The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-03-21
Ashley Gives an Ac.
count OF His Stewardship.

me Of voting against some Of the 1mpor-
tant reform bills. now, Mr.. Editor, for
the benefit Of the voters Of South Carolina
and especially Of Anderson county, who
elected me to represent them In the Leg
islature, ]: feel that Il should have pub.
lished In the columns Of your valuable
paper those bills that we differed on,
though with all due respect for those who
differed with me J. will state the bills.
The first bill was In '92, after the appro-
3priation bill was prepared It was amend
ed by placing q half mill State levy on
the people. I worked against It and
fought it until the last, and then they ran
&c over: me. i Gid It just because knew
the pressed condition OF the poor laboring
class OF fpeopie and the scarcity Of money.
i begged the House not to concur with
the Senate and to voluntarily, free OF any,
charge, stay FIVE days and to pass new
;appropriati lon bill.
fhe second bill was the dispensary
bill. I objected to this for I thought 1t
wrong for any State to say to private
citizen that lyon shall not sell anything,
and we will 20 into the business our
Selves i saw where 1t was going to
run to, I also saw that it would form q
monopoly on liquor. could not ignore
the vote or my people and say by. my
vote that they didn't have sense enough
to know what they wanted, which I told
my people on the stump that II the ma
ljority Of them did vote for prohibition
that + would uphold It in the House.
L Now, Mr.: Editor, never can vote for
any law which will prohibit any OF our
private citizens from buying In the
Hcheapest markets or from selling in the
highest markets., when such thing Is
allowed to be sold or bought In the State.
The third was the Redistricting bill. I
thought It was wrong and dangerous to
the reform movement. i voted against
3it. Farther, Mr.. Editor, two black dis.
;tricts had been laid on to give TO the
idarkies so that they could have represen.
tations which there are about forty
thousand majority Of negroes In South
Carolina to-day, and ] thought 1t danger
Ious to get the a aroused in politics. I
Thought It wrong to pick out the black
all around Charleston where
there Is scarcely 8 white man in It and
throwing 1t on Charleston, which will be
impossible for them TO ever elect white
{ man to represent them any more, and I
looked at it. and all done jnst because
Charleston differs with us aboutour Gov
5ernor. I would not stoop to vote to put
anything on the white men Of one part of
iour State that ] would not be willing to
put the very same on our part Of the
State. -.
The fourth bill was the public printing
bill. Now, Mr. Editor, with al due re-
ispects for the Register, when the Bryan
I boys sent in printed bill, offering to do
i Ifelt that I was simply an agent for my
people, was forced to vote for the Bryan
boys. j could not afford to simply vote
between six and nine thousand dollars Of
my peoples money away. I have not
been able to get the exact amount 1t is,
but / know of several articles that the
Register charged Sl.25 for doing which
the Bryan boys offered to do for 72 cents.
Now, Mr.. Editor, If they had sent around
in the House that the editor Of the Regis
ter needed help to run It's paper, no mem-
ber In the House would have more
willingly subscribed than would, and I
would have gone TO my own pocket to
have paid 1t, but when 1t came to voting
my peoples money away In that way ]
can not endorse 1t, which was just SIM
ply representing my people, which you
know I said on the stump, that would
do all I could for reform, and all could
Ito give my people relief in every way,
and If my actions In the House does show
that have done so and have not worked
for the poor laboring class Of peoples
interest, want them to show it by their
votes In the next election.
Mr.. Editor. i will also say am in ia
ivorof a straightout primary so as to let
the poor people have voice in who is
elec;ed. Also, am IN favor Of farmer
for Governor. do not believe In any
caucus taking any snap judgment on any
candidate. Let the poor class have say
SO; they are the class that should be legiE-
latored, for the man that has got money
can take care Of himself.
Mr.. Editor, disliked very much to
come ont in print and publish bills that
I and my friends differed on, but I was
forced to do. so. I want the readers to
understand that am as strong for tho
reform as ever. We ought always to. be
careful and never put extreme men at the
head Of the movement, as this movement
Is much greater than any one man-yes,
or one dozen, either.
I will close by saying just take such q
man as D. z. Norris or j. E. Tindal for
governor, then all Of us farmers will get
into one boat and sail safely through to-
gether. I remain
Yours truly,
JOSHUA w. ASHLEY.