Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-01-20
OUR LAw.MAKING BODY.
Representatives All V0ting--Senator
Earle Introduces Important Bills.

rier: The members of the General
Assembly from Oconee county were
all present at the opening OF the ses-
sion Of 1909, on Tuesday, January
18th. Something very remarkable
was the vote In the House of Repre-
sentatives. There are 124 members,
and every one present voting.
l have not had an opportunity of
visiting the unfortunates in the State
Hospital or in the State prison.
Heretofore l have been able to visit
them the first week, but the weather
has been so miserable that this has
been deferred. A number Of requests,
especially to visit and see different
ones, have been made, and in due
time We shall answer, and ii there
are any others who desire any spe-
cial looking after Of any one in either
OF these institutions, | shall be glad
to do so as early as opportunity is
presented.
We necessarily have a considera-
bic amount Of correspondence during
the session OF the General Assem-
bly,, but you need not think that we
are not anxious to receive any COM
munications from the people Of the
county. 1t is the expression of Your
views rs an individual upon any sub
ject that you think Of public import
ance that moulds public sentiment
and enables us to determine what
you want in the way of laws.
We have had numerous complaints
from the farmers who patronize the
cotton market at Seneca, In refer
ence to the method OF eiecting the
cotton weigher for that market. The
general law upon the subject Of the
oh &c,
follows:
Section 1852. Upon the petition
of fifty or more qualified electors,
who are growers of cotton and reside
within five miles Of any place in
which there may be cotton market,
the County Board of Commissioners
of that county shall annually elect
one or more public cotton weighers
for said cotton markets, whose term
or office shall be for one year and
until the election and qualification
Of his or their successor or success
SorS."
The law In reference to the cleo
tion of the cotton weigher for the
Seneca market is as follows:
Section 1857. There shall be an
nually elected by the qualified voters
of Pickens c. II. township, Easley
township, and Liberty township, re-
spectively, in Pickens county, and
Seneca township, in Oconee county,
cotton weigher for Pickens, one for
Easley, and one for Liberty, and one
for Seneca, in Oconee county," etc.
If it is desired that the law in ref
erence to the election of a cotton
weighcr for Seneca be changed, and
let it go under the general provision,
all that Will be necessary is to send
us down petition in time to act
upon 1t at this session Of the General
Assembly. There have also been Sug-
gestions that public cotton weigher
should be elected for the towns of
Westminster and Walhalla. If this
is desired, all that will be necessary,
as will be seen from the first section
above quoted, is to present petition
by fifty farmers who sell cotton at
this market to the County Board of
commissioners, who will act upon it.
The first two weeks Of the Gene
raj Assembly are generally taken up
in preparation of measures to be
considered and in examination Of re-
ports from the different departments
and officers of the State government
These reports have increased each
year until now they make two large
In addition to these, we have various
publications by the Historical Com
mission, and other departments, and
one III particular is that of the De-
partment of Agriculture, Commerce
and Immigration. The second edi-
ton of the handbook issued for the
year 1908, comprises 61 > pages. You
can imagine what the cost of such a
work must be. 1t Is principally made
up OF statistical information, gath
cred from the various reports of the
general government and census, and
is beautifully illustrated with pic
lures Of churches, school houses, pub
lie men, colleges, etc.
The State is eXpending large sum
OF money each year, and has been for
several years, to maintain this de-
partment and issuing reports and
publications. The prime purpose Of
the department was to encourage i'm
migration to South Carolina. The
census for the United States for 1900
gives the total population OF South
Carolina at 1,340,314. The same re-
port gives whites 557,995; colored,
1S2,321. The same report shows
persons born in South Carolina and
living elsewhere in the United States
N"hi|eSl % l. '5o9; cOloled SSl ,49o;
total living outside of South Caro-
lima 1,512,S64. Thus it will be seen
that the natives of South Carolina,
living outside of the State in 1900,
were more than the entire population
Of the State. 1t would seem that a
bureau for the encouragement OF the
citizens Of the State in some line
would be more necessary than that Of
bringing people from other countries.
The gain in population by immigra-
ton from all quarters during the dec
ade between 1890 and 1900 was Co.
IlA. II there WAS an euual Onnortu-