The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-01-28
CLASS LEGISLATION NOT WANTED.

It is no wonder that biennial
sessions are growing in demand,
when it is considered how some
legislators employ their time.
Instead Of studying out legisla
ton which is for the peoples in
tegssss. somspef e1f lawmakers
ssRly have in view something
which may suit their individual
callings, or something which
might prevent or aid some par
ticular scheme in which the leg
islator, or a personal friend is
interested in, and which is aoso-
lutely of 40 benefit to the public
generally.
We ind bill introduced to
require railroads to give free
transportation to State and
county officers, and this measure
will have support we have no
doubt. The sitting Of the legis-
lature costs about $1,000 per day
and this money comes out of the
pockets of the taxpayers gener-
ally, how is a bill to give a spe-
cial class of individuals the lux
ury of free transportation TO ben
eft the taxpayers? Our view Of
this, is that should the bill be-
come a law, it will be unconsti-
tutional, as much so as would an
Act ctconfscating the receipts from
passenger traffic, and aside from
that, it is an unjust and an un-
reasonable requirement; had the
bill provided for free tcansporta-
ton for the public, we might
have attributed it to zeal, but as
it only undertakes to save money
for Office holding politicians We
must think it is an effort to
ssstand in'' with the vote getters,
R>build for the future at the ex
pense Of the railroads. It is
Just as reasonable to require the
railroads to provide food and
clothing for State and county
officials, as it is to require them
to furnish free transportation.
Suppose the railroads did give
free transportation, as they did
before the free pass act was
passed, how many State and
county officials would refuse to
collect and pocket mileage when
travelling on official business?
Before the free pass act, the
railroads made it a practice to
send passes to members of the
legislature, and to sherif's, and
these officers used them, but
when they travelled on official
business, and made out their &C
counts, mileage was one of the
main features-not railroad mile
age at three cents per mile, but
statutory mileage at ten cents
per mile, when the fact is they
did not pay out one cent. Was
anything saved to the taxpayers,
by these officers having free
transportation? Then if there is
nothing to be saved to the tax
payers, why take up the time of
the Legislature, especially when
there is a cry for an increase of
taxation. The State and county
officers solicit the positions and
very frequently spend money to
get them, there must be some
thing in them worth the seeking,
they know the salaries attached,
and there is no law compelling
the acceptance, therefore we see
no reason for the legislature to
Cypress railroads for the bene-
fit of a number OF stall-fed Off
GERS. Instead of a bill to give
transportation to officers, a bill
to compel the roads to provide
better schedules, and indiscrimi-
nate freight rates would have
some good in it for the general
public. We hope the Florence
Senator's bill will be defeated,
because we are opposed to our
legislature resorting to a "hold-
up" policy.