The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-02-15

success of the Ways and Means
Committee. House to Adjourn
on Saturday Next-Other Matters.
News ana C3urier.
Columbia, February IL Especial: Taken
as u Whole the General Asst ~ bly, has done
good work. While the statute books may not
be overloaded with the work OF this session,
the sum total Of the work done in killing bills
q the passage of measures has altogether
been very good. The four important ISSUES
that the a Assembly had ~ meet were:
First, the dispensnry.
Second, bic n session.
Third, the financial conuitloD Of the State.
Fourth, additional judicial officer.
In The Two first Items blank have been
drawn, and In the W last action has been
taken that will amount to something.
In The first TWO cases the evil day, as some
would have 1t, has been put Of, but In both
cases the Issue will some day have 10 be
Squarely met.
phet 10 see that the Qlspensary situation
meant confusion, and that uolhlng TO amount
10 auy thing would be done at this session.
The Senate Is TO be regarded as the friend OF
the dlspensary, It's mrin drop. This Is a curl.
GUS condition. but long ago it was realized
That the dispensary forces were concentrating
their efforts on the Senate. and with the fuil
knowledge that one bra nch can check the
other there has not been much Tor The dis
p~ensaiyites to worry auOut IN the SITUATION.
Tine House IL In closes and more direct con-
tact with the, people, and that branch ID OPP
posed 10 the dispensary system as al present
operated, and there Is nu misLsklpg !ls voice.
Some see the handwriting en- the wall very
plainly, but others do. not want 10 Zee IL.
The House passed the Toole bill. which looks
Senate Is likely 10 kill 1t. The House killed
the Senate patchwork bill Intended ~ i'm
prove the situation IN regard to the dispensary
rne friends Of the board who regarded II as
an insinuation on the purchasing power ofthe
board, and those who regarded this Senate
bill as q sop TO The protests aud demands toi
real reform, Joined hands and beoL the life oul
Of the Senate bill. There we're some excellent
features about the Senate bill, II they nad been
carried out, but the personal friends OF The
board suggested that the bill was Hn Indirect
attack upon the preseat authorities, although
1t was restrictive aud Increased salaries II =
most four folG and the Prohlbitionlbls, leo
by Capt. Sellers, looked upon the measuIer 1T
putting OF the evil day, and that the appeal
would be 10 give the new plan a trial. and tina,
IN reality IL did not reach the real root OF The
situation.
Mr.. FrHser's amendment 10 the TooIe bill IL
an orth dUx pIonlbitlon measure. II above
a county 10 vote out the dispensaries and fol-
bids their recelvsDg any portion Of he surplus
dlspensarY pr fits Tor the county school Iunu
That Is the measure which the Seb ate IL now
expected TO Kill. There were only tour mem
oers of the Senate committee that rep RED tbt
ulIl, lhereiUre, the uniavorable report may
uoU hlCuh 1btiIu DuD 1CbdlCO S IL
will gladly accr pt The House 1oule bill rather
than meet The Whir wind OF opposition that
the killing of such measurers Is certain to
bring.
Mr.. Morgan evidently saw that there wa.
but little chance OF his local option measure
passing at this session, and he Withdrew II
yesterday.
Senator Mauldin's bill directed against the
beer d speusarles aud hotel privileges hat
PASSED It's second reading Id the Senate, bu!
It's final fate IL yet uncertain. II depends en-.
tirely upon The shape In which The measure
comes to The HUnse whether 1t will pass or
not, but IL Ia u be understood that the House
stands for real reform In the dispensary and
with a little encouragement would 20 rather
far In this direction.
n MATTERS.
The House met the financial stress Of the
Stale by taking the bull by the horns and
simply raising the levy for State purposes
une.nalf OF Il mil. This increase, although
tmalI, will augment The Siaie's ipcune $50
0UO each Year, hnd LLi=, :ae. er VIA l. "iu.
cUne from The franchise tax, will soon gel
the State on It's feet in II financial way. Th,
House passed Mr.. u. o. Her bert's bill TO have
banks assessed by lie Sts's board of equal
!ZaliCn, but To- COS nGi mem any ad.
ullional IpcGms "a the StaLe. Inc supply
Uill Indicates that il takes exactly one mill
on all OF the properly in the Stale 10 pay
the 600 0W which Is DIw annually aorroprl
tted Tor State pensi,ns.
GOOD FOR THE y AID MEANS
The House has shown a decided disposition
10 literally. This does not mean extrav-
agance. but the old time "three. fora quarter"
spirit Is almost played Out-not entirely So
but almost SO.
1t was a most remarkable and commend
abe thing that the two important bills OF
The ways and means committee, the general
appropriation and supply. ven thr ugh the
House without the addition or subtraction
OF a cent or the changing of a single Item.
1t has never been done before. and speaks
we'll for the painstakins work of Chairman
Moses and bis entire committee.
1BERA SPIRIT SHOWN.
The general rule Is to take q day or two In
The discussion Of the general appropriation
bill, but the entire argument this year did
not continue fifteen minutes. There were
one or two attempts 10 break into the com.
mittee report, but they utterly failed and
he economists gave up in despair. They
did not even make an effort to question The
81 900, which Is. provided for .tepographers
for the members of the Su, reme Court, 10
addition to the present photographer to the
Court. These clerks are necessary, but how
unusual 1t is for such things to pass merrily
through without so much as q question.
The general appropriation bill as 1t passed
the s0a House sm makes 81 no Increase IN The sg,
support OF the State government.
THE INDUSTRIAL School
Another evidence of the spirit Of the
House is swoWn by the passage Of the bill
providing for an industrial school. There
are two remarkable features about this
measure as adopted. First, II provided that
the board of directors shall be a distinct
body, and second, IL provides that three
women shall be on the board. fifth Senate
concurs In this Amendment. il Will lie he
fist board or goverDment body on WHICH
women have any place 10 the State; OF
course u the amendment passes Mrs.
Martha Orr Patterson will lie one OF the
directors, for II was largely 10 her indomi.
shape and such an impetus was given the
movement az to Insure its passage In the
House.
Mr.. WATSON INDICATED.
Two of the chief fights OF the week have
been on the Immigration bureau and ON the
ten hour cotton mill proposition. The House
killed both of the bills by pretty much the
same vote.
Ever since Mr.. Ashley introduced the bill
has been on the defensive, and from the day
that the bill was offered until a roll call
could be obtained, be bad evidently foreseen
defeat. Mem bers have tried to push the bill
ready, and the House finally decided that 1t
would bury the bill. Mr.. Ashley was present
at the burial, and protested vigorously
against such an unceremonious funeral, but
the House wanted the outside world to know
It's attitude.
FAILURE OF TEN HOUR BILL.
The ten hour labor advocates also seemed
10 despair. and Mr.. Toole and Mr.. Cloy
seemtd 10 have a vein OF despair In their
arguments. They made a hard fight, but all
along kept up the cry that II the bill did not
pass this year 1t would come in lime. 1t may
come In time, but the pretent House has no
disposition TO cripple the cotton mills or to