The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-01-05
The Coming Legislature.

COLUMBIA, Jan. 2.-Ncxtwe this
time the hotels and boarding houses
Of Columbia will be thronged with
members of the General Assembly and
those connected with that institution.
In about weeks time the flags will
be hauled up over the Senate and
House chambers, signalling that the
lawmakers of Carolina have assem-
bled to make the laws for their State.
There will be but few new faces in
either branch. The Senate will have
a good many more new members than
the House. This curious condition
has been brought about by the crea-
ton of new Counties and not by
deaths or designations. In the Senate
there will be Col. Robert Aldrich:
from old Barnwell; Senator Mcllha-
ney, for Dorchester; Senator Jefries,
for Cherokee, and Senator Waller, for
Greenwood. Mr.. Hydrick. who takes
the place of Mr.. Miles, of Spartan
burg, and Mr.. johnson, of York, are
about the only new members on the
House side.
The dispensary, finapces, and the
general County government laws Will
be the chief issues. About all the
vital legislation can be embraced un-
der these heads. Some one will, no
doubt, introduce bill against foot
ball and maybe some Legislator will
have an ant -trainwhistle bill. All
of these sort of measures are to be ex-
pccted and the funniest part OF it is
that these ludicrous bills often pass
the House, only to be slaughtered on
the Senate side.
If there is any one who can foretcll
at this time what will happen in dis
pensary legislation he is prophet.
The administration. the B. r. Till
man. the board of control, the sub
dispensary and kindred influences will
be to let the dispcnsary law stand
Just as. it is. The dispensary law is
by these influences regarded as 1.-The
best solution of the liquor problem, .
and if the status quo cannot be re-
tanned, then and then only it is pro-
posed to trim the law so as to bring it
within the scope Of a police regula-
tion.
The General Assembly will have to
give serious consideration to the ii
nancial condition of the State. The
tax levy does not promise to be any
lower than at present, and if running
business on cash basis is to be prac
ticed the levy will have to be larger,
counting the sources of revenue the
same as at present. The State has
not borrowed any money this year,
but, as usual. has used portions Of the
tax money just collected, which is tc
be appropriated by the coming Gen
cral Assembly. In addition to this
way of tiding over. the State has over
drawn its accounts at several of Its
dcpositorics. Nointcrcst was paid or
these overdrafts.
The General Assembly will find it
exceedingly difficult to cut down amy
of the expenses for the successful con
duct of the State governments short
session will be the largest saving
There will be an effort made to abol
ish the Office of phosphate inspector
and do away with the expenses Incl.
dent to that office. Some alleged
friend of the cotton mill laborcr will
very likely introduce bill for the
supposed benefit OF the laborln9
classes. 1t has been noticeable fact
that these measures have generally
come from members who know but lit
tie about the actual conditions. At
the last scssion'of the present Assem-
bly, thousands and thousands of oper
ators pctitioncd that matters be left
alone 50 far as they were concerned
that they wanted no legislation. ant
that what WAS supposed To be ln-thcl1
interest by tampcrlns with labor law'
would operate to their dctrimcnt
The fact OF The matter is The mill Ia
bor in South Carolina IS very we'll sat