The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-02-01
TAG TAX DEBATE.
Fight in House Over Effort to Give
Share TO Winthrop.
The Legislature is Jogging Along
Killing Time in FruitIess Dis
cussion and Nothing
Doing.


spirited and a more less acrimonious
debate in toe house yesterday over
Mr.. Poliock's bill to divert 40 per
cent. of the fertilizer inspection tax
from Clemson to Winthrop College,
bringing out the old prejudices and
jealousies between the friends Of the
various State institutions and denoml-
national colleges and resulting in the
threshins over of the special commit
tees report on State colleges III which
it is urged that Clemson is getting en-
tirely too much money by comparison
with what the other State. colleges are
getting. The bill finally passed the
house amended so as to give Winthrop
the remainder of the tag tax after
Clemson has gotten s75, 600 year out
of it. This tax varies and the friends
of Winthrop headed by Mr.: Pollock
fought this amendment, which Mr..
Pollock declared would have the
effect of defeating the objects sought
in the bill. This tax which was
started in 1890 has varied from year
to year. going as low at $50, 900 one
year. Last year it reached high water
mark at Sis, 0oo.
One last iab was thrust in the house
today at the Blease resolution to in-
vestigate the dispensary by Mr.. Ash
lev and those lined up with him. His
motiou to reject the report of free
conference, which would have had
the effect of killing the bill, was
showed under, and the report was
adopted. The report recommends that
the house recede from its amendment
to limit the pay of the commission to
80 days and from its amendment that
the evidence witnesses may give being
used against them in court, and adds
paragraph TO the resolution calling
for an inquiry into the legality of beer
dispensaries as they have been con-
Quoted and are at present being con-
Quoted.
over in the Senate the president of
that body cast the deciding vote for
an amendment to the new county
measure which gives the appointment
of the snrveyers board of three to the
governor instead of having the pro-
posed new county appoint one, the op-
position one and these two the third.
The senate debated the Rayser COM
pulsory education bill at length, but
adjourned debate after the bill was
amended so as to limit the imprison-
ment penalty to 20 days and bar pro-
secutions unless instituted within 30
days and fixing the age at from to
l2 years. BY vote of II to 20 the
senate rejected an amendment to ex-
cept parents owning less than 5000
worth of real estate. This would
have put practically every mill
operative in the State outside of the
law. 1t was offered as substitute for
Senator Cole L. Blease's amendment
seeking to have the State pay each
child who had to 60 to school under
the law bat who was dependent on his
own labor for living S. month
while attending school.
The joint meetings yesterday after
noon and last night to the house judi
ciary committee and senate privi-
/ Pleges and elections committee to con-
slider the Calhoun county matter and
the Ashley bill 10 cut off lS square
miles of Abbeville to Anderson
county, brought out a great conflict
in evidence on the part OF half
dozen surveyors. And evidence was
also add2ced to- show that the new
county did not have either the consti-
t1tional population or wealth.
The surveyors for the opposition
gave evidence to show that both Edge
field and Abbeville would be left
without the constitutional area of 800
square miles by not less than 25
square miles and the new county
would lack the required 400 square
miles by 40 odd square miles.
The survey made by Representative
". Il. Yeldell for the new county
showed the new county to have 40
square miles, Greenwood. to be Left
exactly 500 square miles, Edgeheld SOB
square miles aud Abbeville 502 square
miles and the new county claims
population of $685. over LOCO in ex
cess OF the constitutional requirement.
cf 1-124 of the population of the
State This fraction of the States
population would according to the
last census allow the new county a
minimum population Of l0,Sl5.
The proposition to slice Abbeville Tor
Anderson, which if it succeeds will
of course defeat the new county mas
much as this would leave Abbeville
shy of enough to yield what Calhoun
is compelled to have, was not reached.
The meeting adjourned at II O'Clock
last night to reassemble at $50 this
afternoon. Yesterdays sessions may
be safely regarded as resulting against
the new county, which has been hav.
ing a fierce struggle to get born all
along. There was grave doubt rails
ed certainly as to area if not also as
to wealth and population.
In this connection the question has
been raised as to whether several of
the new counties already established
have complied with the constitutions
al requirements but the supreme
court has determined that the finding
of the legislature is final and there is
nc hope, as some have surmised, of
breaking any of the counties already
formed even if it is shown that any
of them have failed to meet any or all
of the constitutional requirements.
Tie sessions of the joint meeting