The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1898-03-02

very Little GJlnS on Cpon the our
face in Pclitics-Needed Lagis.
lation.
H,rtwell NJ. Aver.
Columbia, S. c., Feb. 2G There
will be no change in the county gov
ernment Law this year. The Hender-
son bill has been buried in the gov
ernor's Office. This disposes Of the
most radical measure of the last ses-
sion. There is strong feeling over
this act and great pressure has been
brought to bear on, both friends and
opponents of the measure. Under
the present law some counties have
made under full records, while others
havo foundered hopelessly in the
quagmire of debt. As is natural to
suppose the friends of the Henderson
bill are to be found among those
who have not Jared so we'll under the
present law, while the others are it's
opponents.
The governor has been in no hurry
to sign the bills passed during the
session and has given much study to
each one in its turn.
The condemnation of the Lake
City lynchers is universal. There is
a general desire for their prompt pun
| ishment, and at The same time there
is desire to put the nccks Of Messrs.
Hanna and Mckinley in the same
moose. and also to let the canary
statesman from Darlington have bis
share OF The ropes end.
In the agricultural hall case, the
State surrenders its $40, 900 mort
gage, rather than fight the validity of
the Blue Ridge scrip.
The extensive forest fires have
called in pointed and tragic man
ner attention to tue great danger
from the vicious practice of burning
off the woods in the spring, so com
mou among farmers. 4 little more
labor would convert this refuse into
fertilizer that would blild up waste
land instead Of destroying it and en-
daugeGing the lives and property of
the neighbors. It is not unlikely that
the practice Of burning off the woods
| will receive the attention Of the leg
islature next year.
Ia regard to tie suit against the
railroads there is every indication of
stubborn fight to see who is boss in
South Carolina, the railroads or the
State. The fight does moi partake Of
the spirit Of oppression on the part
of the state government which char
acterized the administration several
years ago. OF late the State has
shown every disposition to be fair
and Just and in degree liberal to
capital and enterprise, and no com
plant can be made on that score. It
is the railroads DOW who are dis
posed to be unreasonable and to
refuse to accede to the demands of
the people WHO gave them birth and
who rourish them. 1t will be a long
fight or tue railroads will blck down
early in the game. In the end the
State must be successful. for it has
right on its side.
The renewal of the phosphate in,
dus!ry in Charleston and Beaufort is
one OF The most gratifying Items of
news that the newspapers of the
State have had to publish in quite a
while. 1t has long been asserted by
friends of the administration that
this great industry was not dead, but
only "playiug rossum in order to
get reduction of royalty. Whether
this is true or not, it is fact that
the men who are engaged in it are
no more philanthropic than any other
set Of men in the State and It is fair
to suppose that they sec some morey
for themselves, and necessarily the
State must cone in fol its share. The
State is therefore justified in the
firm sta,.l it took against a rcduc
ton Of the royalty It is net every
child who cries sick" that needs the
1,nt,r Tho ,o,1,lla hoe boor l.n1uu