The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-03-04
KoONCE PISTOL BILL.
Live Debate ON Board at State Normal
and Other Events of Night Session.

The night session of the House was
as spirited a gathering of the Lower
House as has been held, and in many
debates on the topics discussed there
was a spirit of humor and good fell
lowship that was charming.
1.-THE koonce Pistol Bill was one
of these, and in it Mr.. koonce. the
genial and full sized member from
Onslow, made hit, a Dalpable hit, in
his appeal for consideration and to
have one bill passed that simply swept
all opposition before it as the flood
sweeps away the barrier of straw.
There is no record of such similar
plea. unique in its wonderful effect of
a thunderous endorsement.
Mr.. Koonce is man big in size and
his physique does not suggest the need
OF a pistol. His bill to make the car
rying of concealed weapons a felony
came up. 1t was about to be tabled
when Mr.. Koonce gained the floor,
making a speech that in it's humor
couvulsed the House and won out by
la tremendous vote for his bill
Said Mr. Koonce: 81 ask you to
pass this bill as ! want to at least say
that / passed one bill on my own ac-
count without outside coercion. !
have had bad luck with my bills. and
| know this is a good one. | had q
similar bill before. 1t passed the
House, but in the Senate which was
tangled up in the ginseng bin it was
killed, as the Senate considered it
more important to send to prison for
five years fellow who stole SO worth
of ginseng from a little patch, than to
consider n bill which has in it pro-
lection to human life. Just pass this
1,;1 Il rfh wit
and no noes" and / will be satisfied.
know that the Senate will kill it
but that does not matter. | want to
get at least one bill through"
The House applauded Mr.. koonce,
and at times laughed immoderately,
the galleries joining in. Some one
tried to table the bill but the House
set down on this with n roar. The
bill passed its second reading like a
hurricane with more applause. Mr..
Graham, of Granville sent forward an
amendment to make the second Of
tense a felony. The House wanted to
know if Mr.. Koonce accepted this and
lif it would still be his bill 81 accept
the amendment and it is still my bill,
he announced. The bill went through
with a whoop.
Then Mr.. burlington, of Iredell,
moved to reconsider, but stating that
the bill is a good bill another mem
Der moved to table the motion to re-
consider and put on the. clincher. This
was adopted with great enthusiasm,
land So far as his colleagues in the
House can go the "Koonce Pistol
Law" gains a place in the history of
this Legislature.
Normal College Board.
There was a stir of lively debate on
la bill to provide for the amending of
the charter of the State Normal Col
lege by making board there not to
exceed SO q month in place of $500
a month.
Mr.. Laughinghouse, of Pitt, offered
an amendment providing that this be
1880 unless the parents of the pupil
Iare worth less than one thousand dol
lars. Mr.. Murphy explained that the
bill was framed to make the dormitory
meet expenses and urged it, opposing
the LaughnghouSe amendment. In
the course Of this he urged that there
be no division made as to the wealth
of the girls there that in North Caro-
lima he wanted no division as existed
between Lazarus and Dives.
Here Mr. Murphy of Rowan, asked
liz the speaker knew where these gen.
tlemen named reside now. Quick as
ii
"In the place where the gentleman
from Rowan will CO. To this the
Rowan Murphy answered, AT least
the gentleman from Buncombe and l
will be i'm the same place"
Mr. Fowler, of Sampson, opposed
the bill He urged that no increase of
board be made. He denied that when
less than the SO named was expended
the girls received a rebate. Several
members testified that $3.50 surplus
had been so divided each girl getting
so cents. To this Mr.. Fowler replied
that once a surplus of $136 had been
used on a banquet arranged by the
rich girls in opposition to the poor
girls. There were many Interruptions
during his remarks all in good humor,
land references to all kinds of ban
|quets, Mr.. Fowler insisted that the
cost of table board need not exceed
So, and that the bill ought not to pass.
Mr.. McNinch. Of Mecklenburg,
spoke for the bill, urging that as SO
Ia month is the extreme limit, that
everything that could be saved from
that amount would be, and the sur
plus returned. Mr.. Cunningham, OF
Person, spoke for the bill.
Mr.. Laughinghouse urged his
amendment, stating that the A. and
M. COllcBc ana the state ANOrIIldl COl-
lege We're started to educate poor
girls and boys, but that now four
fifths of the students are children of
rich parents. and that it is a ''damna-
bic outrage" that the State should be
paying part of board and tuition of
the children of wealthy parents, that
these able to pay should pay rates
as at other schools and those not able
should have aid given. He held that
the old Confederate soldiers had given
way in the matter of pensions in the
face of a depleted treasury, and here
money was to be voted to the A. and
M. and the State Normal, and the
wealthy to get advantages in board
that they ought to pay for. AS for
the poor girls, he would be willing
for them to get their board for moth
| ing il that was necessary.
Mr.. Boney. of New Hanover, hui
morously moved to amend by eX-
empting bachelors from all tax to ed
ucate people as they got nothing. He
| is a bachelor.
Mr.. Ballard, of Franklin, held that
as the wealth of North Carolina made