Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1914-02-11
FILIBUsTERING IN THE HOUSE.
Some Bills that Promise to Become
Law-SOldiers' Home.


Courier: 1t is very discouraging to
see now some OF the members of the
House OF Representatives waste the
time in their attempts to defeat leg
islation. About a dozen members Of
the House have been carrying on
lllDuster in their attempts to defeat
the Sanders bill, which attempts to
put an end to houses of i'll fame
and for immoral purposes" This
Dill Will become law, or rather it
Will pass the House if a vote is ever
reached. The bill is still pending.
On Saturday | succeeded in getting
through the House a motion to limit
all speeches to ten minutes. This will
be of much benefit towards the bring
ing about Of effective work.
| have introduced bill to "abol-
ish and discontinue the Confederate
Home" which is situated in the city
of Columbia. The reason for so do.
ing is because it is waste of money
to run this institution. When the
Legislature passed a law authorizing
this home for the aged and infirm
soldiers and sailors Of the Civil War,
it embodied in that law that none of
the officers Of that institution should
receive pay, and that only two sold
iers from each county be allowed to
live there. In violation. of the law
some counties have more than their
share, and the superintendent, Major
II. w. Richardson, gets 800 per
month, DR.. Butler $75 per month,
and six others receive salaries. 1t
costs the State form 20 to 80 thou
sand dollars year to maintain this
institution. The place is nothing
more than a place for favorite poll
ticians. For these reasons, | believe,
it should be abolished and the money
distributed among the soldiers de-
serving it. Is it right to tax the peo-
pie to spend from 20 to 80 thousand
dollars year to keep up 81 men.
when many good soldiers never draw
one cent for their services in the
war?
The House failed to pass the bill
"removing the asylum to the State
Park property" | think this was 4
mistake. The asylum should not be
in the city with 365 acres Of fine
farming land, partly in and partly
outside Of the city limits. That land
is worth too much to keep for farm
ing purposes. The State owns $500
acres Of fine farming land at State
Park, five miles above the city, and
that is the proper place for the State
Hospital for the Insane. / think that
instead Of calling the State House
"the State House for Officials" it
should be called "The State House
for the insane" for some mighty
foolish things are done here.
Mr.. Ieigler passed bill through
the House requiring hunters to take
out a license for that purpose"
Mr.. McQueen's bill Ito sell the
State farms in Sumter and Kershaw
counties, and to place all able-bodied
male convicts on the public roads,"
passed the House by a very small
majority.
The House has passed the Harper
McCravy compulsory education bill.
This bill, if passed into an act, will
not be a compulsory education law,
Tor it only gives this right: One
third of the Qualified electors in a
school district may petition for an
election to be held for the purpose
of voting for or against compulsory
education. If a majority vote in ia
for OF it, that district which voted
shall then have compulsory educa-
ton, and all parents or custodians
of children, between the ages of
eight and twelve, must send their
children to school, or be subject to
fine Of $40, provided, that such
child does not live further than two
miles from the school house, or if
the child'S service is needed at home,
then such parent shall be excused
from the provisions of the act. |
don't think this much of a law, and
don't think it can be enforced to any
material advantage, and personally
| am not in favor of compulsory edu-
cation at present. l merely voted for
this bill in order to give the people
| a right to vote on the law. No one
| can make a mistake by trusting such
things to the will OF the people.
The House has passed 2 two-cent
passenger rate. The Senate has not
yet acted on it.
The primary bill is now under dis
cussion. 1t is probable that some law
on this subject will be passed, but il
is not probable that it will be very
stringent. 1t is not my purpose ever
to vote for bill that will dsfran-
chise any white man, but | shall vote
for bill to prevent any one from
voting more than once.
On Friday night DR.. c. r. Wyche,
a member from Newberry county,
Speaker pro tenn Of the House, was
suddenly stricken with paralysis
while welding the gavel. He was
taken to Columbia Hospital, and is
now resting well. There is hope of
his early recovery.
The investigation concerning the
State Hospital is now going on. Sen
ator Tillman and Governor Blease
have both testified. They were in