The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-11-15
EXERCISING 4 RIGHT.

The Abbevilc Press uni BMirr con.
cludes an article replying to the New
berry O6"rrer on the cotton factory
exemption with the following announce
mcnt:
If the wiso men Of Newberry or other
counties wish to build factories, wo shall
rejoice at their prosperity. Ifthcsc insti-
tutions shall prove public benefit to
any people there is none to whom it will
furnish greater pleasure than to the
ifes' a"d Etnncr But having been mis-
represented and maliSncd, in u malicious
way, we propose to tost the legality Of the
pubic appropriation for their benefit and
| IT may be that some of tho State officials
who have been dealing out the public
funds without IAN appropriation made
Dy law will yot appeal to tho Supreme
Court to pr''cct them and their bonds
men froni ."c liability which they have
incurred.
The right to have the judgment Of our
Courts upon a difference of opinion as to
the constitutionality of law is inherent
in every citizen who may be aggrievcd
by that law. In amattcr which relates
to the taxes Of the State every citizen
has an interest, and can secure a test
before our Courts. The editor of the
Press and Banner will, therefore, simply
be exercising right by making the tes.
he proposes, and the decision will put
tho legality of the Act to encourage
manufactures Mt rest 1t will be more
valuable than legislative enactment, for
the Legislatures construction of the
Constitution is subject to reversal at any
time by the Legislature, while the de,is.
ion of our Supreme Court is as near per-
manent as the determination of men can
make anything. We do not agree with
our contemporary that the Act is uncon.
-itntional, and shall therefore watch his
case with great interest. In the Legisla.
'uTe the question will probably be decid.
ed NJ matter Of public policy and
advantage not rs constitutional ques-
ton. Tho present Legislature found
the law upon the statute books. It 10 no
part of its duty to construe that law.
The Courts are appointed for that pur.
pose, and unless it can be shown that the
law is working an evil upon the State
the Legislature should not interfere with
it, except to alter it to promote its eff.
cheney, if it can be done. The legal
questions ought to he left to the Courts.
We believe the law is beneficial one to
our State. 1t encourages the building
Of factories. They give the farmer a
good home market for cotton, and EN-.
ploy large number of women and chill.
dren at remuperative wages, and these
families, who would otherwise probably
be consumers, are thereby rendered pro.
ducers. They also give the farmers
around good market for vegetables,
meats and other produce, thereby keep.
ing ut homo every year thousands Of
dollars that would annually 60 out of the
State but for their erection. They are
profitable to their stockholders, and add
greatly to the prosperity of the country
in which they are located. This
increases the value of this country, and
the State derives increased taxation from
it. After the expiration of ten years
the State derives permanent iccome from
the taxes Of the mills also. 1t strikes
us, therefore, that the law to encourage
the building of factories is wise, and
should be maintained.