The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-03-04
HON. A. G. LATIMER.
The Elections Committee Report III
His Favor-Brief Synopsis OF the
Good Work He Has Done and Is
NOiuS I'm the House.

The Elections Committee Report Iii
His Favor-Brief Synopsis Of the
Good Work He Has Done and Is
Doing In the House.
Washington, D. G., Feb. q, 1875
1t will be gratifying TO the lrienuS U: W.. ~ ~
! G.. Latimer and TO many oi Tue reaueis v! tne
Press and Banner to know that the Elect!oils
Committee OF the House oil KepreSentHtlVes
have reported unanimously 10 the HMouse LOUISE
that Mr.. Latimer is enilIieo w te ~ '',b Gar.
oIina for the possession of which contest
had been instituted by Robert Moormah.
This report will of course he acqulesceu 10
and approved by the House, and the matter
being a privileged one under The rules can De
called up al almost any time.
| or course such contests are supposed 10 De
determined upon the law and the evidence
! but still there Is much in the action thus
taken that will be gratifying to the friends OIL
Mr.. Latimer. Suppose. for instance, that NJ r.
| Latimer was personally diSliked by MS lei
lows in the House, or that by previous con,
many Of them, do you think the result OF his
contest would have been the same" NOBODY
knows better than lawyers and Judges thal
personal equations enter to greater or less
extent into the determination of all ques-
tions that are settled In the Courts, the place
above all others where justice Is supposed 10
be meted out without fear, favor or afectlon.
The case Is not essentially different 10 lne
two Houses Of Congress, where members can
always find excuse or Justification for doing
| what they very much want TO do. Ihe lndl'
vidual is seldom lost sight OF ana really u Is
| the personal element that Is the greatest lac
| tor in determining the influence aud useiui'
ness of a member in either House OF Con.
gress. II Is not the man who Is most on DIS
| feet in debate, or who is keenest In repartee,
that accompliShes the most. Indeed, such q
person Is oftentimes without any influence al
all with his fellows on the floor and can &C
complish absolutely nothing. Legislation is
| a fy,f hnR n
aud IL is there that mem moers must have an In
tuence If they would affect results. A iaVor'
BILE report from the committee In charge OIL 4
bill generally means that the Oil VIII pass u
| IT can be reached on the calendar or taken up
or course many things, In a body as un.
wieldly as the House Of Representatives, con.
spire 10 prevent action on the great bulk OF
the bills Of local or special character; but II
speaks we'll for the working qualltles OF q
| member when he is able TO procure iaVoraole
committee action on bill which ne mas un'
dertaken to champion. The work IS done
not by talking before the public on the floor
of the House, but by 9uiet personal, energeI,
| ic intercourse with the members who control
| the matter in committee. ,,
| Mr.. LAtimer has cause also 10 De nlnSell
gratitied at the manifestation OF friendly re-
gard shown by tbs action Of the Elections
Committee. He has had evidence before
| however of the willingness of members to do
Justice to matters with which he was connect
ed In the last Congress, for instance, ne go
unanimous report from the war Clailrs
Committee in favor OF the bill which he lu'
| troduced tor the relief of Newberry College
bill which proposed to pay $4,000 lor ipju
ries to the college buildings while occupied az
barracks by United States troops at ne close
of the war And, by the way, he fas man
aged in this Congress to get a like iavorab BILE
| report from The present Committea on WaI
| Claims. He also in the last congress got o
unanimous report from the Comm'ttee on
Claims on q bill which he Introduced TO "a
| fund 10 the State the 81 500 which was paid II
| fues in behalf of the Sheritfs who had beet
adjudged In contempt for seizing taliroao
property that was In the hands OF receiver
of The United States Circuit Court. He also
introduced and fathered In the last Congress q
bill for the regulating of raj ilroad receiver
ships and directing that taxes be paid in such
the hands OF a receiver. This bill was sug
gested by the situation In South Carolina
and, If you remember, the Legislature memo
rlalized Congress on the subject. The bill
It's consideration urged by Mr.. Latlmer; and
upon this dill the Committee on the Judicia
ry madea favorable report; and the bill pass
ed the House. but died In conference on some
amendments made by the Senate.
| l might also in this connection, II 1t were
| worth while, and as further indicating the
manner in which MIR. Latimer can ingratiate
himself with members, mention the headway
he Is making in the present Congress, and on
bills, TOO, of general Importance; as, for In
stance, bill which he has before the Com
mittee on Agriculture tina! provides for the
furnishing of seeds, bulbs, &c, to the agricul
tural experiment stations and colleges
throughout the country and for the propaga
ti0n and distribution of such things by the
colleges and experiment stations; and, de-
spite the fact that this bill affects the method
heretofore prevailing of every Congressman
having such things to distribute In his own
way and under his own frank, Mr.. Latimel
has brought the com mittee TO his way o
looking At the subject. Another bill which
kAfNr NNFto too HI
Is one of the most important that can posi-
bly, receive the attention OF Congress- The
newer States OF the Union, as you know, have
the benefit of a certain part Of the public
lands Tor school purposes. The original
States, within whose limits there we've nc
public lands, have never had such benefit
This bill of Mr.. Latimers proposes to equal
ize the several States of the Union in the
grant of lands for school purposes. South
Carolina under this equalization would be en-
u titled TO 1.2OS $50 acres; and the scheme con
Il templates that the United states, as the pub
! lie domain is sold off, shall divide up the
thereto under the provisions OF the BILL The
Public Lands Com mittee, as al present con
stituted, is dominated by Western men from
the States within whose borders The public
lands lie: and they are very generally op
posed TO such a bill, but Mr.. Latimer Is sc
opening the eyes of Eastern men to the situa
tion that pressure enough may be brought u
bear 10 force report from the committee
even though 1t should be an adverse one
Then, If the matter could be forced to vott
In the House, the large delegations from the
States to be benefited, New York, for instance
with her "a Representatives and Pennsyl
vania with her 2S, would outvote the Western
men. But a committee, when fearful that th
House would override an adverse report will
try to keep the matter buried In the commit
tee room. Matters of the magnitude OF thi,
one, however, will not down and If the Pub
lie Lands Committee. for q Congress or two
should be able TO throttle it, the time will
come when It's consideration would enter int,
the contest for the Speak ership and no mai
: could be elected to the position Of Speake
I pointment Of q Public Lands Committee tha
would be favorable to such measure.
have written at grenter length than hat
intended when l began, but l presume TIM
readers of the Press and Banner will be glat
:. TO hear concerning their own immediate Rep
resentative in Congress. Have spoken o
Dir. Latmer as man that was probably to-
much liked by the Republicans? OF cours
: Ee>slf know how, on & uestiens-w hfch fnvoly
politics, members will range themselves &C
cording 10 their political coors; but most o
the matters that come personally near to
mans constituents do not involve party prin
D cples and hence should be considered with
e out regard to partisanship. 1t Is In such mai
ters that some men can serve their conStitu
ents most effectively, while others are so rab
idly partisan. and make themselves on all oc
casions so offensive, that they might as wei
be In Hong Kong as in Washington, SO far a
doing their constituents any good in the wa.
OF legislation Is concerned.