The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-02-17
CAPITOL CORRESPONDENCE.
Editor The Manning Times:


last week the Legislators will be IN ses-
sion, must write you few lines today
if carry out my promise to give you
few letters while up here. We are now
on the home stretch, so to speak, and
will adjourn sometime next Saturday.
That is the last day the General Assem-
blv can remain in session and receive
pay. and YOU know we are not going to
stav here very long after the pay stops.
There are good reasons for this; first OF
all. it takes about what a Legislator
GETS to keep him going while in Colum-
bia, and then the most important legls-
lation, such as the appropriation bill
and the supply bill, will be finished this
week.
THIS session has not been marked by
the passage of any very radical meas
ures, though a great many important
things have been done. The Senate
is a very quiet, conservative and dlgnl-
fed BODY, but the House is much more
lively. However they both sometimes
reverse themselves. For example, the
House passed Mr.. DesChamps' expert
ment station bill on the second reading
where the fight usually occurs, and
then on the third reading reversed
itself by whipping US out and kill
ing the bill. Then it passed a bill
TO keep some sort OF a record OF mar
riaees (the first step looking towards a
divorce law a few days ago, but on the
third reading we succeeded IN killing
the measure.
OF course the usual large number OF
measures have been introduced this
YEAR and it will always be so. There
IS no creature on the face OF the earth
who likes politics better that the aver
ace South Carolinian, and this love of
politics takes shape in numerous ideas
and propositions coming up annually
from the people through their repre-
sentatives, and must be given vent
somewhere. The Legislature affords
safety valve. 1t has always been so
ever Since South Carolina has been a
State, and expect it will continue to
be so. This is not thrown out partlcu-
larly as an argument IN favor OF annual
sessions of the General Assembly. But
I am in favor of annual sessions, just
like we have always had. I am opposed
to the bi-ennual sessions idea and have
consistently voted against 1t every time
it has come up, and it is not my lnten-
tion to stay in politics either. l am
cynical enough to believe that some
members were Influenced to vote for
the biennial sessions idea because they
thought it was popular thought with
the people: in fact some have told me
that it was against their judgement, but
- o,,ybno-
I generally vote according to my own
Judgment, and in fact believe every
man on our delegation does. | wish |
had time and the space to advance some
of nv reasons why l do not think bi-en-
NAL sessions are advisable. but cannot
now. II | should be in the campaign
the coming summer I will do so. only
throw out one little argument. and that
is that Georgia, right next to US, has
tried the biennial session idea, and has
gone back to annual sessions. If the
biennial amendment to the cons:ltu-
ton prevails in the next general cleo
ton it will have to come back here
and be ratified next winter, and Will
not 90 into effect until 1907, thereby
not etfecting those members who will
be elected the coming summer. Very
easy thing 10 vote for. See:
The Legislature OF course does some
wise and some unwise things. Ererybo-
dy does that. For instance they have
voted to submit the question of biennial
sessions to the people, and killed the
resolution looking to four year instead
OF two year terms of Legislators.
A proposition to give magistrates Jl-
risdiction to the extent OF 5000 fine or
E months Imprisonment has wisely been
killed.
One unwise thing which has been
passed is a measure, or several meas
ures, ceding to the United States gov
eminent exclusive jurisdiction over GER
tain lots in Rock Hill, Florence, Spar
tanburg and perhaps other towns: upon
which to erect public buildings. The
State should never give up its entire
sovereignty over any of its lands, and
should always reserve concurrent juris-
diction. It would be q pretty come to
pass if murder were committed on one
of these lots and the defendant should
have to be tried in the United States
court. I don't think we should let our
love for little biz of money from the
national treasury carry US SO far.
1t looks as if the bill to put tax OF
fifty cents on dogs will pass, but you
can't tell yet what the fate OF the bill
will be in the Senate. The ''yaller
DOG" is much abused creature, but he
has some good friends all the same, es-
pecially among the low country repre-
sentatives.
Quite considerable number of meas
ures have been introduced, and some Of
them passed, along educational lines,
notably to create 124 scholarships in
Clemson college. These will be diEid-
ed up one to every member OF the
House so that Clarendon will get three.
The tax question has occupied consid-
cradle time this session, but l cannot
give any definite action that has been
perfected as yet. Telephone, telegraph
and railroad lines have all received
their share OF attention, some measures
wise and some perhaps not so wise: but
the State of South Carolina, as Uncle
Billie Cole used to say about Clarendon
county when he was running for Super
visor. sis good sized half-acre." "
There are lot of people in the State,
and many interests must be regarded
and encouraged.
But cannot attempt to give au ac-
count of everything that has come uo
this session. I have already written
enough for one time, and I have just
scrubbed it off hurridly. The House IS
now in big discussion on bill to tax
all oysters, and other shell fish, etc..and
this being very large industry on the
coast, Beaufort, Charleston, George
town, Colleton and Horny are tghtlng
the measure.
There is bare chance that the bill
to create two new circuits will pass, as
the matter is now up in the Senate, Oat
I scarcely think il will pass the House
at this late stage Of the session.
The shad bill: which prohibits the