The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-02-12
The House Kills Child Labor Bill
by Close Vote---senate Spends
Day Debating Railroad Relief
Associations.

Columbia, Feb. 5.-The child labor
bill was killed in the house, the vote
being 50 to 81. Had all the members
Of the house been present the vote
might have been even closer-and the
result might have been changed.
There were no exciting passages in
yesterdays session of the house and
the debate was confined principally to
the opposition to the bill. Mr.. Gun
ter, Mr.. M. L. Smith, Mr.. CASTOR
and others who were expected to speak
in favor of the bill did not get an op-
portunity to do so as the motion on
which the vote was taken was to inde-
6nitely postpone the bill and this mo-
tion ended the discussion.
There are l24 members of the house,
10 did not vote beca9se five of that
number were absent and were paired
with five who were present. Mr.. J. 3.
Smith was deprived of the privilege Of
voting as be was in the other part Of
the capitol when the vote was being
taken, but be had his vote recorded
in the journal. Had these members
paired and Mr. Smith voted, the vote
would have been SO to IS. This left
seven members absent, and had they
been present the vote might have been
tie If no more The absentees not
paired were Mr.. Cosgrove and Mr..
Lotion of Charleston Mr.. deLoach Of
York, Mr.. Theus of Hampton, Mr..
Vincent of Beaufort, Mr.. Strom of
EdgeGeld and Mr.. Freeman OF Marl-
boro.
There was no acrimony in the debate
yesterday, but the members spoke
earnestly. There were great many
visitors present and at one time there
was some applause in the galleries
when Mr.. Spears of Darlington made
a warm appeal in advocacy Of the bill.
When it was announced that the bill
was Indefinitely postponed, or lost,
Mr. Ashley moved to put on the
parliamentary clincher, which meant
that the bill could not be recalled to
the calendar on motion for the house
TO reconsider the indefinite postpone
ment. The house put on the clincher
Josh threw his hands up and in ali
seriousness heaved deep sigh and
exclaimed "Thank God ~
Speaker Stevenson and Mr.. Beam
guard explained their vote by saying
in the journal that there will newt
ably be legislation on this line and
they preferred the moderate terms of
this measure to whatever drastic
legislation may be enacted in the
future.
This morning the Senate took up
Mr.. Ildertonss railroad relief depart
ment bill, and it was the only bill de-
bated during the day and was practi-
cally the only business done.
After two hours discussion vote
was reached and the Senate refused
to strike. out the enacting words, the
Lieutenant Governor casting the
deciding vote, there being tie of IS
to Is.
Several amendments were made to
the county salary bill and it passed its
third reading and was sent TO the
House. The Code bill vas passed
to third reading.
The redistricting bill was made
special order for Tuesday.
The Senate held fifteen minutes
session tonight, before the joint as
sembly met to hear the st. Louis Ex-
position commissioners.
4 number OF committee reports were
made. The judiciary committee made
ar unafvorable report on the bill to
establish the line between Greenville
and Spartanburg counties. The bill
went on che Calendar.
The same committee also made an
unfavoraDle report on the bill to give
attorneys lien on claims placed in
their hands for collection. This, too,
went on the Calendar.
The finance committee made an un-
favorable report on the House bill re-
quiring Dorchester County to pay "a
certain part of the bonds issued by
Colleton County in aid of the Green