The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1911-02-09
EWART'S BILL PASSES.
Imposes Tax OF One dollar Upon
Dogs, Bachelors And Justices of the
Peace In Henderson County.

Dogs, Bachelors And JuSClceS OF the
Peace In Henderson County.
It seems that local measures, car
rying no political provisions, propos-
ed by the representative of a county
have easy sailing in the present Leg
islature. Recently the republican re-
preventative from Surry gotewhat he
wanted and more for his county in
a ~free-school text book measure in
PRODUCED and dispatches from Raleigh
on Thursday relate the story of Hem
derson' representative in somewhat a
similar tale, by the passage Of his
bill taxing dogs, bachelors and JUS
tees of the peace. The following re-
port of the incident is taken from the
News and Observer report of the
house proceedings:
There was an unexpected absence
of debate on the bill of Judge Ewart
taxing justices of the peace, bachelors
and dogs in Henderson county. Aside
from Judge Ewart's speech favoring
it's passage the only incidents were
the more or less embarrassing intero-
gatories which poured in upon him.
Judge Ewart prefaced his argument
by expressing his profound gratifea-
ton at the signal favor the committee
had done him in reporting his bill
favorably. He had not introduced it,
he said, as a joke. In Henderson coun-
ty, there were nor pretty women
than anywhere else in the world, many
coming there from all parts of. the
world to enjoy its scenery and eli
mate. There were entirely too many:
handsome unmarried men there, and
a tax of a dollar a head per annum
on these bachelors would tend to eth
er decidmate their ranks or replenish
the county treasury for the beneft5of
school children of those who had been
patriotic enough to marry. Dogs, he
declared, literally infested the coun-
ty. Sheep raising had been practical
ly abandoned on account of their
prowling depredations and midnight
attacks on the sheepfold. Birds nests
were destroyed and the complete de-
struction of quail by them was only
a question of time. The eggs were
high. but not high enough to escape
their sucking mouths. F1eas and hy-
drophobia we're scattered abroad by
them. and most of the dogs. were. a
constant menace to life, liberty and
property and a general nuisance. He
excepted some dogs and said his dol
lar tax would not hurt them, while he
hoped it would cause a thinning out
of the ranks of the others.
Mr.. Conner: you do not put dogs
and bachelors on all tours, / hope"
Mr.. Ewart: Certainly not, unless
they go that way" (Laughter.)
Continuing his remarks, Judge
Ewart reached the justices of the
peace of his county, and reached for
them. He said there were over a hun
dred in the county. Most of them were
appointed by the Legislature because
they never could have been elected
by their constituents. Many of them
could not write and some of them
could not read. The State gave them
a dollar and a half law book every
other year, the pages of which most
of them never turned, and besides this
they were exempt from several public
service duties, including working the
and should be glad for all this
to pay a dollar a year back into the
treasury.
Mr.. Doughton: "How many magis-
traces Cd you appoint for Henderson
county in 1895, when you were a mem
Der of that Legislature"
Mr.. Ewart: twenty-five. Justices
of the Peace then were appointed by
the Legislature until elected by the
In that Legislature 1 intro
duced a bill exempting 10 counties
with negro majorities from the cleo
ton of magistrate law. I fought for
it in the committee and later on the
floor. But I was defeated. and I have
often before said that I was as ashap-
ed of many things that Legislature
did as anybody could be. (Applause.)
But there are too many dogs and too
many justices of the peace in my coun-
ty."
Mr.. Ray: "You do not put magis-
trates and dogs in the same cat
egory do you?"
Mr.. Ewart: eff the gentleman from
Macon will examine my bill, or If he
had listened attentively to my re-
he would have found that no
whatever has been made to
a cat or cats. I only desire that the
three articles specifically enumerated
in my bill be subjected a reasonable
tax, and in truth the members of this
House will agree with me-"
Mr.. Conner offered an amendment
making Hamilton G. Ewart a Justice
of the peace. Sneaker Dowd ruled it
ont of order since law forbade one
man boIdine two offices of emolument.
NJ. Carno~ u"vo6 tn etrihn o7t i1,e-