The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-02-20
WITH STATE Law MAKERS.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY CERTAIN
10 ADJOURN NEXT SATUR.
DAY.
Talks of Prolonged Session is Merely
Bluf--State-Wide Bill Unlikely to
to Come to VOte-Appropriatio
Bill Provoked More Discussion
than Usual.

Columbia, Feb. 14.-In a week the
members of the General Assembly
will be at their homes, telling their
friends and loved ones how they help
ed make the laws of the State and,
better still, how they joined hands
| and kept useless statutes from get
| ting on the books. There has been
talk about not adjourning before
next Sunday-Saturday is the for
tieth day. 1t is all twaddle or bluff "
The General Assembly will adjourn
some time next Saturday. 1t may be
soon after midnight Friday, or it may
be late in the day, but the purpose is to
adjourn on the fortieth day of the
session, and there is no reason why
such should not be done. The sug-
gestion that such will not be done
comes from those who favor State
wide prohibition, and are holding a
prolonged session over the heads of
those opposing them as a sort of
sword of Damocles. They ought to
know that they cannot hold the ma
jority of the members here after next
Saturday, and the only thing that can
interfere. with the purpose to ad-
journ Is some mishap
The general appropriation bill has
already been reported by the Senate
committee on finance, and can be
given its final reading on Wednesday,
and this can be followed up with the
general supply bill. and any effort to
hold the bill up. as has been threat
ened by the state -widers" will not
succeed.
There was an effort made yesterday
among certain Of the advocates of
State vice prohibition to reach an
agreement as to when a vote should
be taken on the pending bill. The
conference lasted for some time, and
failed because it was stated that,
while the advocates of the measure
offered to allow two hours for further
debate and agree to fix a time on
Monday tor a vote, they would not
agree to a daysfor final adjournment
The opponents Of the Statewide bill
suggested that they might agree to
an hour for a vote if those who ad-
vocated The Statewide law would
agree to name Saturday for final ad-
journment Nothing was done, and
there is ITO telling what will be done
The indications, however, are that
further effort will be made for a
while to get the Statewide bill to a
vote, and that after a while there
will be ND further use to worry about
the matter. The impression is get
ting abroad that neither the House
nor the Senate is going to : worry
about the bill.
The interesting phase of the situa-
ton is the sensitiveness of the lead
ers in charge of the Statewide bill
Messrs NJ. L. Smith and John G..
Richards-that they have political
aspirations back Of their efforts.
Both Of these distinguished law
makers insist that they are not try
ing to build campaign benches with
this bill, and that they are really and
sincerely in earnest in their efforts to
get Statewide prohibition, and that
they do not expect to run for State
or other offices on the "quartette'
bill. Yet they do not appear to like
this intimation. The fact of the mat
ter is that John Richards and M. L.
Smith are two mighty strong and
able men, and the State is fortunate
in having such strong men in it's
service, but they do not know what to
do with their bill, and to pass II
would be to have no issue for forth
| coming campaign.
The general appropriation bill has
passed the House. 1t provoked more
discussion than heretofore, but 1t is
| we'll that there is full and free dis
cussion on this, Of all bills, because
it is important that the members
know where and how the States
money is spent. The bill this year
carries an expenditure Of $1,592,6S6.-
80 and the bill gives an itemized
statement Of where every dollar OF
this money goes. There were two
remarkable things done in connec.
| ton with the appropriation bill this
year. First, the abandonment of the
| Confederate Home. which has just
Its first Confederate soldier, and Sec