The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-02-25

Legislators should DO not only virtuous
but also above suspicion. II legislator
had FREQ pass he could not be above
suspicion, no matter how good Il man
he was. He should be free not orr
from conscious, but an unconscious
bias. a free pass was given rs u favor,
and the members of the General AS
sombly had no right to accept favors
from anybody. "If you do not think :"
ho said, that this pass is givon 10 YOU
Tor some other purpose than that YOU
are good fellow, see how far you can
ride whom your torn of Office is over,
| and yet you are just rs good " fellow"
MIR. Scarborough thought that to be
consistent Mr.. Ragsdalo should huvo
urged this same argument against ac-
cepting the free transportation to
Charleston, which was favor given
by the railroads. He took the act rs
people OF the State whom the Legisa-
ture found it necessary, for tho pur-
rose OF preventing contamination, to
pass this law. 1t was a bad law and
should DO wiped Off OF the statute books
for its imputation on the character Of
evcry State officer. He also opposed it
because of tho subterfuges resortcd to
in getting around the law. If froe
pass disqualified man from holding
public Office by the effect it would have
In subverting his judgment, we should
20 stop further and declare that no
"'an who is under any obligation as an
tion should be entitled to his seat here.
Mr.. Mayfield thought it better that
man should take u free pass than
resort to such tricks as had been
charged, that some paid 10 cents for q
no ticket. He did not like tho spirit
that had enacted the law.
Mr.. Hay contonded that passes wero
certainly meant to influence legislative
policy and should not be accepted,
therefore he thought it good public
policy to declare against them. He
did not consider tho acccptanco Of tho
trips to Winthrop and to Charleston
against the spirit OF the law. 1t was
not The railroads that invited tho
Senate to Charleston, but tho CITY coun-
Gil.
Mr.. Buist made ringing speech
against the repeal bill. Lead us not
into temptation" was his tcxt. He
said: 1.-The position which South Caro-
lima has occupied during tho last six
years is being gradually adopted as
a necessity by nearly every State in the
Union, and If it was true that q Judge
M tho bench paid 10 cents for 4 mile
age book, every member Of the General
Assembly should spend the whole re-
cess in seeking the truth and bringing
that individual before this body with
tho open charges against him."
Mr.. Archer said that no christian
man could accept q free pass without
undertaking the obligation Of chris.
tian to return the favor.
Mr.. Scarborough denied Mr.. Buist's
| righ to compare South Carolina morals
with New York morals. If tho L.cgis
liturc was not to have free passes, then
hedge us in on all sides and deliver Us
also from the contamination of lob
byists.
Mr.. Henderson said tho object of the
bill was not to make the railroads
give or the officers of the State
accept passes, but to give mar
the inborn right, the divine right o.
exercising his own free will. The peo
pie would not judge II man by whether
he took FREQ pass or not, but by tho
way he acted. The repeal of this law
would be the removal of a stigma. The
act was passed as taunt in tho midst
OF turmoil and excitement, and now
the Senate in its dignity and quiet
should repeal it.
| MIR. Mayicld thought the act on tho
statuto books was a wholesome one
| True, 1T was presented as taunt, bu,
lHt us turn the taunt against the hanC
that directed it and show that we art
willing to keep our skirts clear.
The aye and nay vcts was called ot
MIR. Moses motion to indefinitely post
ponc the unfavOrablo report Of the com
mittec and the following was the vote
Yeas--Messrs. Connor, Dennis, Du
Bose, Gaines, Griffith, Henderson
Mauldin, Moses, O'Dell, Pettigrew
Ragin, Scarborough, Sloan, Suddath
Walker and Williams--lG.
Nays-Messrs. Alexander, Archer
Brown, Buist, Dean, Douglass, Hay
Love, Maytield, Mcdaniel, Miller
Mower, Norris, Ragsdale, Stack ouse,
Talbird and Wallace-17.
The vote was then taken on tho d.
rect question without change.
KILLED THE TAX ON CIGARETTES.
The cigarette bill was taken up az q
special order.
MIR. Moses moved to indelitely post
pone the whole bill, and said on the
part Of tho committee it was thought
the law would bo dead lett r..
MIR. Connor moved to lay tho motion
on the table. This was lost.
MIR. Moses then moved to table the
| bill, but withdrew it for Mr.. Archer
to say Il few days in. favor of the bill
Mr.. Moses opposed the bill because
| 1T would be Intellectual, and would pile
up dcad acts on the statute books. If
it would accomplish any good he
would vote in favor Of it. There Is no
machinery to enforce it as the liquor
law is enforced.
MIR. C0nn0r said that there was q
great demand for the law from all parts
OF the country, and If the present law
was doing no good, let us make the
| regulations moro stringent,
MIR. Mower sent q communication
from Jasper II. Montgomery, president
Of the society for the suppression of
the use OF tobacco among the youth OF
tho United States, to show that the
prohibition and high license had been
Intellectual in every case, and urged
the enforcement Of the law against the
sale to minors as tho best stop toward
correcting the evils.
Mr.. Pettigrow, OF Florence, said tina
his conscience had reProachcd him fol
the part he took in killing this bill
last wear. lie made n long and earnoe