per
cent.
Closely allied to the suffrage problem
is that Of providing for the schools.
There is a popular wave here just now
in favor of the public schools. and 1t is
safe to say that ample provision will be
made for their support. The commit
tee on 6nauce and taxasion has proposed
that at no time shall move than one
sixth of the school fluid be used for
higher educational institutions, aod 10
this way the friends Of higher educa-
ton are expected to rally to the CON-
mon schools. The finance committee
recommends two mills aud dollar poll
tax and the education committee will
recommend about the same. although
mauy members want three mill tax
The great fight is going to be on the
distribution of the school fund. The
committees seem to thiuk that there is
constitutional objection to providing
that the school fuud be distributed
through the constitution or PAID under
it's direction to either of the races. The
present purpose seems to be to leave the
manner of distribution to the negls-
lature 80 that it i: cannot staod the 6re
of legal test it may be changed
Another plan by which it is intended 10
iuc ucrease the common school fund Is BY
paying all the school commissioners. ex-
amiuers, superintendent aud other ct1-
cial salaries out of the general school,
fund and divert to this school fund all
money derived from the forfeiture Of
lands or from escheated estates.
The committee on militia will report
a section which will make it compu!-
sorry on The Legislature to provide for
the support of needy Confederate
veterans or their widows. The inten-
ton of the committee is to make the
Confederate pension something more
substantial than it now is, aud the Leg
islature will be asked to Increase the
pensioo fund to 100000. twice what
it now is.
Fortunately for the serenity of tie
proceedings all Of the new county
schemes have been told to refer ;nsir
grievances to The General Assembly
Provision is likely to be made ;has ne~
counties may be :o.ucd alter certain
conditions have been oaaplied with.
There will be fight as to the area of
the new couuties. aud il is understood
that the committee 90 pew counties
viii repor: that uew couu'les may be
created With 400 square miles, crowded
the present counties are not cut down
to less than 500 square miles.
The committee oa the bill of rights
has made preliminary report and two
OF the interesting suggestions iu that
clause arc there shall be 90 whipping
post, and that no one shall be impris-
ooed in tue penitensisry on centemp;
proceedings. There are regulations as
to the right Of seaIci, and seizure.
The committee on suffrage will not
make its sepor, until the latte: part Of
the week. The COMMITTEE has given
patient hearing to those who have sug-
gested various schemes fec the solution
Of the suffrage problem. including The
women who are advocating female suf-
fragc. The comuittec will try aud get