The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1902-01-17
COLUMBIA LETTER.

Columbia, January I6-The Legisla-
ture met on Tuesday and has got down to
work. Especially has this been the case
in the House. The Senate did nothing
yesterday as all the bills on the calendar
brought over from last year had been
recommitted and there was nothing to do
yesterday. The committees have gotten
to work, however, and regular legislative
work will begin in earnest in very few
days. There is great deal before this
Legislature to be done. The Supreme
Court has declared the jury law unconsti-
tutional, which will necessitate the franz
ing of new jury law. In fact there has
been so much special aud local legisla-
tiou right in the face of the plain provis-
ions of the constitution that it is q
serious question if any of our county gov
eminent laws would stand the test. And
strange to say the Legislature will go
right on overriding the plain inhibition
of the constitution. The Governor vetoed
one of these bills the other day, passed at
the last session and the House sustained
the veto by unanimous vote. :
~
The Governor also vetoed the bill re-
pealing the ante-free pass Act passed in
1891. Tbs newspapers unfriendly to the
Governor have put out wrong impress
sion in regard to the Governor in this
matter and it has the appearance of being
done with malice. The Act was passed
at the last session and sent to the Cover
nor after the adjournment and too late to
be acted on until the Legislature had ad-
journed. The constitution provides in
cases like this that if the Governor does
not return the Act to the house in which
it originated within two days after the
next session opens with his reasons for
not approving it the Act becomes law
without his signature. He returned it
on the first day of the present session
without his approval and gave state
ment of his reason for so doing. He
could not have possibly acted any earlier.
Yet it has been stated that he was oscil-
lating and lacking in backbone. Some
people think it was wrong to veto the Act
while others think it the proper thing,
but the point make is he acted as
promptly in the matter as it was possible.
It may be that these critics are of the
opinion that the Governor should have
advised them of what he intended to do.
The law does not so direct and they
should have the law changed if they do
not like it. That, no doubt, would be a
very easy matter for some of them. I
think the Governor acted properly in veto
ing the Act. His veto was sustained by a
vote of 81 against 3S to pass it over the
veto. Of the Newberry delegation Mr..
Doninick voted to pass the bill over the
veto of the Governor, while Messrs Kibler
and Banks voted to sustain the position
of the Governor.
~
There are great many candidates for
the various positions to be filled from
trustee of State college to a judgeship.
The race in the Fourth Circuit for judge
promises to be interesting. There are
three candidates in the field to succeed
Judge Buchanan-two from Sumter and
one from Florence. Three are in the race
for members of the Board of Directors of
the Dispensary. There are great many
candidates, though from what have been
able to hear the disposition is to make no
change this year, but you can't always
tell what the result Of an election will be-
The elections will probably be held next
Tuesday, 2Ist.
~
The editor of the State newspaper can
not keep his venom out of even his ap-
proval of a document which comes from
..,,- I,a cannot control He comments