The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-11-02
THEY WILL BE BUSY
GEORGIA LEGISLATORS HAVE
PLENTY TO DO
SAYS REP. VIM. HARDEN.
ANOTHER EFFORT FOR AUSTRAL-
IAN BALLOT SYSTEM.

Two Bills offered to Prevent Vote
Buying and Corruption in Pri-
mary EIectiOns-Warm Fight Pro-
missed on Town of Warsav PHI
Has Not Turned Up Yet-ChiId La
Dor Bill VIII Pass, Mr.. Harden Be-
Iieves-Convict Lease System VIII
Tie Changed Solnewhat-Mr. Har-
den Against Free Labor Near
Cities-Two Days of Pleasure for
Lawmakers This Week.
The members of the Georgia Legis-
lature will be a busy lot from now on.
since the standing committees have
been announced.
Representative Harden returned
home yesterday morning to attend to
some business matters. The other rep
resentatives, Maj. Cam and Mr. Sto-
vail, accompanied the legislative party
on the trip to Athens for the laying of
the corner stone of the Winnie Davis
memorial. Mr.. Harden says the Legis-
lature will get down to hard work to-
morrow, although two days of frolic
are scheduled for the week.
That something will be done towards
stopping vote buying and other cor
ruption at primary elections there is
no doubt in Mr.. Hardens mind. Mr..
StovalPs measure has already been
read and commented upon. A bill
touching the evil, but one that goes
much further, has been offered by Rep
resentative Rankin of Gordon county.
This bill seeks to make it a misde-
meaner to either give or sell or drink
during a primary. While Mr.. Harden
would not begin to say just what bill
will be passed he is confident that the
Legislature viii enact some law to gov
ern the holding of primary elections.
For Another Ballot Law.
Representative Kelly of Glascock
| will again attempt to make the Aus
tralian ballot system a law in Geor-
| gia. When the last Legislature was in
session the same lawmaker offered a
bill that sought to place many restr1c-
! lions upon the voter. The Australian
system was to be used and among other
things it was specified that if man.
| ager smelled liquor on voters breath
| ne should not be permitted to cast his
| ballot. The bill was afterwards amend
ed so that the most stringent features
were eliminated. but even then it fail
ed to pass. Mr.. Kelly will make a de-
termined effort to have the present
Legislature declare for the Australian
ballot.
The Warsaw Bill.
A measure to define the limits of the
town of Warsaw has not yet come to
light, although the caption of the bill
has been printed, and it has been wide
| ly discussed. Mr.. Harden says he has
| never seen copy of the bill, that Mai.
Cam stated to him that he did not
have copy of it, and that Mr.. Stovall
is in the dark, too. All three of Chat
| hams representatives, however, have
been approached by one party or anoth-
er. 1t appears that there is some question
as to whether The Savannah Yacht
Club Is within the limits of the Town
or warsaw and that the Legislature
will be called upon to settlesthe dispute
by defining the boundary lines of the
corporation. The Yacht Club has been
paying its taxes to the Town of War
saw, but IL at any time it should be
| determined that it is not subject to
the tax it could recover the amount
paid in, along with interest. Mr.. Har-
den predicts warm fight on the bill
when it does come to light.
The Convict Lease system.
If the Convict Lease System is con-
| q,
in the opinion of Mr.. Harden. The ques-
ton of the State continuing to lease
| convictS is one that Is being generally
| discussed by the members of the Legis-
| lature and Mr.. Harden is confident that
| If the present system is not abolished,
| and this seems extremely doubtful,
will at least be changes in the law.
While the representatives from Chat
| ham have received copies of the resolu-
| tiOnS
| ing the leasing of convicts in Chatham
| County, no bill has yet been intro
| duced looking forward towards remedy
| ing the evil. Mr. Harden is opposed to
the use of convict labor in the vicinity
of cities and some sort of measure that
will seek to cover the evil will proba-
bly, be introduced, and no doubt pass
| ed.
The Child Labod Bill.
The child labor bill, in the opinion of
Mr.. Harden, will become a law There
has been much electioneering on this
measure and it is generally conceded
that the present General Assembly
will make it a law. The bill forbds
the hiring of children under 10 years
of age in any factory in the state.
The members of the Legislature
have not yet visited the State Fair at
Valdosta, but expect to make the trip
this week. The House voted to go
last Wednesday, but when it was
learned that special cars could not be
secured the Senate voted the House
down. The trip will be made one
day this week when the railroad has
cars to spare and will be without ex-
pense to the State House officers. An
other frolic is slated for Wednesday
when Representative John NJ. Slaton
of Fulton county will give his annual
| barbecue at Cole Spring The last
barbecue is pleasantly recalled by Mr..
Harden.
Accordion Plating.