The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-09-02

acknowledged they had no right To enforce
the ordinance, but lis Il matter OF convent
cnce and accommodation to the merchants
they did pass the ordinance, and required
oath of Office and bond with security from
the wcigher. They also further complied
with the petition of the merchants by elect
ing Mr. FAINT the cotton wcighcr."
Did they stop there? Nay, rs | will prove
further on.
Now, it is remarkable that Council COM
posed of a Judge for Intcndant, supposed to
be learned in the law, a lawyer for one Ut
the War,lcns, supposed also to understand
the law, and the same editor thut now de-
carcs similar ordinance unconstitutional
because it is local interference with COM
mcrcc" between the States, would pass an
ordinance that they acknowledged they had
no right to enforce" and Which they now
hold to be unconstitutional. 1t is fact ac-
cording to your own view of the affair that
ut the request of member Of the
Council Mr.. Fant, an ordinance was passed
and the Office of Cotton Weighcr was crt-
ated by the Council, and one Cf lis o,cn men,-
bcrs ciccied to fill the same, with the right to
charge you (the tarmers) ten cents per bale
for weighing cotton and with the further
right to make due allowance for increased
weight by water" real or imaginary, with
out any clause giving you the right to ap-
peal or any other mode of redress, no matter
how unjust or oppressive the tax or allow
ancc might become. 1t is time to cry out
aloud against the ''tyrants," and lend my
voice freely to swell the chorus
So far as your statement that "some men
are willing to spend half their nights upon
the streets for weeks before the elections,
and spend their money in frequent treats to
secure their election" presuming that you
say all you mean for ME, in reply / can say
and challenge any man to contradict it, that
l was not on the streets any night before the
election, except at town meetings, but was at
home with my family; nor did | ever treat
any man or set of men before, during or
after the election, nor did any friend of mine
to my knowledge And SO far Us treats
are concerned, the least said about that by
some friends of my opponents the better for
them.
You also state that ut was clearly under
stood that the merchants were to have no
influence in the selection of the next Cotton
Weigher, but that political and family affairs
had plainly designated who the coming man
was to be, and that 1 intended forcing my
brother-in.law upon the. people in the face
of their earnest protestations; land as many
Of our citizens thought it inexpedient and
unjust for our Town government to be per-
verted into tyranny and source of family
revenue, &C."
Now, Messrs. Editors, l hold that the
Town was perrerted into tyranny when, at
the request of the merchants the Coun-
Gil created the office of weigher, and by ille-
gal ordinances forced it upon the people.
As to its being "a source of family revenue" +"
the people of the County know that it has
been held by one family, and has been a
source of great revenue to them, to which
the people have been illegally (it now seems)
compelled to contribute thousands of dol
lars, which, it naturally follows, has ended
in the making of some of "our best cltl-
zens."
now propose to submit, side by side, to
the citizens OF the County, the sections OF
the ordinance which, in your opinion. lis a
monstrous tyranny" and the sections of an
ordinance passed by the Council in 1866.
composed us you say, of Judge }. 5. Murray,
james A. Hoyt, o. H. p FAINT, T. NJ. White
and B. F. Whtner Read them carefully,
citizens of Anderson County, and see which
has the ring Of tyranny i'll them.
Ordinance passed by Council of 1856:
An ORDINANCE TO PROVIDE FOR THE AP-
PoISTMEST OF A PUBLIC WEIGHER.
Be it Ordained, by the Town Council of
Anderson
1st. That Public Cotton Weigher shall
be annually appointed by the Town Council,
whose duty it shall he to faithfully and ini-
partially weigh all balcd cotton sold within
the corporate limits Of the Town, and that
he be allowed therefore the sum of ten
cents per bale, to be paid by the owner or
seller of the cotton, and that the said Weigh
or shall have the right to make due allow
ancc for increased weight by water.
4th. That each and all other persons are
hereby prohibited from weighing balel cot
ton sold within the corporate limits of the
said Town, under the penalty of not exceed
ing Twenty Dollars for each and every bale
So weighed.
Ratified in Council, and the Seal Of the
Town affixed thereto, this the Bird day of
f-@, October, i'll the year of our
SEAL. Lord One Thousand Eight
t-) Hundred and Sixty-Six.
], SCOTT MURRAY, Intendant.
S. BLEcKLEY, Sec. and Treas.
Or1i' ..nce passed by the Tyrants:
Be il Ordained, by the Intcndant and
Wardens of the Town of Anderson, in
Council assembled, and by the authority
Of the same
1st. That all Cotton sold within the cor
porate limits of the Town of Anderson shall
be weighed by the Public Weigher of said
Town, duly elected by the Town Council.
4th That any person or persons who shall
wifully or knowingly hold himself out as a
Public Wcighcr, or who shall weigh any
Cotton in violation of this Ordinance, with
in the corporate limits of said Town, shall,
OH conviction of said offence, be liable to
pay penalty OF twenty dollars for each and
every bale Of Cotton 50 weighed i'll violation
of the same.
Done and ratified in Council, and the
<, Seal of the Corporation of said
SEAL. Town affixed thereto, this BIRD
t--) day Of August, 4. ID. 1873.
JOHN II. COCHRAN, lntendant.
JAS. II. BEwLEY, Clerk Council.
You will observe that the tyrants' ordi-
nance provides that the purchaser shall pay
for the weighing. Is this ''monstrous tyr
anny?" | think not Before the war the
merchants weighed their cotton, but ut their
store door, and were compelled to have it
hauled to the Depot and pay the drayage.
Since the election of Il Wcigher, the farmer
has done the merchants draying, and PAID
for the weighing also. l hold that II
farmer delivers the cotton at the Depot after
selling il, that the merchant should, as a
matter of justice, pay for the weighing, in
consideration of such delivery. 1t also
abolshcs the oppressive, unfair and WegG1!
system of taking off for water, allowing all
such questions to be settled between the seller
and the purchaser, and reduced the price Of
weighing to five cents per bale.
Now, rs to editorial number four, and
"Discordant Scheme" At the last election
advocated the policy of having Cotton
Weighers elected by the people for the