The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1890-06-19

ton Of our agricultural department
and the amount paid by the farmers
for this farcical protection has been
about 100000.
In his letter Col. Butler further
says: 81 will say that in my opinion
based on official experience, tho man
ufacturer who deliberately attempts
to dcfraud the farmer is the cxccp-
ton, and further believe that, in
every case where this has been nt-
tempted, it has failed Of success be-
cause of the departments N,:;n.'.vig
ION. Here Is acknowledgements IT,:
attempts to dcfrnud have been made.
There have been exceptions to the
rule OF honesty. Has he ever con
fiScntcd a single sack? No. Then
certainly the department. supcrvi-
SioD has not caused the failure Of
every attempt to dcfraui.
Up to eighteen months ago Com.
missioner Butler had ut his command
n aStatc chemist employed by the year
ut a salary OF $4,000, and analysis
COULD begin rs soon rs samples were
taken, kny the middle OF january.
III 1886 35 per cent. of the ammonia
tcd fertilizers nnalyzcd were below
the guarantees and 20 per cent. Of the
acid phosphate were. In 1886 20 Der
cent of the ammoniatcd and pcr
cent. of the acids were deficient, and
thus IS about the average Of u,c last
three years. Is it possible TO sun
pose that none Of these deficient
brands or Fertilizers were over ana -
lyzed, orcoull not have been analyzed
and the fraud found out in time. SO
that an efficient and Jealous official
could have found an opportunity to
seize and sell some of it before All Of
1T was III tho ground! No rcasona-
bic man i'll South Carolina believes
1t. Suppose, as Col. Butler claims,
that the averages Of the manufac-
turcrs exceeded those guarantees
:S3.GS per ton; what satisfaction was
1T to a farmer who bought and paid
| for the deficient brands. to know
that some one moro fortunate had
got brand above tho guarantee. and
was being benefited at his cxpcngc!
That he had paid for what he had
not received, and that though the
farmers paid 100000 a year for in
specting fertilizers, the inspection
was fraud, his guano fraud. and
no punishment mctod out to the
rogue, except to print his name in
ltalics III a report which not ono far
mcr III fifty ever saw or heard CT.
| Only 800 of these italicized reports
OF analysis wcrc printed in 1889, and
l doubt If more than twenty men III
GrccnVlllc ever saw ono. BY the
way, THIS system ofpunishing aroguc
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.
torlOus that manufacturers will fill
sacks branded i'll dozen different
ways from the samo pile. But tho
chemist can catch the thief and itnI-
else him again, So, why should we
farmers complain!
An, my countrymcn, 1t is this fatal
laxity, this conniving Mt crime, this
dethroncmcnt of law, this political
leprosy that pcrmcatcs our entire
governmental fabric and is summed
up in one word, "ncglcct of duty" that
IS destroying our very civilization it.
self: We punish guano frauds with
italics; we punish lynch law, which is
the result of this laxity, with italics
we punish murdcrcrs, who have
money, with new trials and italics,
and the people are sick nigh unto
death OF such government, and they
arc determined to make change.
The law governing the sale of fcrti
lizcrs provides that any one selling
guano without branding tho sacks
giving analysis and manufacturers 8
namo shall pay fno of $40 for each
package; that the man who delivers
or receives such package, railroad
agent or other person, il similarly
liable. Any fertilizer sold not com
ing up to the guarantee is liable to
colrfiscation. The injustice or weak
ness OF tho law is that it is severe on
a dealer failing to brand the sack,
but II man puts sand in o branded
sack and is caught it can only be
conilscatcd. This has never yet been
/ done. 1t il only italicized.
AS proof Of his charge that the
commissioner on his agents had on
several occasions knowingly and
wilfully refused to enforce It's own
regulations. Capt Tjllman read let,
tors, which camc from very
reputable farmer.
In rcfcrcncoto to the charge that com
missioner Butler had done nothing
to have tho defects in the fortified,
law amended Capt. Tillman said:
Col. Blu: :lcr has held his office sine,
1879 and has drawn 5000 in salar,
and has spent in tho agricultural bn.
reau during that time $500, 900. Ho
mas been one of the most influential
men i'll the State and the ring Which
we arc lighting 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 1886. recognizing the Board of
Agriculture. He vas doubtless con.
suited by Col. Youmans in PREPARING
the substitute which was passed in
1887 in lieu of my bill md which is
now in force. Hc knew OF this do.