Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1916-03-01
THE LAST HOURS OF SESSION.
General Assembly Adjourned Sine
Die Sunday Morning at G.35.
(Cor. News and Courier }

(COr. News and Cour1er.)
Columbia, Feb. 20.--In the Gene
raj Assembly, which adjourned with
out date at 5.35 O'Clock this morn
ing, there we're three features: Pro-
hibitdon, politics and passionless
legislation. Prohibition was proba-
bly, predominant Whatever the pro-
hibitionists wanted they secured,
and it was altogether without what
might be called "the steam roller
process" AS is expressed in poll
tics, they just had the votes" and
whether prohibition Is a success or
q failure there cannot be amy charge
that the friends Of this system of
handling the liquor traffic lacked for
sympathy. The essential accom-
plishments in the line of prohibition
were, first, the granting Of authority
to use so much as $4,000 for the
enforcement Of prohibition laws.
Second, the making Of the violation
of the laws a chain gang offense.
Third, the reduction OF the allow
ance for personal consumption dur
ing any one month from one gallon
to half that quantity. Fourth, the
application of every known and con-
ceivable method Of prohibiting the
sale, storage or transportation of Ii
quor except in two-quart quantities.
Fifth, the re-enactment Of every
prohibition statute that could be
found in the records under the Rati-
flcation Act. The only measure that
in the Senate and which failed in the
House was the Carlisle bill, which
sought to prohibit newspapers from
advertising liquors in South Caro-
lima, and then the House insisted and
secured a more liberal allowance Of
TEAL beer for personal consumption
under the two-quart O. month stat
ute.
Status Of Prohibition.
Prohibition is political as we'll as
an economic issue in this State. It
ular in South Caroline. 1t is a po-
litical balloon at this time, and is
going to be used during the coming
summer for all it Is worth. Then
the 2-cent rate bill, which died in
the Senate, was smother of the seve-
raj campaign propositions utilized on
the House side.
Perhaps the most distinguishing
feature of this session of the Gene
raj Assembly was the utter lack Of
passion. In by-gone days tt ) line Of
demarkation between Tillmanites
and anti-Tillmanites was very sharp.
Then came the line between the dis
pensary and anti-dispensary advo-
Gates, and more recently the advo-
cacy Of Governor Blease and his pol
icies was an acute issue. Once or
twice there was slight symptom
Of an effort to inject partisan poll
tics, but 1t was complete failure,
and there is nothing that was done
at this session Of the General Assem-
bly, that bears any Of the ear-marks
Of partisanship.
Completion of Plans.
Most of the work accomplished at
this session was rather i'm the ma
tnre Of completing last years con-
structive undertakings; that is, the
tax commission law now in effect
was strengthened, in the opinion Of
its friends, by prov ision for a
board of review, which Is to act as a
supreme court in matters OF taxa
tion.
Then the Torrens system, which
passed the House last year, was en-
acted into law. This system for The
present is made optional, but it is
thought that it will be so appealing
to people that they will voluntarily
accept the protection and economy
that the system is expected to afford.
The Mccullough child labor legis-
lation, also advocated by Governor
Manning, was also enacted into law.
This Is a striking illustration Of how
much can be said in a few words.
The entire act consists of exactly rs
words, and reads:
mo child under the age of ii