The age-herald., 1899-07-30

think this out himself, but knows he Is merely the puppet in the hands of another An appeal from his decision does no good. Recently Mayor Scott prosecuted a young man before his man Friday ss2i Robinson for perjury, but even Robinson couldn't con- vict him. We have understood that Scott and the town have been sued for sio,0O0 damages, that the papers have been served on him as mayor but he has not notified us o. the fact so we could employ counsel Mayor Scott has no right authority or per- mission to employ counsel for the town in any case, and while we have heard lately that M. J. Gregg has been posing as the legal representative of Ensley, he has been employed in only two instances by those having authority to employ him. The first occasion was to write the civil code for the town, for which Scott guaranteed his fee would be from $25 to $40 The second time was to assist in securing liquor license for Ensley, MT. Gregg himself stating to the board his fee would be merely nominal'
 We object seriously to ',he way Scott, Rogers and Whitten llave been preserving the public morals to their private gain. For instance the authority of Rogers ex- tends only to the corporate limits Yet he leaves the town with one man to guard it and lies around the furnaces and negro quarters, quarter to half of mile or more outside his limit, as a deputy con- stable, sneaks along until ne sees some poor eoons shooting craps, when he gob- bles up the whole crowd and lands them in the calaboose. The next morning the ignorant eoons are arraigned before the eminent jurist, Mayor Scott, who gravely informs tkem that they have a right to submit before nim as mayor to an offense they never committed so far as the towns authority is concerled, pay a light fine and cost and be dismissed, or else he would turn them over to Esquire MeWllliams. Of course they submit Scott gets his fee, Rogers gets his fee, Whitten gets his fee and the coon pays the freight. Incidentally, Scott, or the town, or both, can rest un- easy for fears of num5erless damage suits. cases were in the ealaboose fast Saturday night two weeks ago, but the tender heart of Mayor Scott would mot permit them to stay tho-e Sunday so he goes up, fixes their cases, except one or two-and the majesty of the law is upneldl One coon caught at the crap game had two pistols cn aim, got scared and employed counsel, who, questioning the Jurisdiction of Scott, Rogers and Whitten, the fellow was per- mitted to go his way rejoicing, and again the majesty of the law Is upheld. And just here might be some accounting for the many colored communications that have appeared in the Birmingham papers. There is no use sknning coon unless he Is skin ned all over and the man who says he is a correspondent stands close to Scott & Co. He also conducts loan office. There are mo fees to Scott & Co., unless fines arc paid. The coon is promptly steered to the joint of this correspondent, who has, on several occasions at least, accommodated the coon at the current loan office rates which generally run from a hundred per cent to grand larceny. This information will probably explain several articles that have appeared in Birmingham papers. We did not elect Rogers as marshal to lie around the crap joints a mile from town, nor do we believe the people elected Scott to conduct machine for grinding out dam- I age suits Hence, Scott, Rogers, Whitten and this alleged correspondent don't like us.
 Another word in regard to the socalled Franchises" The electric light ordinance was passed three months ago nearly and l the contract was for lights to be in within ninety days or the franchise was void. It will be remembered that Scott had no ob- jection to the ordinance, but when perrnis- sion was asked to erect the poles he sud- denly becomes antagonistic, claiming it to l be Unconstitutional" We are not very good interpreters of our state constitution nor do we concede that Mayor Scott could tell the difference between the Sermon on the Mount and the Alabama constitution if he met them in the road, but common sense tells us that Mayor Scott has by. his official acts grossly violated the law and we believe is liable to impeachment. to say nothing of having made the town a party to his acts.
 So far as the electric railway Is concern ed, We believe as it bought a right of way here before there was any Ensley, made contracts and have abided by them, it should be protected in all that belongs to 1t. If its deed to a right of way Is not good in court of law nothing we could do would make it good. We have given the Electric company nothing whatever but merely recognized its rights to and interest in what it acquired twelve years ago. We have given them nothing nor do we pro- pose to assist anyone, or the town we rep resent, to steal anything from the road. While our action, and the discovery of the deed, may have nipped in the bud the schemes of a local coterie of loud howlers who wanted to speculate on an "exclusiye street car franchise for Ensley," We have no apology to make. We have acted con scientiously in the matter and done what We thought best under the circumstances. regardless of whom it injured or benefited If any other electric lines want to build into Ensley they are more than welcome to room on our streets to build
 JOSEPH c. WEBB,
 w. S. BROWN,
 R. c. HOEHN
 Aldermen. Ensley, Ala, July 26