Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-02-06
DOWN IN COLUMBIA

more personal than professional, II
accordance with habit, and for conve
nience in filling space that would 9th
erwise call the scissors into requisi
ton, will drop in a few paragraph
covering some facts and impression
gathered while away.
In the first place the trip was not
particularly comfortable one. The c
& NV. was a little late; but man
aged to make the connection at Ches
ter all right Trouble developed later
One Of the driving rods of the engin'
broke about twenty miles below Ches
ter, and although a new engine wa
secured within hour or such a mat
ter, the train, having lost its right o
way, was subjected to other delay!
and did not reach Columbia until af
ter 12 o'clock, when it should have got
ten there before 8.
A part Of Wednesday morning wa!
spent in the lobbys Of the capitol
about the house of representatives, II
the senate chamber, and in the en-
crossing department. OF course, ont
should not go about the engrossint
department without calling upon So
licitor Henry. No matter how busy
he may be, he Is always glad to see hi!
friends, and when the editor called
Wednesday, he was as pleasant ane
agreeable as usual However, he die
not fail to try to make 1t appear tina
there is some work about his engross
ing department task. In fact, he lef
the impression that the forty days IL
the engrossing department are a.
| strenuous as q whole round Of hi:
three times a year circuit. On being
asked whether or not it was his inten
ton to run for congress this summer
| Mr.. Henry said that he was inclined
to think he would not unless there
was some special reason why ht
should do so, and he is aware Of nc
such reason at this time.
In the senate they were debating
the question as to whether the record
in the Blease- Christensen controversy
should go into the Journal. Previous
ly in an executive session, the senate
had attempted to bring the whole mat.
| ter in the judiciary committee; but
during the morning, Governor Blease
sent in a message demanding to know
what was to be done in the matter
and the whole thing came up again
Senator McLaurin led the fight in IA
| vor Of putting the record in the Jour
nal, and although it was clear that q
majority of the senators were averse
to anything Of the kind, the expert
ence and ability Of the Marlboro man
backed by the strength Of his conten-
tion prevailed. The majority by which
the action of the secret session, was re-
versed in open session was overwhelm'
| ing.
| The editor talked some with Sena-
tor Beamguard and with Representa-
| tives Halle and Hutchison; but die
not happen to run across Mr.. Riddle
or Mr.. Sanders. Mr.. Halle told what
had been done about the chaingane
proposition. 1t was the original in.
tention Of the delegation to give Beth
ell township four months work before
going to the Yorkville and Rock Hill
road; but it appears that after a big
delegation from the Rock Hill Cham
| ber Of Commerce came down, that in
tention was reconsidered. Also Mr.
Halle stated that the delegation had
| decided to do nothing about the court
house site. He said that the petition
| movement had been started too late
and the delegation did not feel war
ranted in acting on a petition Of only
about $50 names. With reference to
the proposed mill tax to build road
to the Cherokee line he was not in
clined to express himself, as he ha6
not had time in which to consider the
matter. Senator Beamguard was con-
siderably perturbed about the propo-
sition. He had kilograms protesting
against it. Personally he felt that he
would like to make the experiment to
see whether the contract idea is better
than the chaingang system, but then
there was the bug -aboo Of increasing
taxes.
During a previous visit Of the editor
to Columbia about two years ago, he
felt that the odor Of the political at
mosphere was so distinct in it's nature
as to not admit of confusion. Then
the house and senate were overwhelm-
ingly against Governor Blease, and all
the leader of either house had to do to
pass or kill any proposition, was to
throw out an intimation as to the at
titude Of the governor. The situation
admitted Of the passage Of legislation
in which the governor had no concern
on this basis, and some such legisla-
ton was so passed. But now the thing
looks different. There are overwhelm-
ingly hostile majorities in both houses
but there is considerably more doubt
now than there was then las to what
the people might think about it." Gov
ernor Blease has defiantly emphasize
ed the promise that during next sum-
mer he is going to take to the people
every issue that is being made and
insist that the people judge between
himself and the legislators. The ma
jorities therefore appear to be more
conservative than they have been.
OF course the editor heard quite a
lot Of politics, as to who would be
candidates for governor. how Smith
would beat Blease for the senate and
how Blease would beat Smith-how
one of the Smiths would have walk
over for governor, how Manning is
the man, and again how it will be Nc
Laurin. Also there was talk Of Ste
venson, Sapp, Ragsdale and Strait for
congress. Some had it that Steven
son would certainly run, and others
had no idea of such a thing. There
were suggestions that both Strait and
Sapp would run from Lancaster, and
that Ragsdale Of Fairfield, would try
it again; but Of all that was said there
was very little that was definite.
Governor Blease was on the job as