The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-11-18

meeting may be called to send delegates.
The Governor shall be cx oficio mem
Der of the Association. All resolutions
shall be referred to standing committee
of one from each County without debate.
A two. thirds vote shall be necessary to
alter the constitution at annual meetings
The standing committee was appointed
with Mr.. J. Belton Watson on it from
Anderson County. Among the bylaws
are the following:
1st. The president shall appoint all
committees, unless the association shall
determine otherwise.
I'd. The executive committee may I'LL
all vacancies occurring in any office, as
also in their own number, until the next
annual meeting.
Sd. Electious for officers shall be by
ballot.
4th. A fee of five dollars shall be paid
annually by each County association
sending delegates, and the delegates from
no County will be allowed to vote until
this fee is paid.
On the second day the following plat.
form was adopted:
The committee on resolutions beg
leave to make the following report:
After due consideration of the various
resolutions referred to us, and taking into
consideration the power invested in us
to make independent recommendations
of our own volition, we submit the fol-
lowing platform as embodying the sub.
stance of such resolutions as were acted
upon favorably by the committee and as
indicating the reforms and measures
which we deem of great Importance to
our interests as farmers and citizens:
We, the farmers of South Carolina in
Convention assembled, after mature de.
liberation and after all the light and ex-
perience gained since our last Conven.
ton from the fullest discussion among
ourselves as to the general objects to be
attained, hereby express our continued
and unshaken confidence in our farmers
association as now organized to accom-
plish great good for the State if properly
conducted aud kept within Legitimate
bounds, and we hereby reiterate our de-
termination that there shall be hence.
forth in South Carolina an organization
for lthe protection and advancement OF
our agricultural interests.
In furtherance of this purpose and ms
embodying the present views of the
farmers of the State. we respectfully urge
upon our General Assembly the necessity
! and advisability of the following meas
ures:
l. The establishment of real agricul'
tural college, separate and distinct from
the South Carolina College, and modelled
after those of Mississippi and Michigan
We believe that the necessary funds to
build and equip this institution can be
secured by Topping off needless expendi'
lures, and abolishing or consolidating
useless Offices without increased taxation
We further recommend, as means to
assist in building the institution, that
the different counties of the State be
empowered to bid for it by offering bonde
or land.
2. That an experimental station should
be established at or in connection with
said Agricultural and Mechanical Col.
lege, the same to he under the charge o1
its faculty, and that we memorialize Con.
gress to pass the bill introduced by Mr.
Hatch and now pending, which appro'
pirates $4,000 annually to each State
for the purpose, and that we ask our Sen
ators and Congressman to use all legiti'
mate means to secure it's passage.
8. That in order that our agricultural
administration may be divorced as far as
possible from politics and politicians,
and the men best qualified to perform
these important duties be selected by
those most competent to judge, in order
that we may secure board of agricul'
ture at once, efficient, Jealous and repre-.
sentative, who know our needs and will
try to supp. them, we urge that instead
of being chosen by the Legislature they
be elected by this Farmers Association
The board of agriculture should consist
of ten members, FIVE elected annually.
They should have the power to elect their
own secretary, whose duties would cor.
respond with those of the present com
missioner. Their duties would be the
same as the law imposes on our present
board, except as to the collection of the
phosphate royalty, which should be given
to the comptroller general. In addition
they should have control of the agricul-
tural college and experimental station,
and should by means of farmers institu'
tions build up and keep alive coming
agricultural associations.
4. That the system of inspection of
fertilizers is now defective, and no ade.
quate punishment for frauds provided.
We therefore urge such additional legis.
lation as will secure the needed protec.
ton without imposing unnecessary restraint
upon the manufacture and sale of fertil.
izers. Cotton seed meal, whether sold
as fertilizer or as feed for stock, should
be inspected and its adulteration pun
ished.
s.. We urge the Legislature not to
squander the States property by allow
ing the wholesale expectation of phos-
pilates at merely nominal prices, and
that with a view of lessening the bur.
dens of taxation, they take into consid.
c-ation the advisability of increasing the
phosphate royalty.
6. We recommend the passage of such
legislation as will protect the farmers of
the State against imposition and fraud in
the weighing of cotton.
Z. We respectfully urge such legisla.
ton as will protect US against forest
fires, negligently started.
8. The equalization of taxes demands
earnest consideration at the hands Of
the Legislature, and we urge such action
as can best secure it.
9. We urge such alterations of the fee
bill as will guard the estates of dead
persons against abuses and provide pro-
lection for widows and orphans.
10. In order to secure the needed
reforms in our County Governments and
to reduce the burden of taxation, as wells
as to secure such changes in the judicial
system as may be needed, we earnestly
request our legislators to consider the
advisability of calling constitutional
convention, unless, in their judgment, the
necessary changes may be better obtained