Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1905-02-15
IN THE HOUSE OF aEpaEsENIArlve:s.
Interesting letters from Messrs. vemer and
Sb6ldoa-- Will Adjourn Next Saturday.

Columbia, February 11.--Editors Cou-
rier: owe your readers an apology for
not keeping them better informed about
the workings of this body. My excuse
| is, haven't been real we'll five days in
the thirty five we have been here. There
is such difference in the steam heated
atmosphere of tine house and the cold
air outside that when one goes from ono
to the other there is constant danger Of
catching fresh cold, aud this has been
the worst winter that ever spent here
in that respect.
We learn, or think we learn, as we
grow older and have experience II any
line Of work. think have made :. dis
covery of decided sdvantage and occa-
sional convenience to some of the mem.
bers. All experienced n,embers realize
that negative legislation ia paramount to
affirmative legislstion-that is, as much
or more good is accomplished by killing
bad bills as by passing good ones. More
than half of our time is taken up keep
easier to prevent this by adjourning oc-
oasionally and keeping them out OF the
State House than by staying in session
all the time and holding them back. So
if you see when voted to let them out
occasionally you may know that got
mischief and voted 60 let them out in self
defense and as a safe line to pursue for
the people generally. The remedy for
this is fewer sessions, and for the reasons
above stated have always favored 6ien-
nial sessions, which we shall have after
this session.
The dispensary has been the means of
more legislation this winter than ever bo-
fore. Your readers will remember how
have, from the adoption of this law,
opposed it at all times and places. They
may also remember that when l first
came here said it was the most cor
rupting law this State has ever enacted,
aud that as soon as the people found it
out it would be repealed. That was
eight years ago when there was so much
drinking and scandal going on here.
Then only about one fourth of the men,
ooAo "SAO ppPooOu w ouO io"s ludU 6lu0
has made steady gain since, and this ses-
sion, for this first time. the house passed
bill to allow the counties to settle by
vote this vexing question. So we readily
see that the way to kill any known evil is
to keep men in office who are opposed to
such evil.
The other night when the House was
discussing one of the many dispensary
bills which have been up at this session,
the most laughable and inconsistent thing
occurred. An old-time, dyed-in- the wool
dispensaryite, seeing the beginning of
the end of the law, appealed to the pro-
hibitionists to save it. Think of prohi-
bitionists being called on to save an in
stitution that sold last year nearly
$3,500,0OO worth of whiskey! think
liquor, especially when the State engages
in its sale for profit, is the greatest curse
to which our people can be subjected,
and it is said to be responsible for Is per
cent of all the murders committed.
have been thinking a good deal lately
about the public school system in this
State and the general inefficiency of our
teachers. 1t is surprising, the number
of educated, sensible men we find who
are very much dissatisfied with the
books used, the system and the class of
teachers, and yet make no endeavor to
change or improve things. This, it
seems to me. is the most important mat
ter now to be considered by the people
of this State, and have undertaken to
call their attention to the fact.
K. E. Werner.
Columbia, February H. Editors Cou-
rier: failed to mail my letter to The
Courier last week after writing it, OK.
pecting to finish and mail on Monday.
We have had all sorts of weather in Co
lumbia-rain, sleet and snow. 1t cleared
up this morning and the sun has been
shining bright and warm to-day, but at
this writing, Saturday evening, it is
cloudy and looks as if it might rain or
snow again before morning.
A number of bills have been killed
and few passed since my last letter to
The Courier. The ten-circuit bill was
settled to-day in free conference of five
mem bers-two from the Senate and
three from the House. The Honse and
Senate both concur and IL nou becomaa