The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-02-16
ON THE HOME STRETCH.
The General Assembly Almost Ready to
Adjourn.
August Kohn in The News and Courier.

Columbia, Feb. 13.-The General
Assembly of South Carolina is in its
last days. It has been a pleasant and
serene session, and in few days
more the lawmakers of Carolina will
be at home telling the good people
why they voted for this or against
the other proposition. There will not
be much to be explained this time;
that is, nothing specially now, for
there was not what might be called
radical legislation. No fundamental
change was made in any existing
laws. The dispensary system remains
the same. The county government
system remains unchanged, except IN
three or four counties until at least
the next session. Taxes remain the
same. The Offices remain the same.
The educational system remains the
same as for years. The machinery OF
the courts remains unchanged, and SO
the people of the State will witness
no disturbance of their present con-
ditions.
The bulk of the legislation this
year has been of local and what
might be called imperative character;
that is, the usual appropriation, sup
ply and general laws that have to be
re-enacted every session have been
passed, and in addition there has
been great deal of local legislation
Some of this local law-making has
been necessary, but a great deal more
of it has been absolutely useless but
as the Yellow Kid says in Hogan's
Alley: "It comes high, but they had
to have me-" There could be no
meeting of the Assembly unless such
measures were proposed and adopted,
and so it seems almost loss Of time
and energy to hope for any change IN
this direction.
With the proper effort the General
Assembly could easily have adjourned
yesterday, and if there is no adjourn
ment on Wednesday, as fixed by the
concurrent resolution, it will be an
imposition, and it can only be excused
by some unforeseen event or compl-
cation, or the desire Of members to
continue their pay of 81 per day, and
it is, of course, presumed that the
Lawmakers of a great State would
not think of salary grab. With
Wednesday fixed for final adjourn
ment, legislation stands in much bet
ter shape towards that end than ID
usual. It is so unusual and remark
able as to be almost beyond recollec-
ton, that the supply and general ap-
preparation bills should be in the
hands of committees of conference
three or four days in advance Of ad-
iournment- The House and Senate
have both given the supply and ap-
preparation bills their third reading;
both of the houses have indicated
their position on amendments, and
the points OF difference have been
emphasized. In the supply bill there
are only three points Of difference to
be submitted to the committees; they
are relative to the levy and conditions
for Charleston and Bamberg counties,
and as to the general provision as to
penalties for the non-payment OF poll
taxes. It is very unusual for the two
houses TO come so near to absolute
agreement upon SO general a bill.
There are also very few points of DIFF
ference on the appropriation bill.
The chief differences on any bill OF
general importance are on the county
government bill, and it is doubtful if
heads or tails can be made out of the
matter, although )every one seems to
insist upon radical improvement OF
the existing law. The only thing
that is suggested as being in the way
of final adjournment on Wednesday
is the bill locating the polling pre-
cincts of the State. The House be-
gan the consideration of this bill last
Saturday evening, aud as the Senate
bill is under consideration there
should be no trouble on this score,
and, moreover, if the measure should
entirely fail, the present voting places
are about as good as can be desig-
mated in new Act, and there need
be no occasion to spend thousands Of
dollars to arrange for polling pre-
cincts, when the elections in South
Carolina are settled at the primaries,
and the polling places now in exist
ence are as satisfactory us any new
adjustment would be.
Reports from conference commit
tees have been received earlier than
usual, and practically all of the differ
ences on bills between the two houses
have been cbliterated.
Whatever of fighting still remains
is mostly on the Senate side, where
both OF the new county propositions
are; where the separate coach bill is
awaiting it's usual fate; where the
Werner dispensary exemption bill is
resting on the calendar, and where
quite number of other important
matters are awaiting consideration,
death or adoption.
POLITICS IN THE ASSEMBLY.
Politics and liquor have been two
of the features of the sessions work.
The political talk and ups and downs
have been prolific, and will not close
with the session, but members will
no doubt take home with them the
inspirations and prejudices against
certain candidates and measures that
have been nursed in Columbia. Most
of the politics here has been of a
quiet order, except when it broke
forth in all of its fury in the election
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