The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1909-02-11
RALEIGH LETTER
Correspondent Writes
About Local Legislation
That is Pending There.

AOOu Local AS&ASA01AOAA
That is Pending There.
To The Hustler:
| write to advise that official
duties in the Department have
prevented me from sending a
weekly letter, reviewing the work
of the General Assembly, but
copies of all important bills affect
ing our county are being for
warded as they are presented by
representatives, so that a synop-
sis of the same my be published
in the paper for the information
of the people. My time is so
fully occupied that it is next to
an impossibility to give the at
tention heretofore accorded local
Legislation and the people them
selves must take a hand in oppos-
ing any Objectionable matters
that may come up from time to
time. With a democratic repre-
sentative in the Senate, / natur-
ally feel a delicacy in taking issue
with him upon measures of local
significance, but at the same time
| have no other alternative when
advised, by good men in the
county, that the enactment of
certain propositions, under con-
sideration here, would be repug.
nant to the people at home and
detrimental to the public good,
So far, / have felt constrained
to take exceptions to only one
bill offered by the representatives
FROM Henderson, viz. the road
law proposed by Mr. Ray.
Whether it WILDE passed remains
to be seen; the advisablity of it's
enactment is quite another mat
ter. In my honest opinion, no
greater mistake could possibly be
made by the representative of
any people than the imposition
of such a piece of legislation upon
them. 1t is undemocratic and
unreasonable. I have endeavor-
ed to dissuade the author of the
bill from insisting upon its pass
age, but he seems indisposed to
reason anything with anybody.
And the surprise of it all is the
information which has recently
reached me from friends in the
county, to the effect that he as
sertS that | am fighting him per-
sonally in the hope of destroying
him politically. Such a declara-
ton is far from the truth. |
have no interest in destroying
anybody politically, or otherwise,
but to save the democratic party
utter humiliation in the county,
and, the people, generally, from
the impositions contained in the
law he proposes. Senatorial
courtesy" may enable the author
of this unwise measure to carry
it through, but it cannot be
passed upon it's merits. The
force of this suggestion must
appeal to those who know that
personal appeals have long since
taken the place of attempted ar
gument by those who advocate
the passage of the bill.
| am also informed that a
charge, emanating from this city,
is being circulated over Hender-
son county in which the claim is
made that my opposition to the
Ray bill and because | happen to
be on speaking terms with Mr..
Rhodes has given the latter
standing in the House and there
by jeopardized the present law
providing a tax collector for Hen
derson county, besides trying
to destroy anylinf1uence he (Ray)
might have to save the day."
In the first place, Mr.. Rhodes
has introduced no bill repeating
the tax collector law (the salary
bill having provided for the elect
ion of that official by the people,
and if he should do so, it would
never see the light. Therefore,
to the parties who are engaged
in circulating this canard | wish
to'say that they are unduly ex-
cited. Mr.. Rhodes has, so far,
behaved himself very nicely and
does not seem to be looking for
trouble. In the event he be-
comes 'obstreperous'' I shall be
pleased to cooperate with the
democratic representatives in
preventing him from doing any
thing harmful.
Very truly,
M. L. SHIPMAN.