The Palatka news and advertiser., 1903-04-24

LEGISLATIVE GOSSIP.
ilInRlI lIInEn nEInIlnHInEnH1lErINTMn

sAIlRH III lEH lEIN lEIl NHH lE II lHH nMTENTHas
House bill No. 4, aimed at a repeal
of the law making incurable insanity
ground for divorce, has received it's
death blow in the senate, where it
has been indefinitely postponed.
The senate has confirmed the gov
ernor's appointments on the supreme
court bench, also that of Hon. Neil
M. Alfred of Ocala to be states at
torney for the fifth judicial circuit
and II. S. Phillips for the sixth cir
cult.
An occasional ass will creep into
the Legislature despite all the people
can do. A Mr.. Parrish has intro
duced bill making foot ball an un-
lawful game. Now, isn't that an
asinine measure?
Mr.. Gornto has introduced a bill
to regulate the carrying of telegraph
messages in cities and towns of over
five hundred inhabitants. " That is
all the Times Union report says of
his bill. For the benefit of our read
ers it should be stated that telegraph
wiz llObf uuACI pIO-
posed bill, be regarded as concealed
weapons.
Senator Adams has introduced a
bill to require sleeping car COM
panies and railroad companies op-
Grating sleeping cars to separate
white and colored passengers. 1t
doesn't seem as if such bill would
be necessary, but it is. We have got
to do something to protect our mig
gers from Yankee race equality
missionaries, and Senator Adams is
doing the right thing when he pro-
poses a law which will prohibit 'em
from occupying the same bunk.
Stephen r. Mallory was reelected
to the United States Senate for the
term of six years by the action of
both branches of the legislature on
Monday, receiving all but one vote,
that of Representative Ware, the
only republican in the legislature.
Mr.. Ware voted for j. n. CoOmbs,
and made an eloquent speech in his
favor which was listened to patient
ly by the other members.
The bill introduced in the Senate
by Senator Grill validating the re-
cent Palatka bond issue, has been
passed by that body and is now in
the house where it will receive SINH
lar treatment. When approved by
the Governor there will be nothing
in the way of the sale of the bonds.
The Senate has passed a Joint reso-
luton requesting congress to call q
nn fitt lanai convention RI
an amendmendment to the constitu-
United States senators elective in
the several states by direct vote of
the people. Senators Blount, Grill
and Wilson were the only Senators
voting against the resolution.
A bill to revoke and abolish the
present municipal government of the
town of New Smyrna and to organ
ize a city government for that town
has passed the senate unanimously.
Representative Gilchrist of Desc
to opened the house proceedings
with prayer one morning last
week owing to the absence of the
chaplain. Mr.. Gilchrist didn't say
much-he didn't need to in order to
be irreverent. Mr.. Gilchrist is
sometimes facetious; a man who
talks so much is expected to say an
occasional funny thing; but when he
attempted to appear funny in his
opening prayer he made at least one
serious lapsus linguae in his legisla-
tive career. His mOckery at prayer
will not be well received by the re-
ligiOus element of the state. His
defeat for the speakership was not a
mistake.
The so-called Temperance" agita-
tors of the legislature are at work
again and are introducing all sorts
of bills aimed at depriving the liquor
business of it's horns. The lobby
stands by and gives these temper
ance" agitators the benefit of its
moral" support. The lobby has
had a rather tame time so far but
the possibility of an opportunity to
blackmail the liquor interest makes
the members prick up their ears.
One bill. that of Representative Corn
to of Bradford county, makes it un-
lawful to keep bar open after six
o'clock. Such a bill is rank nom
sense. So long as the state charges
liquor dealers a license of 81 900 per
year for the privilege of doing busi-
ness, the state is morally bound to
protect dealers in that business.
The state has no right to limit the
hours of sale unreasonably. License
means to legalize. The state law OF
Florida recognizes the liquor busi-
ness as legitimate in counties that
elect to permit its sale, and when 3
liquor man has paid his money he is
entitled to protection. The state
can prohibit the business entirely.
1t should do this or let it alone. The
practice of legalizing and then black
mailing lilly becomes a legislative
assembly. The bill of Representa-
tive TisOn, doing away with screens
before bars is not wicked, but little
good could come from its passage.
why the Widow MOurned Not.
Mrs. Schnoppsprecher was doing
the washing in the backyard R9bl
rub! rub
Her husband was operating the lit
tie family saloon few doors down
the street. Gustave SchnOpTSurech-
er was very big man vast of glivh,
ponderous of limb and neck. He
painted hoarsely up and down behind
his bar. A laborer was
drinking tub of beer at the bar.
= There was a rating gurgle in
Schnoppsprecher's throat and the
Iaborer was startled to see the huge
saloonkeeper fall over backward,
shaking the house and dragging
tray of beer glasses with him.
He is dead" said the doctor,
hastily summoned. "Apoplexy."
Rub! rub! rub! from Mrs.
Schnoppsprecher's over in the back
yard. She was no airy-fairy Lillian
herself, but sweated hard and