The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-01-29

THURSDAY, JANUARY ~, 1853.
TERMS:
- ONE
SIX M0ETHS....... .......-........... 76c.
Two Dollars If not paid In advance.
An ANSWER WHICH DOES NOT AN
Mr.. Clinkscales, who has persistently
refused to recognize the right of the IN
TELL1GENcER to ask for his record on the
prohibition question, when he knows that
the Editor of this paper was one of the
petitioners and also one of his constitu-
enta, is suddenly awakened by commu.
nication in this paper, and recognizes the
right of an unknown correspondent to
call for that record. This is healthfal
sign. He was willing to hide that record
from the people, if possible, but after the
cards Of Messrs. Watson and Scudday
giving their position left no doubt as to
the position of the other members, he
makes pretext for publishing a lodging
article ont of "Prep's" communication.
tits, however, better late than never. SO
let us see what his article contains. BE
begins with a plea for the Independence
of Representative action, which would
meet response from our people if the
facts would permit; but in this matter
he has not taken any side, according to
his own statement, but has left, as far as
he could, an important County matter to
BE determined by outsiders. He is mis-.
taken in saying thatthe petitioners, or
any one of them, has sought to dictate to
any person. They have only asked that
their Representatives leave the determi-
nation ofa matter of local interest to the
decision of q majority Of the voters in
that locality. The petitioners have not
asked to rule, but have asked that the
majority be allowed to rule. This request
\ Ia the one which Mr.. Clinkscales. and
those who act with, him, refuse to grant.
They want to rule it their way, whether
I the people wish it so or not. They are
the men who are acting in an anti.demo.
cratic manner, by trying to prevent the
wishes of the majority from having an
opportunity to be expressed.
Then Mr.. Clinkscales expresses the
opinion that prohibition is out of the
question. This is where the trouble
comes in. he undertakes to decide this
matter his way. The people want to
have it their way, and as it is their gov
ernment and not the government Of Mr..
s sClinkscales and the other Representa-.
stiyes, it is reasonable and proper that the
people should determine the question for
themselves. What Mr.. Clinkscales
means when he says ttthe idea that Rep.
sresentatives can do anything, and con-
cern themselves about everything, is one
that the public mind should disabuse
itself of az the earliest possible moment" "
ne cannot understand. We think some
Representatives can do some things, and
we are confident the. are sent to the
Legislature with the express agreement
that they are to concern themselves
about everything before the Legislature.
If Mr.. Clinkscales has found out that he
can do nothing in the Legislature, and
therefore has ceased to concern himself
about everything that pertains to the
business he was sent there to transact
she deserves credit for his candor in adj.
mitting it; but ne would suggest to him
that he cannot get out Of his dilemma
on this local question by such, confess
sion, for if a Representative has more
than he can do, it is his duty to his con-
sstituents to attend to their immediate
wants, and neglect something else.
d It is true, as Mr.. Clinkscales states,
that the petitions we're sent to Columbia
late, and the bill was introduced on the
18th of December. This is, however, no
excuse for indifference towards it by our
Representatives. 1t only required the
greater diligence on their part to press it
forward. With united delegation in
the House and Senate, there ought to
have been no difficulty in passing the
bill even at that late date, but whether
the bill passed or not the members ought
to have voted for or against it as their
sconsciences dictated. They should not
have tried &c dodge on it. 1t is strange
that Mr.. Clinkscales did not have an
opportunity to examine the bill between
the 18th and 18th of December. 1t is
strange that the delegation waited three
days about reporting the bill. Why did
they delay SO longf
We understand that the delegation
never organized, and to this uay mas no
chairman. Whose fault is itthat import.
ant business is delaped by the failure to
organize as delegations In this matter,
however, the delegation did act, and
therefore each man is responsible for his
action. Mr.. Clinkscales says he did not
have an opportunity to examine the bill,
and had not made up his mind on it.
He sat next to Mr.. Scudday and should
have taken time, Five or ten minutes
would have been sufficient for man of
ordinary understanding to have studied
the bill thoroughly. 1t was the simple
question as to whether the people were
to be permitted to determine this matter
for themselves, and ten minutes was
enough to make up ones mind upon the