The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-02-08
LEGISLATIVE Matters.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY WILL con-
VENE TUESDAY NIGHT
Warehouse Bill Will be First TO Come
up This Week; Bill Relating to In
surancc Companies; Newspaper Bill
Still on Calendar.

Columbia, Feb. 3.-The General As.
sembly will convene for it's fourth
week on Tuesday night at o'clock
and full calendars will face both
houses. 1t is expected that two ses-
sions each day, one in the morning and
the other at night, will take place dur
ing the remainder Of the session. for
If this legislature runs the accustomed
forty days it has just three weeks
more.
The Senate will tackle the ware
hause bill on Tuesday night. This
matter will cause an extended debate.
and Senator McLaurin, it's author.
will open with a speech in its favor.
The bill proposes a state warehouse
system for storing cotton and pro-
pose tax Of % cents on every bale
raised or sold in the state.
The bill requiring outside insurance
companies doing business in the state
to invest part of their reserve in Sc
curities of this state will come I'D
Wednesday. Bills to tighten up the
primary laws, compulsory school at
tendance, abolishing the hosiery mill
at the state penitentiary, and giving
a per diem to Circuit Judges will be
considered during the week The two
cent rate bill is also expected to be-
gin its stormy journey through the
Senate this week.
The House resolutions to probe the
alleged railroad contributions during
the recent campaign and ascertain
what legislators hold free passes and
positions under corporations, and the
resolution calling on Senator Tillman
to prove his charges of railroad do
mination of the Legislature are on the
foot of the calendar. There does not
appear to be any hurry to reach them.
No lines have been drawn yet be-
tween the Blease and anti-BIease fac
tons and it appears that the working
ANee' AAiC4AS OCbhCCD lIlGIu VIII continue,
at least through the next two weeks
The working part of the session has
now been reached.
The joint assembly will meet at
noon on Wednesday to elect a Judge
of the first circuit, Major William L.
Glaze of Orangeburg who was elected
to the position, having declined to ac-
cept on account of i'll health. The
election will probably be hotly con-
tested Several candidates are groom
ing themselves for the race
The inheritance tax bill is one of the
big measures which the house will be
called on to dispose of during the
present week. 1t is claimed for the
bill that it will shift the tax burden
to the shoulders of the rich Iegatees
who are able to bear it, Opponents
of the measure hold that it is uncon-
stitUtional and allows the majority to
levy special tax on the minority.
The election of Benjamin Ryan
Tillman to his fourth term as United
States Senator from South Carolina
passed without incident in spite of
many rumors that his election might
be blocked by his newly made politi-
cal oppOnents-not his enemies of
long standing
The bill to require newspapers and
periodicals to publish in their col
umns the reply Of any man to what
he considers a reflection upon him is
on the calendar of the house with a
majority unfavorable and minority
favorable report from the judiciary
committee. The bill makes the per-
son mentioned by the newspaper the
sole judge and jury to decide the
whether or not he has been
criticised or misquoted to his detri-
ment. For failure to print his COM
in the same place where
the criticism appeared the editor or
reporter is made subject to a fine of
$500 and imprisonment for one
month. Those opposed to the bill
hold tha. it is against the constitu
ton Of theI United States in that it
hampers the press and confscates
property. e. newspapers space.