The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-09-20
MAS MEETING.
The Large Assembly at the Court
House.
Appropriate Addresses Made-ResoIu-
lions Adopted.
Meeting Harmonious and Enthusiastic


Meeting Harmonious and Enthusiastic
The farmers met in adjourned mass
meeting at the courthouse yesterday morn
log to discuss and consider the cotton
troubles existing between themselves as
producers, and the cotton buyers and Com
press company. There were present about
four hundred and fifty farmers from differ
ent neighborhoods Of the county. Mr.. N.
w. Sebastian was elected permanent chair
man and Messrs. w. P. Cochran and J. s.
Strother, secretaries OF the meeting. The
chair explained that the object of the meet
ing was to secure unity of action, and a
more perfect cooperation in reference to
the troubles existing between the producer
and buyer touching the weighing OF tho
An air of earnestNess and determination
peryaded the meeting, and all present ap-
peared to appreciate the importance of the
action they were about to take.
The Hon. John H. Cochran, being loudly
called for, came to the front, and IN an elo-
quent and forcible address urged the farm.
ers to be firm, candid. Notwithstanding
no step that would have to be retraced, and
to deliberately cooperate in the vital is
sues before them.
The reporter heard but portion
of tn, eentleman's speech and failed to get
it in full, yet those who heard him through
out pronounced it good and full OF common
sense and sound argument.
Hon. T. f. Nash, in response TO- an en-,
tar a dpfandQd
The 'public weighers' law" and denounced
as unlawful ana arbitrary the course pur-
sued by the cotton buyers in demanding
that cotton shall be weighed by parties
other tnan public weighers.
He spoke at some length concerning the
law of which he was one OF the trainers, as
follows:
HON. NAsH's SPEECH.
regard the difficulty as one of magni.
| tude, and as one that should not be lightly
considered. Other counties are looking to
| the result of our action as a guide to them
to some extent. have been accused OF
iniuring Dallas by offering and pressing the
bill that gave you the privilege OF electiDg
pup lic weighers. / regard the prosperity
| of the city in the main as essential to the
prosperity of the entire county. | would
not ipjure Dallas city, do not
believe the business men
or the people Vi Odllds
endorse the action Of the Gotten buyers,
and the Compress company. Ihere is a
principle involved in this struggle, however,
and you cannot afford to yield.
Force and Smith have been objected to
as incompetent before having been tried.
If The buyers wish to beexactly fair, why
not give the men elected trial, if they are
| incompetent, and anybody is damaged
| Thew are under ten-thousand-dollar bond
for misconduct, or incompetency, and may
| be removed from office in tve days.
| 1t is not only unreasonable for the buyers
to take the position that they say how and
by whom your cotton is weighed, but do
not think there is any doubt but that the
weigher who sets himself up, and the Com
press company that employs private
weieher are responsible in the law for this
conduct The late act OF the Legislature
was amendatory OF the former law, in so
| far as sections /, 2 and 8 OF the
law is concerned, but does not
affect the body of the law. The amended
act had for its object, only totake from the
governor the appointing power, and let the
people elect their weighers, hence the body
of the law is as 1t was before the passage Of
the bill under which your weighers were
elected.
Section of the original law, unamended
| by the late ac' prescribes a penalty OF i've
collars per bale against any man
who sets himself up as a private weigher
1t is misdemeanor, and the penalty Is as
have stated.
Section OF the original act gives the
public weighers redress against any per-
son or persons employing private weighers
| by civil damages OF five dollars per bale.
| The public weighers could, in my judg.
ment, recover damages Of the Compress
company for the employment OF weigher
| TO issue cotton certificates when cotton is
bought and sold In this city. As to the
remedy, do not know what can be, done
unless you refuse absolutely to sell any
cotton except upon the certificates Of the
public weighers unless. ss / have before
stated, the parties ignoring the law
can be eDjoined by legal process
Mr.. w. p. Cochran moved that the chair
appoint n committee of fifteen to draft res
oiutions expressive Of the sense OF the meet
| ing. The motion was unanimously
adopted. The chair appointed the follow
| ing committee: W. z. Cochran, T. +.
Nash, ]. II. Cochran, u. +. Crazy, George
Nealy, Willis Loving, Jas. Jones, w. j..
Halsel, Thomas Stratton, John II. Daniel,
John Chenault, J. 4. Smith, d +. Bryan,
On motion, Chairman W. w. Sebastian
and J. b. strother. assistant secretary, were
added to the committee.
On motion the meeting aoJourneu 10
meet at 2p. m.
AFTERNOON sEssIoN.
The meeting convened pursuant 10 ad-
iournment. Mr.. r. s. Kimbrough, Of Mes
quite was called for and made the meeting
a speech fraught with good advice. he re-
viewed the causes that had lead TO the
troubles, and suggested that while the
farmers should be a unit In the matter
that their deliberations be temperate, cool
aud calculating. All they wanted was their
rights. They bore the city Of Dallas no III
Will for 1t was their city, but no set
OF men could arbitrarily dictate
10 them who should weigh their cotton
xhile the laws Of the state said who were
the proper parties.
Mr.. w. p. Cochran was called for and
respond in a few brief but forcible remarks.
He said be was not iniayor OF shipping to
other markets, bot that they ought 10 fight
the matter out right here at home.
Captain VIC. Veal was loudly called far,
and addressed the meeting in an able
speech OF some length In which he ad-
4ised harmony and calm action.
The committee appointed to draft reso-
buttons reported the following which were
unanimously sdoptad:
RESOLUTIONS.