The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-01-25
ColaIEisi,. f.ettcr.

| t>oON
standing the effort that wa7%mad,
to hindor, the legislature mjaurnee
last Thursday till Monday Some
people have a..strange, notion s,ot
Reform, they preach one thing
and PRACTICES Fanather. ! The pay
of the members and employees &c
on during adjoufhime;ht and VII.
cost the State thousands Of ,dollar,
and nothing being done. i. / yotet
against every motion to adjourn. D..
Ny bill to prohibit convicts s:be,
ing worked on private farms came
up and Il very lengthy ,discpssior
was cntcrod into, bothf fois**and
against ting RiiE! ,Flna!lY the bill
passed to lis third reading after
bei"g amended so as to distroy the
intention of bill" When. it came
up ON it's 1h ird reading, succeeded
in having 1t recGmmitted, hoping
to lie able to get it in. better shape,
| 1T is not right to place ccnvict
labor II competi'ion with free la.
Hor. Who's convic's are worked
on private farms they take the
nlac' 0i frcc labor aDd make it
hArAer fer the tonant class of our
people 10 Gct homes, and, also, de-
priTo many OF our dayrIaborers of
JOBS ot work, which they don't
only want, but need to enable
item to support themselves, their
wives and little ones.
Ih" farmers have beop crying
for yeats, over production, over pro,
duction, and at the same time they
hav" allowed this oppressive law to
remain on our Statute books,
which allows convicts to work on
private farms and help them to
swell this over production and re-
duco tho price of our cotton. Far
better to lot them stay inside the
penltcntiary walls and feed them
there, than to let them out on pri-
vate farms. But, we have public
works to work them on. Our pub
lie roads throughout the State
need improving. wo have thous-
ands Of acres of land in the State
that needs draining, and it drained
and brought into cultivation, will
be a source Of revisure to the State.
My other bills have not yet come
up on their second reading.
a very important matter has
passed tho House. The question of
submitting TO the people the uucs-
ton Of changing tho Constitution
so as to have biennial sessions of
the legislature, bat the question of
making terms Of members four
years, WAS killed.
A bill has passed the Senate
regulating the width of tho tires of
vehicles. l believe 1t to be oppres-
sivo to the people to force them to
dispose Of the wagons thoy now
have and buy new ones, or change
them into vide tires. We are
free people, let each one buy and
use such wngons as they want.
Hon. G. E. Robinson introduced
bill, which has been referred to
committee, consisting Of the Pick
els and Gconee delegations, re-
curing the Supervisors of Pickens
and Oconee TO buy Ravenel's bridge,
provided We don't have to pay too
much for it, and if the purchase
money can be equally adjusted be-
tween the two counties.
The question Of this legislature
being limited, is being discussed in
privat" circles. Some say 1T is
Ii tied to forty days, others say it
is not limited at all. Be.that az it
may, We have no business staying
mere over thirty days, and would
not ii all would do their duty. But
alas! thoIo are SO many who come
here for good time and they are
gong to have it. NJ.