The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-01-28

trips a great many persons who are
not members or attaches Of the leg
islature take advantage Of a junket
at the expense Of the State.
It seems that the liquor question
is going to be prominent in the COM
ing campaign it matters little what
the legislature does. T understand
that Representative MeMahan has
bill to prohibit newspapers taking
liquor advertisements. Now, let
some member who wants to become
famous introduce a bill to prohibit
lawyers from defending murderers
and rapists and other criminals and
to require every man who has ar
rived at the age Of thirty years to
take unto himself a wife or suffer
banishment from the State. And
also prohibit patent medicine adver-
tisement in the newspapers. Or bet
ter still make all newspapers State
papers under control and direction Of
the politicians and establish a press
department with a chief at a good
salary and allow him to appoint his
subordinates in every county and
thus abolish all private ownership
of newspapers in the great State of
South Carolina. Let the good work
proceed.
Senator Johnstone and Represen-
tative Kibler were in their seats on
Tuesday night voting for the nomi-
nees, but I did not see Representa-
tives Wyche and Harmon.
There IS a proposition to establish
an auditing department. which will
have to be provided with Offices in
Columbia and will cost the State
about $4,000 a year.
COMPTROLLER General Jones' sug-
gestion to provide a central board Of
equalization fo rthe assessment of
property to take the place Of the
present State board of equalization is
a good one, but will scarcely be
adopted. The great trouble in the
matter of taxation is the inequality
in the valuations not only as among
individuals, but among the counties
and it cannot be remadied by having
"a board composed Of one member
from each county.
The report Of the asylum investi-
eating committee brings out nothing
new. DR.. Babcock, to my certain
knowledge, has called attention to
conditions there and the need Of
more room for the past ten years.
At the invitation Of the ways and
means committee he has appeared
every year and stated that the insti-
tuition Vas overorowded and that
more room was needed and that con-
EDITIONS were mot what they should be,
but in order to make them better
would take more money. He has
said to the committee that it was
matter for the legislature and that
he would do the best he could with
the means placed at his disposal. He
has not gone around lobbying Like
the presidents and representatives of
some of our State colleges but he has
taken the high and proper ground
that this was State institution and
when he stated conditions and invited
members to go out and see for them
selves he had discharged his duty
and it was up to the legislature to
provide the means. The legislature
is responsible for the conditions and
not DR.. Babcock nor the regents.
It is too bad Representative Har-
mons match bill and' his dog muz-
zle bill were both killed. They found
separate graves il different places
but all in one day. That has been
the fate of many another good meas
ure and MIR. Harmon should not lose
spirit.
Representative Todd, of Charles
ton, is engaged in the preparation Of
a very important message, which he
will deliver to the legislature some
time along the fading hours Of the
present session.
E.. II. "A.