Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1904-01-06
Alalters Q coas asIers 10 l:aeIsIallrs.

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The Legislature meets on january
~, and, as usual, there are quite q
humber of bills left over from last
session, among the important ones
the biennial session bill. Ithas been
before Legislatures for several years
and has been gaining adherents at
each session. Last year It failed to
get two-tbirds vote in the Senate
by one vote, and it may go through
this time. fit does the people win
have to vote on the question as the
next general election, for the pro-
posed change has to be brought
about bya constitutional amendment.
The great problem that the. Gene
raj Assembly will have to tackle will
be that of finances. Governor Hey
ward will devote considerable por-
tion of his message to the finances
of the State; Comptroller General
Jones will give deserved attention
to the question, and the special
report of the tax commission will be
looked Tor with interest. The State
is steadily spending money and the
question is how to catch up and
keep ahead and not have to borrow
money for current expenses. There
will be numerous suggestions as to
how the additional revenue can be
obtained.
The matter of additional court
facilities will naturally come up for
consideration. The special court
idea is not popular and has proven
unsatisfactory to the lawyers and to
the people generally. If there are
to be more courts, regularly elected
judges are wanted, either in county
or circuit courts. The disposition
now seems to be TO establish two
extra circuits. This would be as
cheap as paying for the special terms
of court. 1t is to be remembered
that two of the circuit judges have
been sick for the greater part of the
present year, and that their places
have had to be filed by special ap-
pointment. ~
The dispensary never escapes some
attempts at amendment. An organi-
zation, known as the Law and Order
League, has been formed, and its
main object, it is understood, is to
have an amendment passed by which
towns which have voted for dis
pensary may vote it out. 1t is we'll
known, also, that the league is but
another name for the prohibitionists.
While it is not known what strength
it will show, if it does show much,
it is expected that all opponents of
the dispensary system will flock to
It's standard, not because they want
prohibition, but because they don't
want the dispensary.
An immigration bureau is another
important matter and it has gained
many friends in the past few months.
Gov. Hayward will strongly recon-
mend its establishment and at pres
ent the prospects are bright for it.
Among the commissions to report
besides the tax commission will be
the Hampton monument and State
House commissions. The first will
show that $4,000 of the necessary
$4,000 to be raised by the people
has been paid in, The Legislature
will be asked to contribute the other
5000, and in case it refuses to do
this it will be requested to allow the
contingent appropriation of $4,000
to stand until the people contribute
the $4,000 required before the ap-
preparation is available.
The State HoSse commission will
recommend thsl various defects in
the new work on the buildings be
remedied, as it has been shown to
have been badly done.