The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1891-03-27

CLosfxo THK CocsAw CAsK.-Columbis.
Msrch 1o.--By resolution Of the board OF
phs sphate commissioners Governor Tillman
- ssihosized 10 reply TO the letter Of Mr..
Dert Adgsr, vhosc letter on behalf Of the
Coesaw COMPANY was published to-day in
the fess and Courier. Governor JilIran
wrote tsis ultra utimatum to-pighs, Of which
the following In co'y:
COLrnnsA 49,. 40. ic.;I
To Mr.. Robert Adxer. Chief Manager OF
the Cooeaw Mining Company, Cbarlss,on, s.
c.: Dear eir: Your lsttr Of March Ia cam
dolly % hand and was submitted 10 the board
% phosphate eomnissioners yesterday. We
= 5nlmol ho11 AxfpunAuooeo uki1kk1 1G1l$ ffmv>11s'
] ys1r fsPs esentatfse, n which the que. tions
ss issue wevc fully end freely discussed.
There ere In this ease two main objects to
S1ich the phosphate commissiou must direct
It's sttca,ion In order to guard the States
rights aud interests.
The i-sue is not whether the Coosaw Com
any ehsil have continuing right 70 exclu-
sivoiy occupy the territory in Cocsaw River,
~ you say, but 6rst, whether the State has
now, or shall ever have, power to raise the
royalty on phosphate rock.
Second. Whether the monopoly which
would thus practically be given TO the
Cossa~ Company shalt be continued
II the Coosaw Company has "a contract
ely mine our richest deposit at 81 ton, it 10
. lille to think OF increasing the royalty as
against miners outside Of that river.
And il the monopoly hitherto possessed
BY the COosaw Company, by means Of which
IL has practically absorbed the Sea Island
Chemical Company and the Oak Pint Mines
Company, shall re allowed to continue, it Is
snly question Of time when The other three
Companies vii! Ss SoEsad As-;.-..r.-Sa-
The main qdrs N Is as to the right to in
crease the royalty, for our observation Of
tho mining around Beaufort has led us to
the States interests and that It would be
beat for the State aud the miners were al
the mining done by one company.
would call your attention to the fact
that your offer TO allow us The use Of enc Of
your dredges With which to test and make
examination Of the territory hitherto occu-
pied BY you could not be accepted, because
the offer involved the payment by the State
OF the mining expenses aud promised so
little practical knowledge that we did not
feel authorized to make such expenditure.
Whether there is much or little rock in
Cposaw River Is not At present matter for
our consideration. Whether there i, a vari-
alton in grade which requires pee uliar skill,
possessed by your superintendent alone, to
mine profitsbly is not the issue,
The ruinsus lawsuit which your company
has inaugurstei, and tho teIacity with
which it fights for this territory. will rather
influence mems opinions as to its value. It
was our earnes, desire and hore to have
saved the company from such loss and the
State decrease OF revenue. But the
question by your net has to bo decided by
tho Courts, and neither the dignity nor vel
fare Of the State could be maintained, as we
see it, had we agreed TO tho proposal you
made.
Realizing how heavy must be the loss to
your company in the deterioration of the
plant and disorganiznion of labor, we would
further suggest that, pending the lawsuit,
you take license to mine outside Of the
disputed territory along with the Other
three companies which have been driven out
Of Coosaw by the injunction of the United
States Court, as it il possible you may thus
mako running expenses. This is no, dis
interested suggestion, but it is made in good
faith. Yours respectfully,
B. r. TILLMAN,
Governor and Chairman Board Phosphate
Commissioners.