The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1914-01-13
STATE. LAWMAKERS,
GATHER AT CARITA
The General Assembly Convenes
This Morning.
EDUCATION LIVE QUESTION
Considerable Calendar Work From
Last Year-Good Roads
Live Issue.

General Assembly meets Tuesday.
Many members are already In thecity.
The approach of the session finds the
State in exceptional condition and
there is no especial occasion to antici-
pate anything unusual as a result of
the gathering Of the lawmakers.
In previous years the liquor ques-
ton largely overshadowed other mat
ters, but for some reason this issue
is in allegiance and will hardly be one
Of the absorbing questions. That peo-
pie are not satisfied with existing con-
ditions is patent, but what to do in
the circumstances is the problem.
Prohibition was tried out in certain
sections and proved unsatisfactory
on the ground that public sentiment
would not enforce prohibition laws;
then many couties went back to the
county option system and this is not
altogether satisfactory, but is appare-
ntly more satisfactory than would be
Statewide prohibition or the State
dispenSary system. The chances are
that nothing will be done with regard
to the liquor question. The most like
ly measure is the Rittenberg bill,
which has special reference to the con
ditions in Charleston.
EDUCATION AND ROADS.
Inc SlJudIlOu III IuS
State promises to be overwhelming
question that will be taken up by the
general assembly. 1t is becoming
more and more appreciated every day
that the best money the state spends
iS In Observation-Disclosures of any
kind. The question now is how to
best spend II. The common schools
need more money and the general as
sembly Is likely to pass an Act that
will raise the revenue and provide
for It's distribution.
Good roads will be an absorbing Is
sue. The people want better roads
and are going to have them. Just
now 1t appears that the question will
be whether or not 1t would not be a
good idea to use a portion of the
state convicts in the building Of main
arteries from end to end OF the state.
The suggestion is that at first, with
convict labor. the state build a main
artery from the upper part to the
lower part Of the state and then one
east and west. These would be used
as types and in time other lines
would be run to and from these main
arteries. The suggestion is to tax the
people who use such roads. An Act
would have been passed taxing auto
mobiles so much per horse power and
but the hitch came over the use OF the
fund. Some wanted the revenue rails
ed from an automobile tax used in
the counties where the tax was de-
rived and others wished il used in
the construction of the proposed
main arteries and the result was that
nothing has been done up to the
present time, but something is likely
to be done at this session II these two
points can be agreed upon-how the
work is to be handled, that is, wheth-
er by an Independent commission, by
the commissioner Of agriculture and
commerce or by the state educational
institutions, with engineering depart
ments.
LEFT OVER FROM 1913.
When the assembly meets on Tues
day 1t Will find a considerable calen-
dar OF work that was left over from
the last session. or course, 1t is
recognized that, under the rules that
this mass of previously proposed
legislation is up for consideration.
Conditions have changed and q new
schedule of work MAJ re arranged
1t is generally admitted that one Of I
the important issues to be considered
will be the tightening up OF the pri- |
mary system. There are already |
pending bills on this subject. Tho !
governor, as is known, Is opposed to |
any changes and there promises to |
be lively contests over this topic. AS |
machinery has to be provided for the |
selection OF a United States senator |
and perhaps for the presidential pri-
mary, under state authority, the |
chances are that something will be |
done. Some argue that the primary |
should be handled by the Democratic |
party, but now that the people are to !
eject United States senator's and there |
Is proposal to get the ointment I'm |
presidential primaries, something will |
nave 10 be done by the state itself.
Little Will be done at the opening
or the session except to interchanrc
views and i'm a friendly wav tan, ovcr
conditions and situations On Tues-
day the governors message viii no
received and read and that will he
about all that will be undertaken at
that time.
LONG SESSION VS.. SHORT.
Before the constitution of 1895 was
adopted it was the rarest thing for
a session OF the general assembly to
continue beyond the Christmas hoIi-
days, which meant a thirty-day ses-
sion. When the constitution Of 1895
was adopted the idea was to provide
for several long sessions, where were
to frame laws that would conform to
the new constitution. The lawmak-
ers have, however, gotten away from
the original idea and from the thirty
day sessions and think they are bound
to have at least forty-day sessions.
This Is not the case, as they are pail