The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1886-02-26
Subscriber to M
JONESyILIF. L

Editor Union Times 1T would seem to
close observer that your correspondent MS
most prominent faculty is that which impe!s
him to give names Of rilicule and sarcasm to
those who have chosen to disagree with him on
the census question. This time he calls them q
| 'IIowling Mob. Or, what is about its equiva-
lent, he says their opinions are such as one
might expect from bowling mob. II would be
well for Ms spirit Of fairness if he would tell
your readers that this Fowlns Mob is com
posed of n ma jority of the beet journals in the
State, together with Senators and Representa-
.ives, among whom is our own B. IL Rice, with
| an experience in the legislation Of the State of
more than twenty years.
For perspicuiy Of style your correspondent
does not regard himself with confidence, for it
| will appear on examination that his last article
| is recaptulation Of his first, with few quota
| tons thrown in to save appearances, while both
his articles leave everything about as q clear ms
| mud, except his proposition. and that is rcilcd
| in great obscurty.
There are but three points which have been
| developed in this discussion by those to whom
our friend refers in such dgnifed terms: |.
| That the Constitution has not been complied
| with, by reason Of the failure to provide for
taking the census. =. That such failure of COM
pliance was due to sectional influence. g. That
| this influence was exercised with desire to
maintain I'M lue advantages. Our friend takes
| issue and claims that the Constitution has been
complied With. We will now take his arguments
from the labarynth Of obscurity in which he has
| .l,fo ,..l,:,
In tho first place he says q great deal about
some bill being passed by the Legislature en-
abling the State to adopt the United States
census. VIII our friend inform us where we
may find such bill ? We know that the Leg
islaturc passed nh act prov ling for an amend
| mcnt to the Constitution authorizing the appor-
| tionment of Representatives on the basis Of
| United States census. This then must bc what
he means when he says 80 much abou, bill,
for take it for granted that he knows the diff
erence between an act providing for an amend
ment to tho Constitution and a statutory law.
Well, taking this view Of it. how docs his
argument stand? 1t is rs follows. The Con-
stitution has been complied with, because the
Legislature at its last sesson provided for an
amendment to it, which amendment, when
sanctioned by the people in general election.
will make it lawful to adopt the United States
census as the tass Of representation. Did
anybody ever see more illogical conclusion
than this? Th0t 10 prorMt for an amendment TO
tie Constitution IS rYwirairnt 10 compliance wiM
an srplcH requirement. Of that Consultation! And
yet this is just our friends conclusion when
stripped Of its ohscuring habiamcnts. This is
like declaring that debt has been paid because
some change has been proposed in the stipuln-
tions Of the original contract.
| Then, again Our friend. with a show Of ar
gumcnt which is absolutely overpowering, gives
us a quotation from the Constitution on this
point, either overlooking ,he fact that it des
J i-ou. iha validity of oil he ---m- 'hr----
and spikes his cannon, supposng that his
readers would fail to sec it, surrounded as they
are by so vast amount Of smoke as he has in
some way succeeded in producing. We will
repeat his quotation, and sec how it serves
his argument = An enumeration for this pur-
pose (apportionmenU shall be made in 1865
and again in lsS5, and shall be made in tho
course Of every tenth year thereafter as shall
be by law provided.
| By this clause of the Constitution it will b,
seen that the census should have been takcr
and apportionment made in lSS5-last year
The fact is, the census was not taken then be
cause the Legislature failed to mako the ncccs
sary appr opria'ion. In the face Of this fact on,
friend concludes that the requirements Of the
Constitution have been complied with becaus,
the Legislature has provided an amendment tt
the Constitution which, in case the peopl,
should sanction it, the Unitel States census
may be adopted and apportionment made about
tho year 1883.
Our friend says in his first article, and repeat.
it in his second that the Constitution is det;nit,
rs TO the time Of taking the census, and know.
that the time has passed and that the census
has not been taken, and yet claims that the
Constitution has been compiled with Eu
then there has been an amendment proposed
O, my. 1t is amazing that n writer with =,
little logical acumen our friend has here
manifested should have the audacity TO appl,
such an epithet as 'ilowling Mob to such men
rs our venerable representative, who has NOR,
than twenty years experience in the halls of tn,
House Of Representatives, and 10 Statesmen
and Editors in oil sections Of our Commonwealth h
who have complained that the Constitution has
been disregarded, AMI breach made in the
wall which is the ouly safeguard to human
liberty. SUBSCRIBER.
lettings From Kelten.
| DEATH or GOOD MAN.