The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1900-11-22
TIE COMING LEGISLATURE.
&a Intelligent Forecast of What VIII
Be Done.

Columbia, Speclal.-The General AS
cembly when it meets here in jan
uary will have no really serious pro-
positions to settle. While there is
great deal OF legislation left over from
year to year, the consensus Of opinion
is that there is abundant legislation
on the statute books and that the
least done the better it will be for thu
State at large.
The new General Assembly will have
a larger proportion Of new lawmakers
than has ever before been in such a
body. The usual quota Of reelected
members is absent, and no doubt the
young and new members will think
that their greatness depends upon the
number OF bills offered and new and
novel schemes proposed, starting with
amendments to the concealed weapon
law and ending with amendments to
the Constitution.
Naturally the amendments recently
voted upon will come up and consume
considerable time. Some will want to
go right ahead with the necessary leg
islation, taking for granted that the
courts will pass over the error made
in the enrolled resolution and the
ballots, while others will want to let
the question go before the people
again. At all events this will be one
Of the foremost questions to come up.
There will be the usual legislation
proposed as to new judicial and Con-
grcGsioral districts.
Year after year bills are offered
proposing the reorgo onization OF the
judicial circuits and that there be ten
instead Of eight circuits.
The scheme adopted by the last Gen
eral Assembly Of providing for spe-
cial terms Of courts, on petition OF
majority of the members of the bar OF
any county, seems to have worked
very we'll and a good deal OF the con-
gestion in Spartanburg, Cherokee AID
other counties has been relieved, and
IL the lawyers would take advantage
OF this statute and have their work
ready for the court when it assemblies
there would not be so much com
plant and such a perennial demand
for additional courts.
The census does not inCicate that
South Carolina will get an additional
Congressman. Some who have figur-
ed on the relative increase say that
there seems to be no chance for an
additional Congressman from this
State. The usual propositions to re-
district the State will be made, and
the usual fight against any change In
the districts, if the State is not to get
another Congressman. The fight
against any change has heretofore to
q large extent come from the Con-
gressm en- in Office or those who have
made the races in the districts as
they have been standing. The house
as will be remembered, passed the
Patton redistricting bill, but the Sen.
ate killed 1t. II makes very little diff
ference to the average citizen how the
districts are arranged, but 1t really
does seem nonsensical to have shoe
string districts in this day ana time,
and have part Of one township in one
district and the remainder of a coun-
ty in another district, and divide up
counties so as to completely nullify
their influence. The demand has been
for some time for the districting OF
the State upon county lines, and it
makes but little differences how the
counties are divided as to districts,
but there is no longer any use to cut
up the counties and put part Of a
county in one district and part OF the
same county in another district.
One question that will come Up. IN
fact it has been coming up for several
years, is the sale Of the state farms.
Some of the members OF the General
Assembly think that because the
State makes two or three hundred
bales OF cotton and sufficient wheat
and corn with which to feed the con-
victs the State ought not to engage in
farming at all, and should sell, no
matter at what price, the valuable
farms that it owns There has been
discussion Of the question during the
recent campaign and abundant prom
ises that the question would be
brought up. Thinking that it would
be a popular cry the sale OF the prop
critics has been demanded on the
stump.
1t ought to be realized that only the
long-term convicts are now sent to
the penitentiary from practically all
Of the counties, except Charleston.
The counties have their own chain
gangs, except Charleston, and prison
ers sent to the Penitentiary and the
State farms are such as have long
terms and are not wanted on the coun-