The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1908-01-29
CAPITOL CORRESPONDENCE.
SENATE CHAMBER,

is travelling along under Iul sal! Will
every rope stretched to its utmost, ana
after this week it will take day and
NIGHT sessions to unload the very neaTy
calendars.
The repeal OF the lien law sppears
now TO be a certainty; it has passed the
House by q large majority and oeileve
the Senate will also put itself on record
IN favor Of eliminating this law IRON
the statute books. There are a number
of Senators who are dubious OF the Wis
dom of such legislation, among the
number, but in my opinion the sent!-
ment is SO strong for the repeal tnat IL
win be done. The people demand 1t,
that is TO saw, the landowners are max
inc the demand, but fear they are de-
msnding that which they will regret.
! hope am mistaken.
The brain of the State Is at WorE 70
devise q law which will meet the oo,
jections OF both Stste ana FeoeraI
courts TO agricultural labor contracts
and a committee from the house mas
reported q bill; the text OF which l
read on the train on my way home sat
prday night, and I have no hesltancy
N giving it my opinion as a layman
that if it is enacted into law it will not
stand the scrutiny of 8 court. Its terms
apply to all labor contracts, agclcui-
sucal or otherwise, and permits al.
yances to be made, but the vloiatlon OF
the contract is a crime punishable oy
fne and iupSisonnent, and after con-
yics;erth party convicted, upon pay.
inc the claim against him, IS released
from custody. The bill upon its face
acknowledges advances made TO be 8
debt. and for debt there is no crime. IL
also compounds crime by provloing
machinery TO permit conTicts to be re-
lieyed by the payment of debt. 1t will
not pass snd should not, because such q
law woulo result in the most osmnaoie
b!acSmail. It is my Judgment thas no
labor contract law can stsnd the test OF
the courts which seeks to jail men LOT
debt. The bill have introduced, am
told, comes as near going between
Judge Bravley's decision and the re-
cent decision of our State supreme
court as any OF the multiplicity OF bills
upon the subject and it is being USED
bv the Senate judiciary committee as q
basis for a bill it proposes to frame.
am satisfied there will be no revo-
lutionary liquor legislation. The pres
cot Law will be frightened up ID some
particulars, but there will be nc prohi-
bition bill adopted. There is not day
but what petitions are being sent up to
the desks in both houses for prohloi-
lion, and in their zeal some OF my pro
hibition friends virtually stuff the bal
lot box'' by signing severa! pe@tlons.
I was looking over some OF these petI-
tions snd was amazed to find the name
of minister Of the gospel who IS n ac-
ouaintance Of mine, a college grao1s:e,
ard should be an honest man, yet ne
has signed more than one OF these pro-
hibition petitions, and it is common to
find lavmen doing the same. The cause
of prohibition should stand upon its
moral merits and no element OF fraud
should, nor do believe it will be
tolerated by the sincere leaders; OUT
the Observation-Disclosures WILL not
only pad petitions, they will resort 70
any means to accomplish their purposes
aud to promote their own selfish ends.
A number Of petitions have been sent
to me from home and in each case
have endorsed them with my name as
Introducing them by request. Ihey are
now part OF the Senate's records.
The bill introduced by me proVlo!ng
for q license tax upon those soliciting
or receiving orders for liq .,ors contain
ing alcohol, is now third reading bill
in the Senate and by Tuesday 1t WILL
hs7e passed the Senate and be over IN
the House. 7 was greatly pleased to
read in the Columbia State letter from
Mrs.. Joseph Sprott, State president of
the W. C. T. T., endorsing this bill,
and am sure her endorsement WILL n
fpence 3 number OF members of the
House to vote for 1t. The only danger
the measure has OF passing lies IN those
lswyes in the legislature who represent
foreign liquor houses. They may IN
dertake to create the impression that
such bill is an interference with the
interstate commerce laws, but antlcl.
pat,ng them ! will have printed and
soread upon the desks OF the members
q decision OF the United States Supreme
court in the case Of Jay Delamater Us.
The State Of South Dakota, which up
holds such a law and which decision IS
the foundation OF my bill. When it be-
comes q law the oily tougued whiskey
drummers who cause SO much money to
90 out of the State will have to Craze
in other pastures.
J. A. Weinberg and Charlton Du-
Rant, Esos., of the Manning bar, were
In Coluubia County Supervisor Nc
Fadoir was here on the United States
jury. So,
Appel came up Thursday and attend
ed the "Yankee Tourist" st the opera
house.
General Stephen D. Lee addressed
the Joint assembly Thursday noon, and
Senator Tillman Thursday night On
account of an engagement with ladies,
previously made, did not hear the
Senator's speech, but the papers speak
well OF it, and the general comment
the next morning was that 1t was 8
thoughtful, conservative utterance,
and directly opposite the views ex-
pressed by Senator Latlner n his
speeches and writings on Immigration.
NV other bills have all passed the
Senate, and are over in the 8ouse, and
viii probably become laws the coming
week. may have several more bills
to introduce; it depends upon the re-
suit of my Investigations Monday when
will remain over at home TO get H.
formation regarding the connty's hnan-
cial condition. The statement. OF IN
debtedness furnished the delegation
shows deficit, or back Indebtedness
OF IS, 700, and I am at loss to under
stand why this should be. If upon IN
vestication the county is nearly $4,000
in arrears, it will be necessary to re-
iieve this condition st this session. In
Justice to the present board OF commits
sioners I will say, that about $500 OF
this deficit cane to them from former
administration 10 the shape OF notes
given to the Good Roads Machinery
Company, and $500 note due the
State Sioking Fund for money borrow
ed to pay court expenses, etc. l have
received from Auditor Burgess letter
suggesting change in the system OF