The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1917-01-17
REPRESENTATIVE LESESNE
WRITES ENTERTAlN|NCLY OF
LEGISLATIVE MATTERS
Columbia, Jan. 10Th, 1917

NOluHluld, Jan. lOIn, 1877.
Mr.. Ed;tor:-
The first week Of the Legislative
session has passed, and by the time
you publish this article many public
measures will be under consideration
by that body. The Inauguration of
Governor Manning for his second
term takes place tomorrow, the new
ly elected state officers take their Of
fees, and James Cansler, of Tirzah,
will realize the dream which he has
cherished for about twenty years by
becoming one Of the railroad commits
sioners. During the first week not
much more has been accomplished
than to get thoroughly organized and
get in shape for work. 1t is a COM
mon thing to hear people abuse the
Legislature, but when the truth is
known the Legislature dees not waste
! any great deal of time. 1t is out of
the question to pass any measures
during the first ten days or two weeks
of the session. 1t is serious thing
when we come to pass laws affecting
the persons and the property of a
million and a half people in South
Carolina, and before law is passed
it should be we'll thresbed out and
discussed from every angle. When
the houses are organized then the
various committees must be appoint
ed, every member must be on one or
more committees, and every bill
which is introduced must be referred
to the appropriate committee. This
committee meets in the afternoon or
at night and considers all their bills,
and reports back to the house favor
ably or unfavorably. If the commit
tee reports unfavorably and the un-
favorable report is adopted that bill
is dead, in that house. If the bill
gets favorable committee report
then it is printed and distributed on
the desks Of the members, where it
must remain for ID hours before it is
read in full and discussed upon it's
merits. Up to the time that the bill
is printed and placed upon the desks
OF the members they have never had
an opportunity of really knowing
what the bill contains. Upon the sec
ond reading the bill usually is dis
cussed. If it passes that reading IA
vorably, then it is read an
other time, and has passed that
house. When a measure has passed
one house in this way, then it goes
to the other house and must 20
through the same routine. If it
runs the gamut of both houses
in this way then the fight
is over, and it is ratified by
both houses sitting in joint session.
and is ready for the governors sig
nature, after which it becomes a law
Another thing which our people do
not fully appreciate is that there are
l24 members in the house of repre-
sentatives, and 45 in the Senate, all
intelligent men, elected from 45
counties upon their fitness. 1t is no
easy matter to make these men see
things as we do. They come from
all over the State, and represent peo-
pie who have various interests. |
want to say that Johnson and Mel
lette are honest and conscientious
men, and are thoroughly imbued with
the idea of State and County econ
omy, and want to work and act for
the best interest of oar people.
want to say the same thing for SEN
ator DuRant, over in the other end
of the building.
The officers of our county are Civ
ing us great deal Of trouble and
concern. 1t seems that our county
is considerably behind, and that the
new supervisor has taken charge of
his Office with no money with which
to run the county's affairs. 1t seems
that $4,000 had to be borrowed last
year with which to run the county
during 1916 and the taxes were pledg-
Ell to the payment of this 10000,
and that this was not enough, and
consequently there is a big deficit.
| | DO not know how the matter will
be worked out. All that | can state
as yet as to county affairs is that
we have decided to reduce the board
Of County Commissioners from four
to two. l do not know yet who these
two will be. So far as / am person
ally concerned l would be willing to
turn over the county matters to SEN
ator DuRant and Messrs. johnson