The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1911-03-02
T. r. B.

Raleigh, Feb. 27.-Work. did you
say? Meaning exertien effort, toll,
labor, achievement, production? Hon
estly, there is only one spot in North
Carolina where you may get true
understanding of what real work
means. and that's right here under
the dome of North Carolina's mag
nifcent capitol. -
AS to the honorable gentlemen of
the General Assemly, why, to put it
briefly, they are just about all in.
They are worn to frazzle, their
nerves are on edge, and a cross look
is all that is necessary to start some
thing. But at the same time they are
delivering the goods, and when the
lights are turned off at twelve o'clock
next Saturday night the legislators
will prepare to leave for their homes
with easy consciences, for they will
have written many pages of progress
sive legislation in the statute books
of the Old North State.
But just now it's nothing to do but
work-all the time. The house is in
session almost continually. During
the discussion of the Battle child labor
law, and the substitute which was
finally adopted limiting the hours of
labor in factories to ten hours. the ex-
pedient of turning back the hands of
the big clock was adopted in order
that the bill might get through on that
day. But it was quite useless. The
legislators gave Mr.. Time a shove to
the rear, but it. was two o'clock before
the discussion ended and the bill
passed And it was one tired lot of
law makers who struggled into their
seats at nine o'clock the same morn
ing, making practically a continuous
session of forty-eight hours.
But such incidents as these show
the mettle of North CaroIina's repre-
sentatives. They were sent here to
work for the people of the finest state
in the South, and practically no meas
ure has any chance of getting through
before it has been thoroughly inves-
tigated Another, and to all fair
minded men a most pleasing charac-
teristic of this general assembly, is
the total and complete absence of po-
litical or party legislation. With both
houses absolutely in their control to
the credit of the democratic party
must it be said that the minority re-
ceives every consideration, and the
LEGISLATION secured by any republican
member simply depends upon the
character, the ability and the standing
of the reDresentative himself.
Of course. Marshall of Surry, man
ignorant of the simplest parliament
ary procedure, failed to get through
his two million dollar free school
books bill, and verv properly so. He
knew the bill would never be consid-
cred seriously when he introduced it,
and the sorry sDectacle the man made
of himself on the floor of the house
will long remain one of the funniest
incidents in North Carolinas legisla-
tive history.
1t has been much the same way
with Representative Ewart OF. Hender-
son. His dogs, bachelors and Justices
of the peace bill left bad odor IN
the nostrils of the honorable gentle
men and they can't forget 1t-tne
smell was too strong, you know.
Then, again, the gentleman from Hen
derson. knowing full we'll, Susan, that
this was democratic legislature and
any hair-brained legislation he might
get through would be charged~to that
party, came to Raleigh with trunk
and seevarl valises full of impractical
BILE measures designed to turn things
upside down and then completely over.
Of course, he, like the erratic mem
Der from Surry, knew that his crazy
work legislation would never get on
the fortunately for the con-
tinued peace and prosperity of this
state, too. But the honorable gentle
man from Henderson calculated that
he would, at least. get credit for in
PRODUCING the stuff, and that If it
passed the blame for the conse-
Quences would also be passed onto
the dominant party. If the Tepubllz.
cans of the state continue to send as
their representatives such men as the
gentlemen from Surry and Henderson
they will constantly increase the re-
spect of the people for the democratic
party of the state, it's principles and
It's representatives.
Mr.. Ewart so far has introduced
forty-nine bills in the house. Had all
the members introduced an equal
number there would be almost six
thousand measures to be considered
during the session or one hundred
day, or more than twice as many as
rave ever been introduced at any ses-
sion. The Hustler of next week will
give complete list of Mr.. Ewart's
bills. And it will also give a COM
pIete list Of those he has succeeded
IN getting out of the committee rooms
and actually manufactured into law.
The last list won't take much space.
1t will be found that his fulmtna-
tons, in other words his thunder,
clamor, roar, denouncings or yociter-