The Charlotte Democrat., 1895-01-25

Legislature was arranged weeks, nav
months, ago. There have been trades
upon trades. The Republicans and the
populists both have their eyes upon the
offices. A Republican here (who by the
way posed several weeks as a straight
out and by no means in love with fusion)
has said openly that he expects to be
made the superintendent of one of the
| States important institutions. It is no
secret that Otho Wilson expects to be
either railway commissioner or superin.
tendent of the penitentiary and that be has
no fear of not being able to fill either
position we'll 1t is no secret that he is
to be given one or the other of these
positions.
There is something else which may as
well be said. This is that Marion Butler
today has more power with Republicans
than their State Chairman has, or indeed
more than any two Republicans in the
State have. This cannot be denied.
High indeed is his position and vast is
| his power.
The fusionists do not like speeches by
| Democrats, and the committee on rules
seeks to put stop to all flibustering
The longest debate will be on the bill to
repeal county government and the cleo
tion law. 1t appears that they are willing
to give more latitude in this matter. It
is said one of the colored Republicans
young of Wake1 who is one of the lead
ing speakers in the house, will cut quite
figure in the debate. He always speaks
with great bitterness regarding the
county government law and of course
hates the election law.
A review of the work of the Legisla
ture for the past six days shows that
there is quite rush of bills. 1t is an
undoing body; and bills "to abolish" are
more frequent than any others.
Tuesday, the 18th, the chief bills intro
duced were to reduce the salaries OF
State and county officers; to reduce the
appropriation to the State Guard to SO,
400; to abolish county boards of educa-
ton; to regulate life insurance business
by making judgment against a com.
pany lien on all its property, real and
personal, in the State; to aid Ashe, Alle-
ghany and Watauga counties in building
a railway; to provide for appeals from
decisions of county commissioners; to re-
peal the public printing act (this bill has
passed both houses); to repeal the rail
way commission act; to abolish the death
penalty; for the relief of the poor of
North Carolina. (Under this queer title
was masked bill to repeal the railway
commission. A radical from Craven in
troduced it) The vote for State Treas
urer was canvassed on Tuesday and
Worth was declared duly elected. He
has made up his bond, 1886, 600, the bonds
men being headed by Julian S. Carr.
He takes charge of the treasury day
after tomorrow, and retains one Demo-
cratic clerk. The Senate did very
queer thing in refusing to adopt a resolu
ton instructing our Senators and Repre-
sentatives in Congress to vote against all
bills which did not advocate the free
coinage of silver and the abolition of all
banks of issue.
Wednesday the most important of the
new bills was to forbid railways to give
, free passes; to abolish the Office of county
superintendent; to prevent lynching by
| providing for special judge, to be at the
r command of the Governor; to relieve
r building and loan associations from tax.
alton; to extend the time of settling State
> taxes in Cherokee, Graham, Jackson,
f Rutherford, Clay and Macon; to prohibit
the use of railway passes by county Off
t cials; 20 amend the Constitution 80 as te
: enforce the antitrust law; to require the
J public printer to be the lowest bidder
and to be resident of this State. Ut il
, quite we'll understood here that Editor
! Goslen, of the Winston Republican, is te
be the public printer and be says he il
Q sure of the place) The fusionists elected
a John W. Brown, of Granville, editor o.
! popullst paper, enrolling clerk. Henry
, Brown, populist, from Jones county, con.
, testant, was seated, and by a unanimous
vote.
l Thursday the more important of the
D new bills were to make it unlawful tt
8 issue false and fraudulent election tickets
to repeal the act requiring railways to b.
B. prompt in the delivery Of freights; t.
Q abolish county boards Of education and
s reduce salaries of county superintendent
q to compel all railways to pay taxes; t
make the education of blind children
i compulsory to allow ex-Confederat
r soldiers having property worth owe
j. $500 to receive pensions, (this failed II
}. pass, as did another of the same tenor)
Q to allow county officers to give bonds il
: security companies; to abolish the Stat
s Guard and the naval reserves; to allov v
9 the Legislature to elect the Suprem
e court reporter; TO abolish the crimina
= and inferior courts and re establish court
Il of oyer and terminer; to equalize tax as
q sessmeEts; to provide for the inspection
n of Illuminating oils; to secure to physi
8 clans pay ment for services. The secre
? tary Of State was given authority to re
a turn to bidders for the public printin
under the act of 1893 their bids an
e checks; the bids not to be opened unles
% nothing on the envelope showed VIII
a was the bidder. The Democrats wante
'- all these bids opened, SO that it could b
Il seen what the lowest bid was, in orde
3, that when the fusionists award the con
n tracta comparison might be made, bu
o this proposition the fuslonists unan
y mously voted down.
= Friday the chief new bills were t
abolish the Geological survey; to forbi
'f telegraph companies from giving frank
to amend the homestead provision in tn
e. constitution by reducing the persons
property exemption from $500 to $40
Of and on real property from 81, 900 to $5O'
As to reduce the marriage license fee t
sr $3.50; to raise the age of consent to
q /rHbio hx,