The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-01-14
OUR COLUMBIA LETTER.
Col.rMElA, JAN. 12, 1908

Noit NElA, JAN. 1o, 1905.
ouperstltlous legislators NAV apDre-
bend trouble from the fact that the
General Assembly begins its sessions
on the thirteenth day of the month
IL the session has disastrous results !,
may DO attributed To the l3 hoodoo.
hut th's VIII not prevent the assem-
oly from beginning business to-mor
row. lt lsa new Legislature and there
aio nialy new members. but enough
lalnlliar laces Will be IL the capitol TO
i'inMo \ ; |. seem IKE Tie same old thing.
Lieut.. 10Y. llllman will call the Sri,
ate to order and preside until his s,,r-
cessor, Col. John II. Sloan. is innn'u-
rated. Clerk Il. Il. Ilrmphiil Vii Hn
III his place and will stay there ,lurin.,
ms session ana the next if he lives
ior tiere Is none 10 oppose him. The
nililor officers Will hc filled in he usual
way, some elected and some a,uoin,"I
by tho now I.icutrnant-C C;nv"rn"r
Senator John Z; Sheppard. of i.dgr-
flcld, Will doubtless be nr,in s.innf,,,J
as president pro tenn. a u0si,jnu For
whlcn his experience an,l ability Mako
him cnlinently tit. '''''>o
The House of Representative will be
Clerk OF the last House "a \ tr,n',,nr,, ,,",riur,
Speaker will be named and thrn ,h'
Giection ior Speaker " III begin nt once.
l he former Speaker, w T. Strv.nsnn
OF Cheraw, ran for Acknowledgement
ana ana hence Is not now in the House
mo ,ieaHlnH candidates for the place
are l. Williams, OF Lancaster. Nj
-. ;,' ;HIhltn' or Camden. and Ruinsford,
or Edgeiie!d, with Il dark horse or two
chewing his bit. Mr.. Williams is con
siuereu to have the best chances; he il
young ana looks younger, but has 10
yc',ih experience and plenty OF ability.
Coli tn!ncr will be reelected Clerk.
no work OF tho Legislature will
:im0uht 10 very little the first week. ns
is always INC ease with IL new Lcyisla
ture- Until the conmittces orr ,,I"n" ro,r
lzeu anu until they consider and rruort
upon tho bills introduced nothing can
be accomplished. The comn0siti0n of
inc committees is most imp0rtnnt
matter. The Senate elects lis commit
tees while tho Speaker appoints those
Oh the !iouse. The House will lose
noaic oi us strongest and most reliable
members as well rs some of the nico
! turesquc figures who have been hnnI-
ed down down from tho uprising of n
decade ago and have been holding
over eyer since. The Ways and Meaus
Connlttee Is by some considered tho
most important working body of the
Leslsiatnre. There will be II number
T1ll TINS session The chairman. Col.
Harvey Wilson, was u candidate for
Secretary OF State; George Il. Prince
asplred TO succeed Congressman Iati-
mer; ID. j.; kinard and j. c. WolIinp
ran Ior railroad Commissioner; and
the Following also will not return: Cos
grove, OF charleston, West, of Spar
Estrldge.. of Lancaster. Altamont
Moses, of Sumter, is the senior mem
Der OF those who will return.
The judiciary Committee ia also one
or tho most important, and here. too.
there will be marked changes. Seven
OF the Leading members will not return.
These are the courteous chairman. Mr.
Bacot, OF charleston, who was q can
didate for Congress-; Mr.. Croft, of
Aiken, who was elected to Congress:
z. T. Sanders, of Spartanburg, f. p,
Mct$ogen, CT LauTonb, and T. Is. But-
Ter, who now becomes Senator from
Cherokee, Mr.. Spears, of Darlington. of
free pass fame, and Mr.. Bostick. of
Bamberg. Of those who will return
!. ancey Williams is the senior men,
Der OF the committee.
Unless there is another hard fipht ON
the "child labor bill"-and there
doubtless will be-it is likely that there
Will be no spectacular PROCEEDINGS this
session, although it is usually the un-
expected that happens in the legisla-
tive halls. Senator j. o. Marshall, of
Richiand, the original advocate of
legislation to restrict child labor, is
prepared to renew the contest. and he
VII! nave plenty of assistance. The
fact that the last State Democratic
Convention demanded law prohibits
ing the employment of children under
II years of age in factories. ETC., NAV
smooth the way for the passage of the
measure, which was defeated last year
by such q close vote. 1t is certain,
however, that there will be vigorous
opposition. And any measure of the
kind will be met with bill providing
Tor compulsory education as a COM
panion reform.
The really important legislation.
which is absolutely necessary, relates
to the reformation of the States pres
ent system Of taxation. This is very
knotty problem and it will require
much wisdom to effect n satisfactory
solution. The States affairs are con-
Quoted on a very unDusiuess- like basis.
tho State treasurer every year borrow
ing money to pay current expenses.
How to increase the revenue and how
to keep down appropriations without
diminishing the efficiency of the gov
ernment In any OF it's branches-that is
the problem.
The various appropriations consider
alton of which is always unwisely left
to tho last days of the session, never
fail to produce moro or less acrimOn-
ious and more or less able debate. II
is on these themes that the politicians
can display their regard for and devo-
tion to "the people," The pension ap-
preparation, 100000 for the last year
is always an excuse for oratOry.
The day for the Inauguration of
GovernOr-elect d. Clinch Hayward has
not yet been fixed, but will probably |
occur about the Goth or 21st, when all |
the other State officials will be sworn |
in. Gov. McSweeney's last message |
will be read tomorrow. The retiring |
governors plans are not vet fully de-