The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1916-11-22
CONCERNING BIENNIAL SESSION
fColumbia Stately

::-'' Columbia State.) F
To the substitution of biehhiarjfor
annual sessions of, the General As
sembly one. can think of. no profound
objection just as one can think Of no
stupendously moving argument in Its
favor. If the people are I convinced
that salvation lies that way by all
means the people, should = be allowed
to seek it that, way, but they should
not be misled.1 #s. .;iij Z &!-
-. They should not be told. for, ,ex-
ample, that a large sum OF money
will be saved to the taxpayers by
biennial sessions, Experiences, will
show that if legislatures are to meet
at, all an average of scarcely less than
40 days in the year will be necessary
for the transaction Of their business
and as the population Of the State in
creases and its interests become more
complex even more time for it will
be required. ,4fr AZ -
Now is it rational argument that
the sessions should be less frequent
because they are disturbing factor
to business. If legislatures are dam
gerous, if they are q public evil, they
should be prohibited altogether. OF
course they are in fact, far from per,
feet in their operation hut, ION the
whole, they are representative rather
of the good than the bad in the peo.
4 pie themselves, We believe that we
have abundant reason to be grateful
Ito the General Assemblies of the last
Isix years especially for .their firm
adherence to, worthy government and
There is NJ, sign that they will dete'
lriorate in. virtue and intelligence
Perhaps no American 5Statepis better
lsoyerned than. Massachusetts where
not only doest the Legislature meet
every year. but q governor is elected
every year, too. = While rthe State
would not propose return to the pol
}itical system that prevailed in South
Carolina more than half century ago
when the. legislature elected the GOV
ernors, it is. the simple truth that in
those days the executive las well az
the judicial department. Of the State
was of the highest credits to it. L
|si Biennial sessions would save pc
money to stheT taxpayers, They would
take not dollar: out Of Columbia. II
a little, while the aggregate iexpendi'
|tures, ,of a session would be as much
as Qor more than those OF, two sessions
have >been.: -iI..,s..' ssa,; .4;si ,
In favor of biennial sessions, is that
lin longer sessions of the General AS.
|sembly better work would be better
done. In the 40 days session the Gen.
eral Assembly scarcely organizes save
in the formal sense. The members do
not learn to work together. By the
day that they know ! one .another's
faces the session is aats an, end and
when the SECOND session eonvenea
they, have forgotten the work of the
ffst They must; begin yat the Begin
ming again. Assreen sYppng membeI
comes 10 stheeF House. t4and fearful fpf
defeatfor reelection unless 'he does
something; he usqellN does some. oa's
|thingz fantastic, The General Assem- a !;
blies are commonly composed for!the
most part of,,inexperienced- men who
are given little opportunity to gain
E, experience. q, Were they tolsit contin-
uously three or four months, rand
that in the event. Of the adoption Of
the biennial plan they would soon