The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-07-20
Snaerspn gutelIigenter,
Some Queer Old Laws.

SVmo HuocA VAo A"Ss
"Uncle Joe" Brown, of the County
Clerks Office, is one of the queerest men
in the Court House, and also one of the
best informed. Whenever any questions
Of an especially puzzling nature comes
up for settlement, and no one else can
answer it, the seeker fox information goes.
back to the room where "Uncle Joe'' is
working aud he explains to their salts
faction. This sort of procedure is mat
ter of daily occurrence, and the old gen.
tleman's encyclopaedia knowledge is
proverbial.
Theother day. after delegation of in.
forhation.seekers had learned what they
we're in search of they hung around
"Uncle Joe's" desk to hear some Of his re.
miniscenses which their questions called
up fresh to his memory.
"It is strange how the old law clings to
the statute books" he said meditatively.
'4n the Eastern States many Of the strict
colonial laws stand unrepealed on the
books. Of course, where they conflict
with the most advanced ideas of to-day
they have become dead letters. was the
victim of an attempt to revive one of the
old statutes myself when I lived in Wash !,
ington City good many years ago.. l
was the manager of the Washington Gas
Works, and scme religious enthusiasts
brought prosecution against me for vic.
lating the Sabbath by operating the works
on Sunday. I knew that unless the works
ran on Sunday there would be no gas on
Monday night, and on the ground of pub
| lie necessity felt sure would be sustain.
Fed in the suit.
ITO my surprise I found the lav not
only against me, but learned that it was
supplemented with severe penalties. For
the first offence the penalty was heavy
fine, aud for each succeeding offence a
term of imprisonment. I finally had to
settle the case out of Court by The pay
ment of considerable sum of money and
the granting of aome concessions. That
law still stands on the books, but | have
heard of no attempt to enforce it since
nv unhappy experience.
Tobacco is legal tender in Washington
at the present time, thanks to another of
the old colonial laws. In the days when
Virginia had plenty of tobacco and very
little money q law was passed which
made, the weed alegal tender for debt.
If 1 were in Washington to-day and had
debt'to pay, I could trundle lot Of to.
bacco down to my creditors place Of bus.
inees aud pay the debt, and he would have
no right to refuse the offer. It would be
surprise to the members of Congress
some day if they should find their salaries
paid in tobacco. Whel this law was made
what is now the District of Columbia was
part of Virginia, and when it was ceded
to the General Government it retained
the old statutes.
aThe queerest Of the ancient laws
which has been allowed to remain unre-
pealed int the District of Columbia is
one which makes it crimesto deny un-
belief in the Holy Trinity, and fixes the
punishment at imprisonment. If that Law
was suddenly put into force to-day it
would cause lively agitation. It was on
the books when John Quincy Adams was
President of the United States, and he
was pronounced Unitarian. Every Sun
day he would go to the little Unitarian
Church down on 9Th street, and lead in
the singing. There was a strange spec
tscle during all that Administration of
the President of the United States living
in open violation of the law."-lndian.
apolis Nea0s.