The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1917-01-09
STATE LEGISLATORS
Are NOW BUSY
(By 'sLlewxam')


Of 1917 was an historical freak. have
been reporting the proceedings Of every
General Assembly that has done busi-
ness in this town for the last 18 years
and never one ike this before.
With Punctilious biennial regularity
I have witnessed and recorded the
lavish wastefulness of time the first
week of every regular session-the
law makers dawdling away brief !
period each day yclept a session."
ostensibly with nothing to do because
the legislative machinery just couldn It
get in motion for no well defined rea
sony inside Of week or two
+ In some Of the ''cloak rooms'' and
other more or less secret places in and
around the State House, the odor of
apple brandy and cawn icker perva-
ded the atmosphere. A considerable
percentage Of the legislators and en-
ployees (not to mention the festive
'Iobbyists and the nimbel representa-
tives' Of the liquor supply houses and
blind tiger agents) brought the aroma
Of the distilled fruit and grain into the
Senate and House and offices and
breathed it into the nostrils of those
who came in contact with them-and
without thought of apology ever sug-
gesting itself to 999 percent Of them
for it was the custom Of those davs,
understand.
The Evolution Of the Tar Heel Legis-
lator
Now, all Of sudden, we find this
great radical change, this wonderful
change-and it amounts to clear
instance Of transformation itself
This year the busiest week Of the
SESSION Gas far as actual legislative
Egrind' goes) is the first seven days
Of the recent adoption Of the Consti
tutional amendments affecting a cer
tain class Of Legislation the Littl,
:, bills'' mostly local in character, whicl
have consumed so much of the tim,
= Of previous legislatures, are barred on
: this year-unless presented by Or be
fore Jan. 10th. Hence these busy op
ening days. They are estopped on an
= after Wednesday Of this week-an
then the real and serious and W.: h
while work Of the session begins. Ev
erybody busy ever since MONDAY Of tn
first day Of the session-too busy t
lr1y l. 1o1, 81
, that is stated when I add that I hav
;, not seen, have not smelled any click
err up here this session. No sir, no
single sensation excited through tn
self or anybody else-and five day
have elapsed since this Society of 81
Ions gathered themselves togethe
:, here.
- Nothing like this ever occurred
this place before since the corner
stone was laid-wav back nigh ont
ninety years ago.
Jehosaphat Think Of it: A who
! Tarheel legislature here in Pronri
- personae, for five Count 'ems) Ion
days of "a hours each, without drinl
81 And what s more surprising, no bi
~ Of lading for anything like spirit,
frumenti is lurking in the distanc
- And the most astounding thing co
- nected with the situation is that n
ng o''H S'ou,'o mere a}'''es'rs 10 care
:, continental if they never fall into {
=, oasis of 'stillery worm juice
= More Students to Raleigh Other Resu
These be also the days when st
nr dents. hundreds and hundreds, reuni
ing into several thousands. are reioi
.rv ing their fellow students in the Fl
colleges here. They come from all ov
North Carolina and are entering t
A. & M. College, and Kings Busine
, College, (two best places I know
rn- to get learning and trainging that W
,as pay most in dollars and cents and
,h+ one for the business battles Of lif
M The girls are filing Meredith COLES
;fe ST. Mary's and Peace Institute-a,
o1v it makes time North Carolina s hea
WIN swell with gladness to look upon the
r1v and the fine preceptors who are. fifth
tho these BOYS and girls to successful
led isn' iiie oa'''e'
"a Suggestive Developments
ind Retrenchment and reform'' (e1
ohn hear the like before?) Is not fguri
iris any to speak Of as slogan up he
7m- this session certainly not with ref
nay ence to the States payroll. Nea1
ide every ofice-holder and every Gle
uld (some few exceptions to all rules,
course) is hoping for raise in sal