Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1902-02-26
tion for the government of the whole
people, with white supremacy as the

the members OF the convention were
considering, and unfortunately they
drifted into legislation for the well
fare of the State, from which there
has sprung much of the confusion
and uncertainty of the laws enacted
since the constitution went into eff
feet. Biennial sessions would obvi-
ate some of the difficulties growing
out of the incongruous legislative
features of the constitution, because
the Legislators would be compelled
to regard the difficulties of the situa-
ton, and study more closely the
actual needs of the State in the mat
ter of change and amendment of the
laws. They would grow more con-
servative in the enactment of new
laws, and would have a longer
time in which to reflect upon the
operation of laws already on the
books so that incessant changes
would not be taking place, and the
people would understand that sta
bility might be expected in their law
makers. Mountaineer.
Biennial Sessions.
Three correspondents, writing
from as many different places, re-
ported yesterday the sentiment of
their several localities with regard
to the defeat in the Senate last week
of the joint resolution providing for
biennial sessions of the Legislature.
Our correspondent at Bowman
says that the public generally of
that place condemn the defeat of
the measure, and adds: "The time
will soon speed around when the op-
ponents of the fish bill and of bien-
NAL sessions will have to appear be-
fore the people and give account of
their stewardship"
Our correspondent at st. Matthews
remarks: "The action of the Senate
in voting down the biennial sessions
resolution was great disappoint-
ment here. Public sentiment is
practically unanimous for the
change. When another session
weeds out some of the mossbacks in
that bodyit it will go through without
any trouble. Quadrennial sessions
would receive an overwhelming ma
jority in this county"
Our Yorkville correspondent says:
"There is great disappointment in
this county over the fact that the
Senate has killed the biennial ses-
sions joint resolution. Everybody
who is at all conversant with the
laws of the State knows that about
one-half of the laws now on the stat
ute books are ignored, and that if
legislation is needed at all it is along
the line of repeating laws already en-
acted, instead of making more. If
the people are ever given the op-
portunity of saying whether or not
they want biennial sessions, there is
practically no doubt of the fact that
they will say 'biennieP 80 loud and
plain that after that time they will
be rid of about half the annoyance
they now have by reason of the as
sem bling together OF the outfit"
That these views reflect those of
an overwhelming majority of the
people of the State, there is no
ground to doubt. The House fairly
represents public sentiment on the
question and it voted 81 to ia
nine-tenths majority-in favor of
the resolution. A majority of the
Senators, it is to be marked, also
voted for it the vote standing 20
to 15. The resolution failed to pass
for lack of seven votes only-27
votes being required to make the
necessary two-t thirds vote of all the
Senators, as required by the Con-
stitution for the passage of such
measures. Five Senators did not
vote. Their votes added to the
twenty, with any two of these cast
by the fifteen minority, would have
passed the resolution and insured the
adoption of the reform. The re-
sponsibility for its defeat rests en-
tirely with the fifteen Senators who
voted against it and the five who did
not vote. ANY seven of these could
have passed it by their votes-and
30 saved the State quarter of a
million dollars every decade, besides
saving it from the annoyance, ex-
penses, confusion and waste resulting
from an annual flood of new bills and
constantly tinkering with old ones.
Their constituents can deal with
the twenty accordingly, whether in
the way of approval or of disap.
proval OF their action and it's conse-
quences. The lesson of their action,
at any rate, is perfectly plain. 1T