The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1912-01-24

or Hickman county appeared at tue
reception the other night
with his whiskers inside his shirt IL
stead Of on the outside. the members
Of the legislature who had heard OF the
jackson whiskers but had never seen
them were disappointed. They had
tho ht that MI Jackson. who is proud
of rs whiskers, would consider the re-
ception a gala occasion and display
the whiskers. He said he had not had
them on the outside Of his shirt during
the last two years. and did not know
that he would show them at the pres
ent session. although it has been his
custom 10 swing them in the breeze at
least once at each Of the sessions when
he Is a member MI Jackson has
whlskers fortytwo inches long. He
has never shaved in his life, although,
when he was young man in the Con
federate army he kept his wriskers
closely clipped with pair OF scissors
The governors reception, by the
way. was an enjoyable affair and near
ly every member of the two houses OF
the legislature and most Of the people
of Frankfort attended. although they
had to wade through several inches OF
melting snow TO reach the mansion
The governor is going to hold these
public receptions every other Wednes-
day during the session Of the legisla-
ture. The custom prevailed when he
was governor more than thirty years
ago. and the receptions Of the COVER
nor then have been famous ever since.
Governor McCreary says he feels sad
when he enters the mansion now and
especially at a public reception in the
old building, as his wife Is no longer
with him to manage things for him.
The governor was a devoted husband
and has never fully recovered from the
sadness caused by his wife's death
only a few years ago.
State officials are not pleased with
the rules of the senate which, for the
first time In many years, If ever, bar
the officials from the floor Of the SEN
ate. The feeling against Lieutenant
Governor McDermott is rather strong,
as the resolution allowing the state Of
ficials, who were elected on the same
ticket with Governor McDermott. the
privileges of the floor was defeated by
the presiding officer OF the senate.
The vote was tie, standing IS to IS.
and Governor McDermOtt voted
against the resolution. The officials
of the state, the auditor, secretary of
state, and others, resent the implica-
ton that they have no place on the
floor of the senate. They say they
as was Governor McDermott, whom
they hold Responsible fer the rule ex-
Guiding them.
So much of a storm was stirred up
by the proposed plan to have the SEN
ate opened with some show of cere-
mony that the lieutenant governor
abandoned any effort to put through
the resolution. He wanted the SER
geant-at-arms to rap three times be-
fore the opening Of the senate, at
which signal the members of the SEN
ate were to rise and stand while the
presiding officer entered the senate
and took his place. This was the mod
ification of the plan to have the en-
trance of the lieutenant governor an
nounced with a great flourish. Sena-
tor Eaton. who is president pro tenn
Of the senate, was asked about the
resolution making the entrance of the
lieutenant governor conspicuous. He
said:
IF they want the resolution offered
will offer it and will vote for it, but
want to say that when preside there
will be no such foolishness."
The flood of bills in the senate is
the surprise of the session. The house
is expected to put in big pile of new
bills, covering everything from nine
foot sheets to appropriations for a
million dollars, but the senate, with
but little more than one-third the num-
Der of members, is expected to go
slow. But they haven't. They have
been introducing bills at such a lively
rate that they have almost as many
as the house now, with the end not yet
in sight. There are nearly 200 bills in
the senate, with something over 200
in the house. The printer, unable to
stand up under the food, is catching
the mischief, as usual. and the mem
bers have already begun to introduce
resolutions Of inquiry regarding their
pet measures, which have been hung
up. 1t would take the government
printing office to get out the bills that
have been put in thus far in a day
less than a month.
A bill to abolish drunkenness is the
ambitious program of one of the house
members, and this is only one of the
many measures relating to liquor, its
use and sale. There are many county
unit bills and some that amend the
present laws so as to make wet pre-
cincts wet if the county votes wet,
even though the precinct votes dry. At
present if the county votes wet and a
precinct dry the precinct stays dry,
but If the county votes dry every pre-
cinct in the county is dry, no matter
how many may have voted wet, as pre-
cincts.
This session may be marked by
much railroad legislation and a great
humber of bills have been offered reg
dlating the operation of trains One
bill, which is aimed at automobile own
IRIS and drivers, is wide enough to COW
er drivers of locomotives. The bill
provides that if the driver of any mo
sor-driven vehicle, which includes rail-
road locomotives, by carelessness, kills
any person, the penalty shall be from
two to twenty-one years in the peni-
Tertiary. A fine is provided in case
the person is only injured and not
killed A surprise was sprung. how
ever, when It was announced that the
railroads had agreed to accept the
terms of a bill drawn by Lawrence
Finn Of the state railroad commission
extending the powers of the railroad
commission so that It can do many
things that the commission cannot do
at present
Our Congressman Sp eaks.