The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-05-10
LIBERALISM IS
KEYNOTE FOR
ASSEMBLYMEN
Lawmakers of '33 Get Off
Beaten Paths With OAR
ing Legislation
BY HENRY LESESNE
The Times-NewS Bureau
Sir Walter Hotel

eIal assembly OF 1888, 10" III 10
dying days, has done more 10 up
set the prevailing order OF Things
than any other body Of lawmak-
ers in recent years. For one
thing, il has taken the state OIL
the property Standard-tor the
next two wears, at least-and I'M
posed new-fangled sales tax,
which it borrowed from MlSSlS-
sippi. But this was not the only
no mans land upon which the leg
isIature dared 10 tired, and unlike
other legislatures of recent years,
il mas refused to be Stampeded by
moral reformerS, with the result
that it will probably be best re-
membered for it's liberalism.
Some observers here are trying
to figure out whether the weary
lawmakers intended to include
liberalism in the new deal, or
whether they just got so tired OF
being cusSed on every side that
they went ahead and did what
they wanted to. Anyhow, the fact
remains that the 1888 general as
Sembly has legalized 81 per cent
beer, set up machinery for re-
peal convention in December,
modified the states stringent
marriage and divorce laws, retuS-
ed to get excited about legallzlng
horse racing and parimutuel bet
ting, and has given serious con-
sideration to the proposal of state
unemployment insurance ana the
public ownership of utilities.
On the negative side of accom-
phshments, it threw up its hands
in holy horror Sequal to that OF
the moral reformerS themselves
when Representatives Boyd and
TAYLOR of Mecklenburg presented
a criminal syndicalism bill, osen-
sibly aimed at communist aglta-
tors in Charlotte, but which could
have been used to check virtually
all manner of thought in the
Tomtit State. 1t also turned a
deaf ear to a serious proposal to
bring back the cat-O'-nine-tails or
whipping post.
The Murphy bill calling a spe-
cial election in November for ac-
tion on repeal ratification, has
not yet become law. but 1t has
passed the house by an over
whelming majority. and its acc-
ceptance by the senate IS regard
ed as a mere formality. The ac-
ton that the general assembly
would take on setting up repeal
machinery was written on the
wall when it voted almost unan-
imously to legalize beer of a mod
est alcoholic content. The die
hard drys fought TO get a refer
endum on beer. but, as one mem
her of the general assembly put
it. this element could be expected
10 fight those who voted for a
beer referendum Just as hard as
they might fight those who voted
for immediate legalization.
1t is generally agreed by leglS-
lative observers here that the or
ganized drys overplayed their
hands to the point of lnconSlst-
ency. They opposed the legaIiza-
ton of beer on the ground that
the people should first vote on it,
and then they turned right
around and opposed repeal con-
vention anytime within the next
four or five years on the conten-
ton that the liquor question
would be decided on an economic
rather than a moral basis. Mean
while, those who wanted beer got
busy and sent so many petitions
TO the legislature, and raised Such
howl for 80 brew that they con-
WINGED most members Of the gen.
eral assembly that North Carolina
wanted beer.
The legislatures quiet accept
ance of the Mcdowell county bill
permitting pari-mutuel betting
there provided the voters Of the
county approve the plan at a Spe-
cial election within 90 days, came
as a big surprise in view of the
fact that only two years ago a
great hullabaloo was raised over
a similar bill pertaining to the
neighboring resort county of Bun
combe, and it was finally killed
by the church people and Jose
plus Daniels News and Observer.
The Mcdowell county bill was
slipped through both houses UNI
der a suspension of rules, and
there was not single voice of
opposition. The first the moral
reformers knew of it was when.
along with VIII Rogers, they read
about it in the papers.
The next morning, the lawmak-
ers themselves read all about the
evils of horse racing and pari-
mutuel betting in the local morn
ing newspaper, but when an at
tempt was made in the senate to
reconsider the bill before II
should be automatically ratified
the opponents of the bill could
not muster more than a handful
of votes and a majority of the
senators seemed willing to accept
one members opinion that if Me-
Dowell county wanted to make
itself the home of the Carolina
Derby. there is no more harm n
it than Raleigh or Charlotte oil
Greensboro supporting a few
bucket shops.
Efforts to modify North Car
olina's marriage and divorce laws
have been made at other sessions
but this is the first legislature tC
act. 1t reduced the period OF
separation necessary for a divorce
from five to two years. 1t re
pealed the marriage law of 1927
requiring applicants for license:
to present a health certificate
Most members We're willing to ad
nit that it was a good law if i