The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-11-16

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dt1oI nl"s' '.r7i ~ - 'a i3:.i -
ri 'AsEzoY'r. ii ,''1r r'.a &, 90, Pro Proprietor sds
ThassassAgricaltural and Meehanisql Society.
The following address BY the President, Gen.
Johnson Hagood, was delivered at the recent
.aalauaai eeting, cf the State Agricultural s1d
,Msehanicalsociety, y,and briefly epitomises che
past history and future Of the crganl
tiuur .oald ii g
Gentlemen of the Society: At the convention
of aoriculturalists and mechanics, held IN tnls
cit1' On April. 1859, which resulted in the for
nassonn Of this society, it 'wnlsbe remembered
there was q lengthy discussion as TO hxi9g the
permanent place for holding our annual fairs'
.Fhe claims of Columbia and Charleston were
warmly pressed by their respective advocates
iaand Others leaned to the idea OF making our
3sS;s s,SrsnateticI holding them each year IN
fSiferent Sections of the State, and in thai town
-shich would offer to the society the. greatest
inducement for so doing. II was finally agreed
t]roE Wg ;rst,a fair should be held IN the
cJty of Columbia, and after that, the matter be
-f1ft with the Executive Committee. =.
TIron the adjournment of that convention,
the City Council of Columbia took the matter
lactfyeIiTin hand; and first having submitted
aeEe question TO the eorporators, ana meeang
oiritFf feif approval proceeded tS expen1 3i near
5000 In erecting buildings Tor our use iness
buildings were erected upon g tract OF ian9
formerly purchased by the City Council, and
improvedifo the il1se: OF the! Old etale Agfiii
cultural Society, which we haye succeedea.I5
,fbs bnildings then erected had been destroyed
Inv Sherman. during the late. war. Upon the
iifst day Of our .irst; fair, the Mayor and Count
cSfYnsasIn proceeded to these ground and formait
Iv fnrned them over to the Executive Commltf
Ice for the society, and. afterwards, delivered 9
decd 30 the same effect, under the corporate
seal which was accepted and recorded. T7Bg !
~ Our. society being unincorporated, the 9eeq
eef the premises was made TO the thres reslaehI
ori,emherg of the Executive Commlttee, h hiGusss
for our use, so long; we shall eonunue 70 heii
thereon at least o1e annual talr, an6 no iohgei;
and it was especially provided that tee Prema:e
were not to be liable for the debts OF the sociei
tv present or future; and were also to revert TO
tie city. of Columbia, upon the dissolution is q
At a subsequent meeting Of the Executive
Committee, preparatory to our second fair' t9eH
vzsre warmly urged to at least alternate pei
tween Charleston and Columbia AS an OH
ainal proposition, the scheme commended Itself
.StfouSiy lint the liberal action QftCNlanRia.
and our acceptance of their deed, had decided
the matter. It was not contemplated 10 nave
mere than one fair in each year, and that must
1ISuin Columbia. Accordingly, we! have heid
Upon these grounds two fairs, ana are now
holding the third-each of which, at a very
nTnnderats. estimate, has caused to be expended
.aii, the CITY of Columbia not less than SoOUOO.
Further. upon the faith of this deed, your
Executive Committee, last year, laid out IN
completing the buildings between $4,000 and
5000 of the society's funds, and this year have
continued the Improvement with smaller ext
penditure.
n seems that q new Council, with different
views. are now. in charge of Columbia, and rel
Gently proceedings at law have been Instituted
set aside the deed, and to restorethe greqndS
and buildings to the city. Your Executive
Committee have employed counsel, and atn9
afiStter is before the courts. have thougns, ~
proper to bring it fully to the attention OF the
IS Society. but care not to snrmise or comment
.unon the. motives which haye induced this act
,,tinns The. complaint alleges that the: deed
-faaas executed in fraud of the public, political
lind municipal rights and duties of the said city
lar columbia, ID bad fIith towards it as pub
Tic ftinicipal corporation, created by the stat
iIies of the State or political purposes, towards
thu State and corporators of the city of Column.
bis. and founded In fraudulent and illegal as
sumption of power These are grave, though
somewhat confussa TehEges.y If<lt is meanT
that this society has in the remotest degree
s@npfveFedto political purposes of 9lIeeteq
sitttsh to other objects than those expressed
its constitution, viz: ,Hto deyelope and .prpEaete
die entire material Interest Of, the State, ,H il
nry duty, and as your presiding officer, | prof
.s33tincgf4 f4hsI ehasge seckIess dbaouttssEy ihhf
founded. Isis undoubtedly true that Yla4rgss
.mai0ritYe $he. members OF ,0Nr. society are n9S
eOfs the, political fath Of. .the dominant partyl
,skhiAcity and State, and'wuuld prefer'that ethef
hinen and measurej should control our destiniesf
ett,E this is. necessarily the case whenever the
tax..payers, the landowners, or the capitalists
ninS0uth Carofna, DIRE fully represented: On
n0sher and proper occasions, they, as citizens,
-fiSye and no doubt Will again seek to! enforce
their views of State policy Bnt this society az
such has so far been free fromrth CONTAINING,
ton Of politics; and / had hoped, and still
hope never to see it dragged In its mire. AN
adxerse decision OF the courts will only cause
our meetings and fairs to be held elsewhere;
and Ehethef in CHaIeston or in some one Of
the towns Of the upper country, is question
,&besoeiety can decide when it arises: .IlrEF
10 There are questions of more immediata and
greater importance which demand neonsidesa-
ton at this meeting, They relate to our fun.
dainshtal organization; and IN the opinion Of
-cSoar Executive Committee; upon their favora-
BE solution at an early date depsnfls not only
the continued usefulness of our organization,
but in all probability, It's continded existence,
By our constitution, members are classed as
s1ionorary, life and annual. The frat contribute
11notLiug: tie SECOND contribute $40 upon admit
ibnce and nothing afterward and annual mem F. .a
II bers are those ywhe attending our fsirs, CON
tribute So, and for tbs week are entitled to adj
mittance to the fair; and for one year to all the
--other privileges of the society, without obhga'
ton to continue their contributions beyond that
period. The fund fsOtn life members since out
first meeting has been insignificant, and hass I