The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1905-01-04
OUR COLUMBIA LETTER.
EOiifmi,iu. .jnnuorv y 1o0l

Columbia, January 2, 1905.
one week tomorrow the general as
Sembly cOnvcncs. 1t il n new Iegisla-
turc, with 50 new members OF the
mousse ana several new men in the SEN
a'o. Several senators cOEsp!cuous for
tlc experience ana ability have retired,
among them beng Senators Sheppard
OF Edgciicld, Mower of Newbcrry, and
Aldrich of !5arnwcll.
ne primary reason for the lcgisla-
tulc's meeting is to levy taxcs and
make appropriations. and the tax uues-
non Is always the most important 20
come before 1t, although The lcgisa-
tnlc docs not always give il as much
carelui attention as it deserves. 1t is
possible that the legislature may be
aDlo 10 cut appropriations this wear. as
me EXPENSES tho last year were high.
here IS no general election to be pro-
vided for, the Hampton monument
1und has received it's approximation
the Citadel got $4,000 extra for Il heat
ing plant, the South Carolina College
got an appropriation for sewerage
pant ana there are other expenses the
last year that will not have to be met
again. lhcn the franchise tax law
goes INTO effect and will produce con
siderable revenue if strictly enf0ced
perhaps as much as 100000. The to.
tal appropriation for 1904 were 81, 1OO,-
OUO and tho income was less than TINT
by just about $4,000.
there has been recently considerable
~iscussion OF the dispensury i'm certain
newspapers and there may be dispen-
sary fight in the legislature, as there
mas Deen 30 often before, but the only
measure that is certain to bp presented
on this line is what is known as tho
Brice bill. This was amended mt the
itst session and passed, and Senator
Brice or some one else will undoubted-
~ brlng 1t up again in its original
i0riil. It's advocates claim that ma.
Jorlty or the members elect are in favor
OF the blil but the power Of the dispen-
sary IN the halls OF Legislation has been
great since the. day that the system
was lnaugurated.
The new fight of the session will be
on the question of compulsory educe-
tlon. A proposition of this eOrt has
been up before and has each time been
defeated. This year it is claimed that
tho measure will have moro strength
and it's passage will not oe surprising.
.cT. !;aJ"aii viii iikeiy ieud the
strength OF his recommendation to
some such measure.
Inc Govcrnor's message, by the way,
ls llkely 10 De the most interesting dOcu-
ment tnat he has sent to the general
Assembly. He will make several very
strong recommendation in matters OF
Importance.
The reports of the Statu officials win
all be in hand in good time, and those
of Comptroller- General Jones and Com
missioner Watson will be of especial
interest. The latter has not been in
office quite year, and his work is new
not only to this State but to the South
His report will tell what he has done in
getting the work started.
The Comptroller- q General will have
something to say about taxes and
about insurance that will be Of inter
est, as he has ideas Of his own on these
subjects.
There are several elections to be held
before the Legislature gets down to
business. The terms of Judges Ernest
Gary and u. A. Townsend expire and
their Buccess0rs will be elected. 1t is
said that each will have opposition. It
will not take the solons long to elect
their own officers. Lieutenant Cover
nor Sloan, OF course, will aG.ain preside
over the senate, and it is not at all
probable that Gen. r. r, Hemphill will
have opposition for reelection as clerk.
In the house Speaker NJ. l.. Smith will
doubtless be reelected, as will the
clerk, Col. Tom c. Hamer. j. H.