The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-03-19

positive service upon all these com
mittees his chief efforts were III ms
service upon the Judiciary Commit
tee and the Committee on Liquor
Traffic.
Mr.. McNinch was the author OF
what came to be widely known in the
State as the 'McNinch Divorce Law,
which passed the House after one OF
the hardest fights of the whole ses-
sion of the Legislature. That bill was
approved by a great majority OF the
four hundred thousand petitioners
from all churches of the State deslf-
ing to have all the lax divorce laws
repealed. The distinguishing feature
of this bill was that it applied the
same rule to men as to women, ana
was in line with the best thought OF
the Republic. Mr.. McNinch's speech
in defence of this bill was one OF the
strongest speeches of the session. II
was upon a, lofty plane, appealing to
the Hottest motives and noblest ideals
of men. In the Senate a substitute
was offered by Senator Eller for the
McNinch BILL which passed that body
by a small majority. This SUBSTITUTE
was in line with the McNineh Bill,
and its passage in It's present shape
was due to the agitation for stringent
divorce laws. and to the victory which
Mr.. McNinch and others had won In
the House. AS soon as the Eller sub
stitute was adopted in the Senate. MI
McNinch with devotion to the cause
far above any desire for personal de-
stinction Immediately took up the
fight in the House to have the Senate
Bill become a law. After a sharp
and hard contest the House declined.
by a majority of one, to concur IN the
Senate substitute. 1t then looked, JUST
at the close of the session, as ii al
agitation for better divorce legislation
would fail. Mr.. McNinch did not give
up the fight at all, but pressed II
earnestly. and on Saturday night with
other members, procured the adoption
by the House of the Senate substitute.
DIR. Morphew, who had been stand
ing out for an additional cause Tor
divorce. patriotically withdrew his
fight when he saw that insistence
upon it might endanger the legislation
against lax divorces
Perhaps the most conspicuous SER
vice rendered during the session by
Mr.. McNinch was on the Committee
on Liquor Traffic, and upon the floor
upon all temperance measures.
At a meeting of the leaders of the
House, who favored progressive tenn
perance legislation, Mr.. McNinch, was
chosen Chairman of the Steering Com
nittee and was the spokesman on the
committeet and in the House in the
movement that resulted in the adop-
ton of the Ward Bill and other tenn
perance legislation. In these import
ant matters he showed judgment or a
high order, and won the gratitude OF
ALI the friends of temperance in North
Carolina.
Mr. McNinch devoted much ime to
local legislation. and secured the
passage of a bill which many beIleVe
will be the precursor of better city
government in North Carolina rms
bill was a bill creating the police ana
fire commissioners for Charlotte, ana
which puts all the policemen of that
city and other officials under the board
of aldermen under the civil service,
and removes them entirely from
politics This law will go into opera
ton in Charlotte this spring, and its
workings will be watched with inter-
est by the people of every city in the
State, and if it proves to be a wise
measure will no doubt be adopted in
other cities, and will effect reform
in municipal government.