The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1909-01-20
CAPITOL CORRESPONDENCE.
Senate Chamber


:; vas predicted in THE TINES Mr.. J.
=. Hovt. the Columbia correspondent
for the News & Courier, was chosen
clerk Of the House. Ia the Senate Mr..
Mann was mads clerk.
There IS always very little done the
first week of the session. most of the
time is taken up in the organization,
appointment of committees. introduce
tion Of bills, referring them 20 the re-
spective committees and awaiting the
reports thereon. The senator mas been
assigned to the following committees.
Finance. Education. Railroads, Internal
Improvements and Enrolled Bills. of
which he is chairman, Legislative Lib
rarv and Printing. In the House O. c
Scarborough is assigned to Railroads
and Agriculture, of which he is chair
man. Peni.entiarv J. f. Dingle. Rail
roads, Public Schools and Legislative
Library. D. L. Green, Commerce and
Manufactures, State House and
Grounds, Mines and Mining.
In the House Mr.. Scarborough has in
troduced bill judging from its title,
is a measure seeking to make az at
tempt to violate the person OF a woman
capital otfense, this, Or some similar
bill viii probably pass at this session, as
it has the endorsement of His Excel
lency the Governor.
The other House members from Clar-
endon have not so far put anything into
the legislative hopper, but will proba-
bly, do so the coming week. There is no
scarcity OF bills, and am afraid 1909
will be a record breaker for number OF
bills introduced. 1t begins to look as If
there ought TO be a law limiting the IN
production, if there was, it would result
IN much time saved and better leglsla-
ton, as it is, every ambitious member
feels that his constituents at home will
think he is not cutting any legislative
ice, if he acts with a proper regard 1cr
the country's interests. by only intro
6ucin@ such measures as have merit.
therefore he must be up and doing, get
into the push TO get his name in print
as the daddy OF a bill, with great
chance of not remaining with his baby
to see that it has decent burial.
There will be very little done OF con-
sequence until after the elections, the
inauguration takes place Wednesday,
but the election of chief justice. and
probably an associate justice. and q cir
cult Judge. together with penitentiary
directors, trustees etc., has not as yet
been fixed, thus giving the candidates
time to get in their work.
The judicial contest is getting quite
Interesting, associate justice Gary and
Jones are candidates for the chief JUS
ticeship made vacant by the resignation
Of Hon. Y.J. Pope. and the friends OF
these gentlemen are working indus
triously. It is our judgment that Judge
Jones Will be the chief justice. The race
for associate justice is getting some
what complexed, how it will result re-
mains to be seen: there are several OF
the circuit judges wanting the honor,
besides some very able jurists who are
not judges. | have been trying to see
if could pick the winner, and believe
I have him in the person OF Judge r. c..
Watts There are some reasons for my
belief The impression has been made
that Judge D. A. Hydrick who happens
to be holding court in Columbia, is,
through his friends conducting a regu-
lar organized campaign, which smacks
too much Of politics for a man aspiring
to such high position. as it has been
expressed, bringing the judgeship down
to a level with cross roads politics. The
coming down to Columbia of politicians
from Spartanburg and pulling" as the
expression goes, for Judge Hvdrick IS
being resented by number of members.
who, unless Hydrick gets enough on the
first ballot TO win, will vote for any 9TH
er man in the race. In other words, the
methods OF Hydrick's friends places
Hvdrick against the field, and the field
against him, therefore ne must win on
first ballot Or not at all.
The Clarendon delegation would like
to e.ve Hon. r. O. Purdy elevated to
the supreme bench, but at this writing
it is not certain that Mr.. Purdy will be
in the race, nor does it look inviting to
have him enter, except in case OF dead
lock: am of the opinion now that Judge
Watts, when the other candidates are
paid the compliment with one or TWO
ballots. will win. He is g very popular
man with the masses, a good lawyer,
ard after a long experience on the
bench, has record second to none. His
election will be approved by the bench
and the bar, and the people throughout
the State: The legislators realize this,
and will cast their votes for him. l am
sure the electioneering lobby ofSpartan-
burg politicians has not helped Judge
Hvdrick's cause.
The senator was q member OF the
committee TO represent the senate at
the funeral of the late Senator Nathan-
lei Gibson, OF Florence, at Darlington.
The Florence senator has only served
one session. I was also chairman of the
committee TO notify the Governor OF the
organization OF the senate.
I have introduced several bills. one
relating to school district No. provld-
ing for bond issue. another to permit
the Santee Rive Cypress Lumber Com
pauy to build q bridge across Santee
River. I have re-introGuced NY old llq-
uor drummers tax bill, and consented
to Mr. Cary introducing duplicate IN
the House. A joint resolution was in
troduced by me 10 pay B. P. Broadway
balance due him for services rendered
as commissioner. In 1907 the Acts re
latirg to compensation was amended so
as to allow the commissioners fifty days
instead of thirty: but oy some oversight
in the engrossing department., or the
code codifer, the Acts came out without
making the change, IL was for the ,vec-r
1907 the commissioners are entitled 10
draw pay for fifty days. but because of
this error, they only drew their pay for
the thirty days: in order for them to get
what is their due the Supervisor must
be directed by a joint resolution IRON
the General Assembly.
The delegation will have its first meet
ing Wednesday afternoon, and at this
meeting the matters affecting Claren-
don will be taken up. have been prom
ised an intelligent statement from the
commissioners but up to this moment it
has not been forthcoming. am afraid
we will have to grope in the dark. ! am
told petition has been circulated IN
Manning asking that Mr.. S. N. Rear
don be appointed upon the board OF
commissioners: l think this altogether
wrong TO sign petitions for these posi-
tions. If the petitioners want the Dam-
ino of a commissioner let them sacrifice