The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-09-02
For the .iude,yon I,,tclligcncer.

MEssRs EDITORS: In the two last issues of
your valuable paper, you have thought
proper TO criticize my motives for becoming
a candidate for the 'thankless' position
of Intendant of the Town Of Anderson,
and my acts since my election. |
think lave been nisrcprescnted in many
particulars, and rs your paper is the only
medium through which l cnn reply, am
constrained to ask space in your columns tn
vindicatc my acts and motives. | shall en-
dcavor to do this without losing my judy
ment or good temper, and without personal
alusions, except such as are fairly called for
by your articles.
In your issue of the 18th inst, under the
caption of Town Election" you venturcd to
say, indirectly, that was the colored party's
candidate. Now, permit me to say that /
was from the beginning All independent can
didatc, and represented no political party,
clique, faction or race; and having received
a large majority of the votes polled, includ-
ing more than one-third of the white votes,
is proof sufficient Of my assertion. AS to
your ungenerous filings at the white people
who voted for me in preference to Mr.. Hoyt,
leave the proper appreciation Of that to
them.
You will doubtless remember that about
one year ago, was elected Intendant with
out any serious or combined opposition
| You will also remember that ut the mass
meeting called to nominate candidates for
the present term Of Concil, 4 vote of thanks
was rendered, without a dissenting voice, to
n Council of which I was Intendant for the
faithful manner in which they had managed
the affairs of the Town. Under these cir
cumstanccs had no reason to believe that
my official conduct or political principles
were obnoxious to the majority. At the
solicitation of friends, became a candidate
for reelection; and the present violent and
bitter censures must spring from personal or
political motivcs-I will not say spite, at
disappointment in failing to prove that An
dcrson County had found for the Democrats
a new and youthful leader, who could and
would only lead to victory.
AS to your reference to compromising with
the Republicans, allow me to inform you
that they asked none; they had no meeting,
made no nominations, but voted, US the re-
suit shows, for one Democrat, one Indepen-
dent and the undersigned for Intendant,
thus, by their votes, giving Democratic
majority in Council. Can reasonable Dem
ocrats ask more?
So far as the colored voters sticking together
is concerned my reply is, that if they did
'sstick," it was not to elect themselves; they
refrained from asking for colored man on
the Council, whilst, by the cumulative sys-
tern of voting, they could certainly have
elected two.
As to drawing strict lines, either political
or colored, in our County in elections or
business transactions, if that is your policy,
advocate it. I shall not so advise, as far as
| l am concerned, but shall continue to advO-
cate conciliation and peaceful compromises,
with Just regard to the honest political
opinions and actions of all men.
Again, you say ''Col. Cochran, it is under
stood, ran to make his brother-in-law Town
Wcigher." Now, 1 deny this. l had no
such idea when determined to run, because
l understood from those who were supposed
to know, that he would be appointed,
whether ran or not. AS to my ultimatly
voting for him because he was my brother,
in-law, if that be crime, l prefer to plead
guilty. The very fact that you think so is
| nv sufficient excuse, since you only argue
from what you know Of the effect of kim
dred ties, in most cases. If you had charged
me with voting fer an Incompetent or u,woHhy
man, because he ,cas neg rclatire then should
see why ought to be censurcd.
| You are perfectly aware that cannot vote
except in a tic. Really, however, may
frankly contestant l have been influenced
in nv action by tic fact that hold the mcr-
chants have no right to dictate who shall be
appointed weighcr and referee between them
and the farmers. l never before or during
the canvass, or after election, asked men,
Der of Council to vote for Mr.. Reese, nor had
any intimation how three members Of the
Council meant to vote. As TO exactly why
voted for Mr.. Reese, aside from the reason
YOU lay so much stress OH, they are as fol-
| lows: First, because believed him to be
! .t,1 .,b liui intY
| in his disposition and habits, equally with
the other applicants for the position Sec
ond, because / never heard any one COM
plain of him as Cotton Weiglcr, on the con-
| trary heard both sellers and buyers often
express themselves with satisfaction as To
the manner in which he had weighed their
cotton, while acting as assistant weighcr
Third, because he was the only applicant
that made any proposition to reduce the
price of weighing to five cents per bale {;
| Fourth, because he needed the position
equally with the other applicants, and can
ONLY further say, gentlemen, that if you will
show one good reason why Ilr. Reese is ,ln-
lit for the office of Town Wcighcr l will
guarantee his resignation.
In editorial number two, headed Town
Council" you refer to the ordinance relative
to the Town Wcighcr as exceedingly OBJ
noxious," and continue Us follows:
'"The principal Use for such Il parsonage, if
the Council had the right to appoint him, is
utterly ignored in this ordinance, and we be-
licve it was done on purpose to array the
people of the County against the Town, and
to scatter discord as far as possible We re-
[ fer to the amount of deduction to be made
from the weights of cotton on account of its
being wet. There arc very few men who
cannot tell how much q bale of cotton weighs
upon Il pair of scales, and they need no man
to take care of their interests III this respect
but they will frequently differ as to how
much water is in cotton, and here is the
chief use for an impartial wcigher, to act rs
arbitrator upon this question 1t is very in
convenient to the merchant, rs it will re-
qllirc him to have some one present to look
after this in every bale he buys, or risk los
| ing money OH his cotton. The only effect OF
such ordinances will be to injure the cotton
market of our Town. 1t is oppressive and
injurious to our merchants, anu should be
| set aside as unlawful"
You will allow me to differ with you. and
| for Your information to state that when the
first Weigher was elected it was not for the
purpose of protecting the buyer from buying
watcred cotton but as you have distinctly
asserted, to protect the seller from great
| irregularities i'll weights"
And in proof of my assertion allow me to
quote your own language from editorial num-
ber three, headed Cotton Weigher," where
YOU say About the beginning of the war
at the time when every man was weighing
his own cotton, great irregularities II, the
,rciqh, occurred, and certain unprincipfcd
men practiced fraud to such an extent that
the merchants of the Town determined to
put stop to it, by selecting one man to do
the weighing for all buyers and sellers" 1t