The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1914-03-11
HOUSE INCLINED
TOWARD PROGRESS
General Policy Of Senate Was Obstruc-
tive. Law Makers Go Home. Fac
tfOnal Feeling Grew Tense as End
OF Trying Session Approached.


Columbia, March 7.-The chambers
OF the senate and house in the State
house were deserted yesterday for the
first time since January 13, when the
general assembly convened for a long
session, during which little construc-
tive legislation was enacted and fac
tional feeling at times reached the
combustion point. Following the ad-
journmcnt sine die Of tho general as
sembly at an early hour yesterday
morning, practically all of the mem
bers left for their homes. The clos
ing days Of tho session were trying
on the nerves, Situations arose which
were tense with nossibilitioS
Almost all Of the acts Of con-
structivc nature which the house
passed and which struggled through
the senate were vetoed by the COVER
nor and did not become laws, notably
the general medical inspection act,
the local medical inspection act for
Richland county and local compulsory
school attendance acts for Spartan
burb and Richland counties. The ne
gotiabc instruments act was one OF
the few constructive measures of
State wide Importance to become law,
the veto Of his excellency to the con
trary Notwithstanding.
The house during the past session
repeatedly showed it's willingness to.
enact constructive Legislation, but the
senate did not follow its lead The
house passed the Miley primary re-
form bill, intended to make South
Carolina primary elections like Gaze
sar's wife, but the measure died in
the senate, along with several other
constructive bills of Statewide i'm
portance.
The history Of the session of the
senate which has just ended were Il
written, would Of necessity be cor-
fined mostly to recital of what the
senate did not do; because the senate
did practically nothing.
Glad to Get Away.
Over in the east wing of the cap
itol restlessness was in evidence sew
cral DAYS before final adjournment
and when the last motion was made
in the early hours yesterday. the SEN
ators breathed easier and we're glad
to get away, as they themselves said.
During the last hours of the session
the senator's gathered in little groups
in corners Of the senate chamber and
in the committee rooms and discussed
the situation.
Some Of the older members when
asked what they thought of the pro-
ceedings Of the session, smiled rath-
er sadly and said that they had never
seen the like of 1t. One conservative
remarked that not even during Till
mans time had there been so many
extraordinary incidents. Several SEN
ators rose In their seats on the
last day and declared that they were
sick of the strife; and the answer
came:
"Thcy cry peace, peace when there
is no peace"
And aside from the strife, two or
three Statewide progressive mea-
sures, at most, were all that were
passed during the session. The nego-
table instrument bill, passed over the
governors veto, and the vital statis-
tics measure stand out prominently. A
friendly to the administra-
ton, voted Throughout the session
against every progressive and con-
structive piece Of legislation proposed.
When Richland county tried to have
bills passed and to set an example,
this minority rose up and declared
that to give Richland compulsory ed
ucation and medical inspection Of
school children would mean that otl.-
er counties would soon follow her ex-
ample, and this was not wanted, they
said.
Richland county, however, did sue
ceed in one thing, or at least the Co.
lumbia Chamber OF Commerce did. An
item OF 100000 for the eradication Of
the cattle tick in this State went into
the appropriation bill. The United
States department. OF agriculture will
now put up a like amount and the
farmers will he saved an immense
amount Of money by reason of the fact
that az soon as the quarantine against
the tick infested regions Is lifted the