The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1922-08-17
There are some sincere, we'll mean

There are some sincere, we'll mean
ing men who believe that the
people of this state can get
along best by coddling the big money
interests. These good men urge that
if the legislature does what these
great corporate interests want it to
do then these corporations will be
good to us and give us prosperity.
This is all very we'll until the legis-
lature is asked to grant special fa-
vors. When the income and water
power tax bills come up, for in
stance, We hear from these corpora
tions. If you add to the influences
of these great interests with their
powerful legislative lobbies, who do
not want the burden of taxes shifted
more on to them-if you add to their
influence, the wide spread influences
of certain departments and institu-
tions of our state government who
do not want appropriations cut, then
indeed you have an influence at Co.
lumbia that it takes a strong legis-
lature to handle.
If the voters will only see to it
that the next senate and house are
made up of men who have their hands
free, who are not closely allied to
the big corporations and who are not
partisans and special pleaders for
some particular department or insti-
ton of government then the next
legislature will be in position to COM
plete the work begun by the last
legislature, and guarantee to us that
tax money is wisely spent and more
fairly raised.
Last spring I was urged to be a
candidate for governor and advocate
those issues on the stump. 1t is
desirable to have these issues so pre-
sented in the state primary campaign,
and it is being ably done; and it will
be very helpful to have governor
favorable to common sense and prac-
tical economy. But the place these
issues are to be settled is in the leg
islature. AS member of the senate
finance committee, I can at this time
use my experience in these matters
to best advantage there. But no men
ber or group of members can ac-
complish much unless the voters are
awake, and lay aside personal feel
ings, and local politics, and elect
broad minded, Independent men to
make at least a working majority.
You appear to be disturbed by the
criticism of the special legislative
committee that employed Grifenha-
gen associates. You refer to the in
cident that it was called by some a
"smelling committee" Let it be re-
membered that some such nick name
is applied to any committee that real
ly gets facts, for facts are apt to be
unpleasant in certain quarters. The
Dispensary Investigating committee
of 1905 was called names and con-
demned by many, and one complaint
was that it employed some outside
expert help. But its work resulted
in the overthrow of a corrupt sys-
tenn. The committee that investigat-
ed the state hospital for the insane
in 1910 was roundly criticised and
given unpleasant nicknames for the
same reason. However, its report
brought about the rebuilding and re-
organizing of that sorely stricken
institution that had been a blot on
the good name of the state. So it
has been with other similar COM
mittees. They work for the interests
of the people and if they secure
changes the ywill be criticised by
many of those who are changed and
by their friends; because many OIL
cials do not like their ways changed,
they are like the rest Of us.
A legislature that is not ready
and able to make these Investigations
and then act vigorously cannot pre-
tect and advance this commonwealth.
The last general assembly got the
facts and began to act on them. Will
the next general assembly finish the
lob? Very respectfully,
'NIELS HCRISTENSEN.