Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1912-01-10
STATE LEGIsLATURE CoNvENEs.
Contest Between Blease and Both
Houses for Control.

and legislative situation in South
Carolina will be unfolded at a rapid
pace when the 1912 session Of the
General Assembly convenes here
tuesday at noon Both houses have
been set in order for the reception of
the more than 1S5 law-makers who
Will arrive here tomorrow to begin
what gives promise Of being men,
orable session. Just at present the
situation Is uncertain. Any state-
ment made as to what will be accom-
plished Is all problematical, and the
4O days of talk and discussion to
come will alone tell the story. The
State officials Of South Carolina, re-
alizing that 1t Is useless to make rec
concentrations In their annual re-
ports, have rerrained as general
rule from suggestions. Therefore,
the members Of the Senate and House
Will have to devise means Of recre-
alton for themselves.
The House will be called to order
at noon Tuesday by Mendel l.. Smith.
of Camden, the speaker. Charles A.
Smith, the Lieutenant Governor and
president Of the Senate, will call that
body to order.
Measure Of Strength.
With all Of the uncertainty of pre-
diction when 1t comes to State Legis-
latures, this much can be definitely
stated, the members of the General
Assembly will measure strength with
the Governor Of South Carolina, and
the contest Is going to be decided
during the first several days The
test is far from being test Of the
strength Of the Chief Executive
throughout the State. 1t will be SIM
ply battle to see who will control
the General Assembly or the Cover
nor
The all-important bill-and the
first serious business Of both houses
will be the consideration of the
measure providing for an investiga-
ton Of the State dispensary commits
sion, the Governor and the attorney
general. The measure was enacted
by the Legislature at .he last session,
and the Senate part of the commits
sion was named by President Smith,
The measure was enacted upon the
earnest solicitation Of the Governor.
When the measure came down for his
signature, he turned 1t down on the
grounds that several of the members
from the Senate on the commission
were his political enemies.
AS has been stated, the Governor
demanded an Investigation of his
acts as Governor, State Senator and
private citizen. When the bill was
vetoed he said that he would leave
the investigation to the new dispen-
sary commission
The Governor will, Of course, fight
the passage of this measure over his
veto. Should his veto be ignored
and the measure placed on the stat
ute books by the General Assembly
then the future action Of the General
Assembly will be another question
that can be answered only by the fu-
ture developments.
Vetoed Acts.
The law requires that all vetoed
measures be sent in during tn. first
three days Of the session. Among
the. important measures vetoed we're
those providing for an election on
the commission form of government
In several cities Of the State; bill
on libel; a measure aimed at Ill
formed counties; and the act pro-
viding for the distribution of the dis
pensary funds. amounting to several
hundred thousand dollars. 1t is
| practically certain that the more i'm
portant bill-that providing for the
investigation-will come up first.
Retirement of Chief Justice.
| Ira b. Jones, of Lancaster, Chief
Justice Of the Supreme Court. will,
Tuesday at noon, have laid aside his
robes as head of the judicial depart
ment Of the government and COM
mence an active and aggressive cam
Daign for the Governorship OF the
State. The retirement Of Chief Jus
tice Jones will devolve the duty of
electing his successor upon the Gene
raj Assembly. The other members
Of the court, are Eugene B. Gary, Of
Abbeville; G. A. Woods, Of Marion,
and d. E. Hydrick, Of Spartanbrug.
All Of these gentlemen are eminent
jursts, and any one of them would
ably fill the position of Chief Justice.