The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1903-04-24
A GENERAL RESUME.


body that ever sat in the State capitol. The
house clerks have had to wrestle with many
more than a thousand bills, while in the
senate about 900 were introduced. Scores
of these bills were local in their nature,
having for their object the changing Of
county lines, the creation or abolition of
school districts and n thousand and one
other things concerning cities, towns and
villages which might have been left updone
to the great hurt of nobody. \ large num-
Der of these measures, of course, died the
death, many of them never escaping the
committee rooms.
But the statesmen did not devote all of
their time to tribes. Long before the session
began it was conceded that matters con-
corning the schools, the extension of the
fOurmi!e law to towns of 5000 and under,
the regulation of railroads in the interest
Of the Tennessee Central, insurance and
roads legislation and aid for the St Louis
Exposition and a State fair, would be is
sues for the lawmakers to handle. Chief
of these, and, in fact, above all else, was
the proposed extension of the four-mile law.
In many counties the campaign for legis-
lative places was fought this issue
alone. The Anti Saloon League had made
a hard fight and when the general assembly
convened they pushed their bill to an early
issue. The result is history. The liquor
interests were overwhelmed and today more
than forty towns which have had the Sa-
looms for years will soon know them no
more-at least not until there is Il change
of public sentiment. The passage of the
four-mile bill was a sweeping blow to the
liquor inter eSts, which have been steadily
losing ground in the State, and the chances
are more than even that 4 straight local
option law, covering the entire State, wi /
be passed before many years. The assem-
bly, has also passed some minor Ills
aimed TO restrict liquor dealing and gam
bling, but since the enactment OF the Ad-
ans bill there has been a growing dispo-
sition not to go any farther along this line,
The defeat of the bills seeking the reg
ulation Of the railroads, fathered by SEN
ator Baxter, of Davidson, who is also pres
measures were manifestly in the interest
Of his road, was foreshadOwed before the
bills have a chance to become laws, be-
cause they were so drastic tnat they ar
Tayed every r@r1ad in the State even the
against them. Senator Baxter has said he
Will stump the State OH this question, and
that he will next year eject Il legislature
which will give him such relief as he covets
The best posted men here, however, say he
viii never succeed unless he modihes his
Cause of Education.
Probably the most important legislation
enacted, with the possible exception of the
Adams law, was that dlverting the treas
common school fund. This act will give
the schools 100000 or 100000 Jan. l rext,
may run up to 500, 900 An effort was made
>to pass n bill limiting the annual amount
The defeat of this bill may yet bring on
serious complications, because after awhile,
If too large surplus goes to the schools
there Will be a cry for reduction OF taxa
ton. There are some other measures of
great Importance to the schools, and the
chances are that the present assembly has
immensely helped the cause OF public edu-
cation in Tennessee.
After the most strenuous efforts on the
Nashville and other cities, an appropriation
Of $4,000 for an exhibit at the Worlds FaiT
$4,000 more had been voted down. The
State fair >bI |, carrying an annual appro-
priation of $4,000. met defeat. the Jealousy
of Nashville by other towns helping to put
it to sleep. Efforts to pass bill providing
for n better system in the conduct OF the
agricultural department also proved futile.
Insurance legislation has had hard road
to travel, the assembly being careful not
to give the alleged Insurance combine any
more rope IL 1t cou.d help it. An anti
compact bill was Killed, but some other
measures received favorable action.
years effort, managed to get a bill through
establishing a State boa;d of law examin-
ers. The purpose of this act is to make
admission to the bar more difficult and to
shut out shysters.
Efforts to regulate telephone rates, TO
destroy trusts and to harass the railroads
have not made much Roadway. The DOM
inant sentiment seemed to be to let these
The assembly Endorsed number of con-
stitutional amendments passed by the last
legislature and the PsoPe %i vote on
amendments extend the term of the gov
ernor to four years, make the comptroller
stead of the legislature, give four-year
tenure to county officers, permits counties,
towns and municipalities to exempt new
years and limit the bonded debts of cities
to 10 per cent. of their taxable values.
The special committees which visited the
educational and charitable institutions and
forms, but little legislation in accordance
ever. cut in the per capita appropriations
to some of these institutions, on the g ound
get along on less Bills were passed pro-
viding for the purchase of additional coal
of the penitenfiary commissioners were
strengthened in the matter of enforcing
contracts.
Fight Over Pensions.
One of the biggest fights of the session
was over Confederate pensions and the pen
sion board. 1t was more or less q fight of
the outs against the ins, and also an eff
disabled Soldier soldiers. The assembly Increased
the annual appropriation of $4,000 making
cover the fourth-clasS pension. The make
up of the pension board was also changed
by giving camps and bivouacs more equal
a bill giving women representation on the
board of trustees of the Confederate Sol
dlers Home.
Quite a number of bills reducing the
number of civil districts in counties have
been passed, but it is impossible at this
writing to give a list of the affected coun-
ties. The object of these bills Is to reduce
the size Of the County Courts, and is
forerunner of a movement to further re-
strict the power and size of these courts
Considerable sentiment favorable TO
constitutional convention existed in the as
sembly, but efforts to pass bills providing
for a convention proved futile. The rural
districts do not seem to be favorable to
not one way or the other. The whiS-
ky interests are opposed to n convention for
fear of further damage to their business.
The appropriation bills carry about $780,
the State treasury is plethoric and there
have. been a good many calls for aid. Bills
carrying $4,000 for q refOrmatory school at
Memphis and $4,000 for a negro industrial
school ct Tullahoma went to the waste
basket, not, however, without a struggle.
Little road legislation of n beneficial
character was enacted. The character of the
country in the grand divisions is against 4
uniform road law. Several bills authoriz-
Ing counties to vote road bonds were passed,
bond propositions hav- failed.
Legislation looking 10 n better inspection
and control of the mines and charging the
power of the mine bureau was enacted.
More money for this worK was appropri-
ated.
The general assembly. on the whole has
been a good working body, end has been
free from scandal. 1t had few strong men
in each house. but as usual the vast nd
jority were not of high grade so far as
of business sense and sagacity. however,
and they have done all they could to bring
order cut OF chaos.
The Republicans have not had much to