The Newport plain talk. (Newport, Tenn.) 1909-1939, 1911-07-13
LEGISLATURE
AT AN END
Final Session Was Held Last
Friday.
JOHN |. COX DENOUNCED
Session Will Be Best Remem-
bered by What it Did Not Do.
Governor Hooper Had a
Stormy Time But Retained
Whip Hand.

Stormy Time But Retained
Whip Hand.
The Tennessee legislature came TO an
end Friday at noon. 1t was the fifty
seventh assembly and will be best re-
membered for what it did not do. No
changes were made in the election or
temperance laws. In all ninety gen.
eral laws were passed by the legislators
while 526 local measures that apply to
certain communities were passed and
placed on the statute books.
The legislature was full ofstrife from
its organization. Deals were made by
various factions and one of them re-
suited in the filbuster which carried
fusion forces from the State for weeks,
and in the end deal between fusion
forces and the Shelby delegation
brought the lawmakers together and
resulted in the completion of the work
of the session. Many hard words were
said during the session. The governor
came in for more personal abuse than
has even been given another governor,
but in the end he held the whip hand,
and with his power of veto prevented
the greedy lawmakers from stealing
more booty from the treasury. The
session was marred by fist fights and
the ugly word was uttered several
times. In the closing session Repre-
sentative Miller of Shelby, a regular
democrat characterized State Senator
John I. Cox as a liar and thief, and
the senator took his medicine. The
session brought to light new class of
Republicans, the Houk-Taylor brand,
and the double dealing of these alleged
Republicans was the cause of embar-
rassment to the governor throughout
the session. The final acts of the law
makers found every alignment split,
the regulars were hopelessly divided;
the Republicans were split in twain
and the fusionists could not keep their
men under control, and the vetoe
power Of the govern6r alone stood be.
tween the Doodle grabbers and the
people.
Among the bills passed were the
following of interest to the people of
this section:
To amend common school law of the
State.
To submit to people an amendment
to the constitution to elect secretary ol
State by popular vote.
To submit to people proposition tc
amend constitution to elect sheriff, reg
lister and trustee for four years.
| To submit to people proposition tc
amend constitution to elect governor
for four years.
| To submit to people proposition te
elect treasurer and comptroller by pop
ular vote.
To extend closed season of deer.
| To prohibit purchase of quail.
To prohibit sale of robins.
i To raise the age of consent to twenty
one years.
Ia To clerk of county courts to admins
ter oath to notary publics.
| To authorize county courts to issu,
school bonds.
| To require State and county officer.
to make sworn expense accounts.
i To submit to the people an amend
mems to the constitution providing fol
the election of the encouragement by
| popular vote.
To empower county courts to con-
tract with hospitals for the care o.
dependent persons.
To amend the act providing for th'
purity of elections.
{, There were several acts passed relat
Continued on page.s)