The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-02-02
A LEGISLATIVE REVIEW.
A Review OF What has been Done TO
Date.
Nc,rx cnd Courier.

Ncwx cnd Courier.
COLUMBIA, S. c., Jan. 3O.-Com-
paratively speaking the falling fakes
of snow are no more numerous than
the bills that have been presented du-
ring the present session of the Gene
raj Assembly. The snow storm, now
in progress, is quite heavy, and so has
been the rush of new bills during the
present Legislative session. Yester-
DAVIS Calendar shows that two hun
dred and thirty eight measures have
already passed through the hands of
the committees, and there will proba-
bly, be hundred more to undergo that
process. This takes no account of the
measures that were left over from last
year, which in the House numbered
sixty odd.
1t is really remarkable that so many
propositions should be offered by the
lawmakers. 1t would appear difficult
to find SO many projects that demand
Legislative attention, and new mem
bers must rack their brains to find
something to introduce. The largest
number Of bills are introduced on the
county government law. and it will
soon pay the State to hold another
Constitutional Convention, adopt an
iron-clad county government law that
cannot be patched to pieces, or do
something else of that sort. The
county government legislation is the
most fruitful of all that is proposed,
and what makes it the more aggrava-
ting is that one county wants COM
mutation tax of 81. another wants
it for 50, another wants three days for
road duty, another wants four, one
county wants the salary Of the magis-
trate at Frogtown reduced to 50 per
annum, and SO it goes, until thousands
and thousands of dollars are annually
spent on such petty matters.
Mr-Gage, Of Chester, Judge elect,
has bill by which he seeks to remedy
this trouble to a considerable extent,
and Senator Henderson has a propo-
sition by which he thinks the greatest
Of all Legislative troubles can be rem
edied, in part only.
IF the county government matter
could be settled by this General AS
sembly it would be worth tens Of
thousands Of dollars, and when it is
once fixed some sort Of a clincher
ought to be put on the Act so that it
cannot be changed in five OF ten years
time. But unfortunately the tendency
now seems to be to delay and wait for
new General Assembly to take up
the momentous question, and so moth
ing radical is likely to be done with
reference to the county government
law, although it is universally admit
ted that the present law is cumber-
some, expensive and sadly in need of
revision-not for each and every
county, but by general and uniform
Act. Mr.. Hendersons plan, with
some amendments, seems to be the
favorite just at this time.
The Legislative week that has just
closed has been the most interesting
and exciting in a political way Of the
entire session, and there is not likely
again to be such week, at least not
during the present session. There is
to be no row about the dispensary: no
metropolitan police bill; no more
elections and so it cannot be seen how
there will be any more excitement in
nolit;ca] sense. But to- initiate the
popular song, "thcrc were warm times
in the old town" last week. They
were sizzling in their excitement and
legislation took back seat for Il while
TO give way to the election Of the
Comptroller General, the election of Il
State printer and the passage Of the
competitive printing bill. 1t was a
genuine game Of politics and that was
all there was about it. They say here
that the programme was mapped out
as to the State printing by Senator
Tillman. He is not yet credited with
having hand in the fight on Comp
trollcr General Epton and Governor
lllerbc. They say. however, that the
friends of Governor Ellerbe asked
Senator Tillman to come down and
give Mr.. Epton helping hand, but
he was otherwise engaged. II the
rumor be correct it showed good politi-
cal Judgment. The week develop
.ments have not been the most tiatter-
ing for Governor Ellcrbc, for it seems
to be granted that the defeat OF MIR.
lipton was more intended as rebuke
to Governor Ellerbc for his course.
than against Mr. Epton. In the State
printing the contention is that the
change was intended to show resent
ment at taking the work away from
the Register. But there WAS a de-
cided element Of politics in this, as
the rank and file want their paper
to have the work and resent the idea
of an opponent Of 'the Movement
getting anything resembling support
from the State Government, Of which
thay want it known they are still in
charge. The plan seemed to be to
elect the State printer, regardless OF
the competitive bids for two years.
although all the papers favor the
award of the work on Il competitive
basis.
The echoes Of the two important
elections of the past week have not
yet faded away-indeed. they will be
!, ri