The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-06-18

cent. of the acids were deficient, and
this is about the average of the last
three years Is it possible to sup
/ pose that none Of these deficient
brands of fertilizers were ever ana
lyzed, orcould not have been analyzed
and the fraud found out in time, &c
that an efficient and Jealous official
could have found an opportunity to
seize and sell some of it before all OF
it was in the ground? No reasona-
bic man il South Carolina b, ;o"os
it. Suppose, as Col. Butler cI;i,ils,
that the averages of the manufac-
turers exceeded those guarantees
S3.GS per ton: what satisfaction was
it to q farmer who bought and paid
| for the deficient brands, to know
that some one more fortunate had
! got brand above the guarantee. and
| was being benefited at his expense!
That he had paid for what he h.G
notrcccived, and that though the
farmers paid $4,000 a year for III
spccting fertilizers, the inspection
was fraud, his guano 3 fraud, and
no punishment meted out 20 the
rogue, except to print his name Ill
italics in a report which not one far
mer in fifty ever saw or heard
Only 800 of these italicized repo
of analysis were printed in 1889, ana
I doubt if more than twenty men in
Greenville ever saw one. BY the
way, this system ofpunishing arogue
by putting his brand Of guano In
italics ought to be patented. Of
course, it is well known that the
brand may be changed next season
and the italics rubbed out. It is no
to,ious that manufacturers Will fill
sacks branded in g dozen different
ways from the same pile. But the
chemist can catch the thief and itali-
else him again, So, why should we
farmers complain?
All, my countrymen, it is tbs fatal
laxity, this conniving at climo this
dethronement Of law, this p itical
leprosy tn t permeates on: .atire
governmental fabric and is summed
up in one word, neglect of duty, that
IS destroying our very civilization it
self. We punish guano frauds with
italics; we punish lynch law, which IS
the result oi this laxity. with italics
we punish murderers, who have
money, with new trials and italics,
and the people are sick nigh unto
death of such government, and they
are determined to make a change.
Tie law governing the sale Of fcsti-
lizers provides that any one selling
guano without branding the sacks
giving analysis md manufacturer $
name shall pay fine Of SO for each
package; that the man who delivers
OF receives such package, railroad
agent or other person, is similarly
liable. Any fertilizer sold not com
ing up to the guarantee is liable to
confscation. The injustice OF weak
ness of the lew is that it is severe on
a dealer failing to brand the sack,
but if a man puts; sand il 3 branded
sack and is caught it can only be
contiscated. This has never yet been
done. It is only italicized.
As proof of his charge that the
commissioner or his agents had on
several occasions knowingly and
wilfully refused to enforce it's own
regulations. Capt Tillman read let
ters, which came from q very
reputable farmer.
In reference to the charge that COM
missioner Butler had done nothing
to have the defects in the fertilizer
law amended Capt. Tillman said:
Col. Butler has heldhis Office since
1879 and has drawn $4,000 in salary
and has spent in the agricultural bu-
reau during that time 100000. Hs
has been one Of the most influential
men il the State and the ring which
we are fighting has stood by him
through thick and thin. He and his
political associates had influence
enough to defeat the bill I prepared
by order Of the Farmers Association
in 1856, recognizing the Board of
Agriculture He was doubtless con-
suited by Col. Youmans III preparing
the substitute which was passed in
1887 in lieu of my bill and which is
now in force. He knew of this de-
feet in the law, although he and his
friends had things all their own way.
The provision in my bill Furnishing
fraud in fertilizers by fine and i'm
prisonment was left out in the YOU
mans substitute. He and his friends
had influence enough to elect the
present board and tore-elet them,an
it stands to reason thatif they want
ed to pass law to give protection
to the farmers it could have been
done, but the agricultural bureau
was in close alliance with the Uni
vcrsity and the Citadel. The three
had pooled their strength to defeat
everything the common farmer want
cd and to continue to control the
State.
The anomaly was presented Of OH
agliculturaldepartment being assallel
by the country people anu oe1enCeO
by the cities The agricultural bu-
reau has never since this agitation
began, save IN one single instance,
lacked the solid support Of Charles
ton and Columbia, and the political
trust composed largelyof merchants,
manufacturers and lawycrs.and Il few
aristocratic agricuitulists us their IL
lies.
I was asked by a gentlcm,.n in the
audience at Anderson where the
money spent by the agricultural de-
partment went, and I answered. i
do not know" and told the simple
truth. I know where Col. Buffers
report said it went, but I had not
seen it paid out, so [ told him to ask
Col. Butler. Col. 7, J. Moore, Of
Spartanburg, q member Of the board
| of a o,,1 +,,,.n hoe fDru-o1.I o,)I