The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-02-06
COLUMBIA LETTER.
What Our Law Makers are Doing at
The State Capitol.
From Our Own Correspondent.
COLUMBIA, S. c., Feb. a, 1907

NOI.t MBIt, -. N.S CO. - lOVi'
The prOposa! to change the salaries
of the various county offices in an ON
nibus bill has brought these officials
down on the sClOns Of the State like
the proserbial thousand Of brick. Tho
atmosphere OF the lobbies and commit
tee rooms has been lnri4 during the
past week on this account. Inye Olden
times of "gO0d stealing" during and
Immediately after Republican days
there were opportunities for the higher
county officers to make whole heaps of
fortune in term or two, and no few
fortunes were made and squandercd in
those years, but the hard hand of the
people has been laid to the root of that
tree OF official corruption and there is
little or 10 forbidden fruit now that
falls n temptation to the modern chill
drcn OF Adam. II is said that in the
seventies the Office of Shcrifl'Of Charles
ton County WIS worth as high rs
lifty thousand dollars II year. and hat
the same hiiirr IN even Il poor little
County WAS not dong lis duty If it did
not ,i,:d To its llolItl something like
ii>' al ten Iho,iSanl dollars. Now the
"ilirr i worth very little even in the
i!'lirs' counties, aud even if the men
That We have did want tu feather. their
nrSiS, which, thank the I.nrd, r,u1h of
them do they would find it the hard.
est kind Of work and somebody ltci-
ing nt every corner. Still the idea is
prevalent an.nmG .!. members az tiii.
Legislature that there il rich pickinvs
III the county Offices and he members
of the body are always on the look out
Tor Il chance TO cut then. down or maze
the office holders show up their hands
and their receipt books. 1t is not
likely that the sweeping changes pro-
posed in that bill will even get well
started in the course of legislation.
Another matter of general interest in
the weeks proceedings has been tho
very gratifying vote of the House in
support of the Charleston Exposition.
This vote for an appropriation has now
passed both Houses and the Senate has
agreed to the amendment Of tho House,
which looked to the perpetual preser-
vation of the States exhibit.
Another feature has shown itself in
this Legislature, which is to be de-
plored, and that is the fight of Port
Royal on Charleston OH account of the
naval station. This has shown itself
in the opposition to the granting nf the
marsh lands asked for by the city of
Charleston. Port Royal and Beaufort
arc making II desperate fight for TINT
station. 1t has now reached the stage
Of a disngrceablo and i'll naturcl quar-
rel. Tho people Of that section are
going too far. They will want or will
need he support and tho sympathy of
the State sooner or later, and they arc
not putting themselves in the position
Of receiving it very gracefully.
The child labor bill has been killed,
rs was predicted in his correspondence
There did not appear To be any need for
it. The fight was productive Of much
good and Il better understanding be-
tween tho mill people and The repre-
scntutivcs of the State.
l ~ lluuSc IL Trying 10 arrange I0f
final adjournment and it may succeed
III cutting the session down Il little. \
few bills have been ratified, among
them the now apportiOnmcnt bill to re-
NIT penalties for taxes this year and to
extend payment Of taxes to March l.
Tho House has passed and sent to
the Senate very much jumblcd bill
which is proposed to sweep the con
ccaled weapon evil of the face of the
earth, but it is thought that when the
Senate reduces it to n logical and pos
siblc shape it viii not be very great
innovation after nll
1t would take II whole paper to tell
of the bills that have been killed. The
Legislative bone yard is full Of wrecks
of all kinds.
The House has passed the bill to
amend the constitution in accordance
with the will of the people mistakenly
expressed at the last election. The
bill as passed ignores The mistake in
the printed tickets.
IlAHTWEIi. NJ AVER.