Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1900-02-22
END Of LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
BRIEF RESUME OF THE MOST lMP0RTAMf
WORK OF THE CLOSING HOURS.
S|75,OOO FOR THE COMPLETION
OF the State House--The Dispcnsary Question
Will Not Down-Other Matters.

~ - " SioSN Ni"liofioCu StillSj cogulNNJ
night last. The entire week had boon a
very busy ono, the members realizing
that the end was very rapidly approach
ing, and that many bills on our still largo
calendar must of necessity dio for want
of time to finish tlem up. Tho struggle
became one Of "Suryival Of tho flttcst"
and Legislative action plunged ahead with
mad rush until tho finish. During tho
week previous resolution had boon
adopted by tho House that no now mea.
suro could be introduced except through
some one of tho committees, and that all
speeches should bo limited to ten min
utcs. With tho beginning Of this the
last week of tho session, it was doter-
mined, after Tuesday, to take up and
consider only the Senate bills on our cal
cndar as mono others could possibly be
enacted into law, and thus Il largo num-
Der of House bills on our calendar for
4 second reading wcrc doomed to failure
for want Of time for them to mature; but
rs ,hcrc seems to he Il tendency to too
much legislation, orhaps it was well,
and the State may suffer no serious loss
10y reason of this failure of enactment.
The Senate, we were informed, took
like action with reference to tho bills on
its calendar and considered only the
measures which had been passed by tho
House and had been sent over to it for
passage or rejection.
The event Of the week was the address
of Tie Hon. ". j. Bryan on Thursday to
The members of the General Assembly of
South Cnrolina and the public at large.
There was quite Il large concourSc of
rcorlr-all Of Columbia and Il large III
IluN from different parts of the State
assembled TO honor the great leader of
the Democracy OF the United States Mr..
Bryan measured fully up to, we think,
from the conccnSuS Of opinion cx-
pressed, if he did not txcecd tho
hiGhrS, expectations of all who were
fortunate enough to hear him. But it is
needless for me to comment on his great
effort, as tie newspapers have already
fully cXplnilch his views, and the read
ing public has grown familiar with his
methods of presenting and cXpounding
the currency, income tax, trusts. cDrpo-
rati"ns and Imperialism. only wish
that every voter in South Carolina could
have heard his dcnunciatiOn of the poll
cicS and methods of the party in power,
and his eloquent words Of wisdom and
warning to his countrymcn to reverse
the tendencies Of the times.
1t is now generally conceded that har-
mony will be fully restored in our ranks,
and that the Democratic party will pre-
sent solid phalanX in the next na-
tiona! election, with Bryan at the head
OF the Presidential ticket to lead it on to
victory. Had it not been for the dsaf-
lection Of the gold standard wing Of the
party Mr.. Bryan would have been elected
in lS!hi, and for stronger reasons now
than tivii "o believe he will triumph in
l!"W. Tie went from Columbia down to
Charleston and addressed from 1000 to
ih,'"o people gathered in the great audi
t"rum of that city Thursday night, and
then went to Florida for a little season
of rest and restoration. \ few people
may still differ with Mr.. Bryan on the
financial policy of our government, but
on the other great and fundamental
questions of policy these few arc in hal-
m"ny with him and will unite will. the
great masses Of the party in clccting the
choice OF people, whom all may safely
trust. Your readers will pardon this
digrrSSion and We will resume the
thread OF Legislative proceedings.
ON Monday the Committee on privi-
ltUrS and Elect innS f,l l. t,,
amend the law establishing voting pre-
CiuctS for the various counties of the
state. TWO new precincts were created
i'll pc"nrr, t"-wit: Tamasscc and re-
krrma Cat Cross Eoads).
i bill to amend thr school law of the
state S" as to provide for the formation
OF additional school districts in the vari-
"uS counties Of the State was cnactcd.
The Attorney General gave it as his
"Gininn That the Act Of lNoG exhausted
itself with the formation Of the school
districts rs therein provided, and that
!:""" vas no power in the school boards
of the counties TO form new school dis
ncW legislative action. This Act also
provides i0r the consolidation OF dis
trlrtS and for the formation Of n school
district from adjacent territory OF da-
cent counties by the Joint action Of
school boards OF such counties.
The House, by vote Of 80 to II, re-
fused I" kill the Archer l;ill to amend
Section of the 'lisprnsary law, which
hIl, with the Winklcr amendment, pro-
Ndrd for ilIc removal Of the establish
mrni "i county diSpcnSarics by Il vote
of the people in an election on the uucS-
ti"n "i 'diSpcnSary' or "no diSpcnslry,n
I" be ordered on petition signed by one
third Of the qualified electors. This
measure PASSED the House by large
ma ai"rity and was sent back, with the
amendment, t" the Senate, where it orig
mated and passed last session. The Sell
ate refused to concur and finally killed
the entire measure.
This bill, it was claimed, was in the
interest Of r"hbition-Simply giving to
such counties of the State as did not
desire I" have diSpcuSarIrS the privilege
I" v"t" them Out and il was believed hy
great many would havr very far re-
moved the liquor question us an issue in
tn" next state campaign; but the rcicc-
tIpn ot tins measure and refusal to make
this concession to the people of The dif.
i"rCnt counties iN almost certain TO inject
tIi of ,i