The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1914-11-15
The City Attorneys
Reply to Questions

Of the repeated effort to put through
the permit first. But foolishly bur-
led my suspicious under the thought
that q man OF Mr.. Taylor's legal abil-
ity and expert knowledge of fran
chises would not run the risk OF ask
ing for something the law would not
let him keep. So / went on fighting
day and night for better terms for
the city without stopping to investi-
gate the power of council to grant MIR.
, Tay1or's demands.
Yes. citizens. Jour imperfect city
attorney. the young country lawyer
CT only about 10 years experience in
the general practice of law, was dup
ed" and frankly admits 1t. His only
satisfaction Is that some very able
business men of the city (probably in
cluding the editor OF The Intelligen-
cer) were also "duped" about the
same time in regard to the promised
Atlanta railway. the bringing in of ad-
, ditionaT power and In other ways.
They were told by Mr.. Taylor cf many
wonderful things that would promptly
follow the granting Of the franchise"
but they didn't follow and haven't yet.
Nevertheless. in spite of your city
attorneys "blunders," strangely
enough they can not now be used
| fairly as an argument in favor Of let
! ting the contracts" stand" because
the advice" of your city attorney to
council and the Southern Public Util-
tiles was to submit the matter to q
vote Of the people. His instinct was
sound on this point even if his legal
knowledge was in this respect defec-
tive at that time for the record shows
that the sonly completed ordinance
| ever recommended by me was the one
introduced by Alderman Elmore and
given first reading only. This ordi-
! nance embodying my crystallized
views of a suitable franchise-contract
| contained a provision that 1t should
moi become effective unless ratified by
a ziaiority OF the qualified voters OF
the city Mt an election held for that
purpose.
In addition to that, Z strongly urg-
ed Mr.. Zebulon Vance Taylor, presi-
| dent of the Southern Public Utilities
| company, to agree to submit the
franchise" to a vote Of The people
FOR MS own protection and he agreed
to the extent Of saying that he did
not want franchise that would not
| meet with the approval of the people.
He also stated this publicly at o
council meeting. but at no time did he
or any other representative of his
company. agree to test the approval
OF the people by vote at an election
to be Leld for that purpose.
So. I hardly think the Southern
Public Utilities company can now
| Justly claim that my failure 20 make
/ the discovery" caused 1t to accept"
IAN unconstitutional franchise. &41 Z
Sc, Editor, pointed" questions.
| and 2 have been quite humbIy ans
wered without any embarrassment"
except as to the propriety OF my dis
cussing these matters now at all. :.
Question, 4. AS to "who prepared
the contract" as to the white way: /
did in conjunction with Capt. H. H.
Watkins. It contains all the terms
the committee Of council told me to
put in and Capt Watkins saw that all
the terms the company wanted were
put in. Neither of us was asked. nor
did 1t. occur to either Of us, to look
into the power of council to make 1t.
We prepared what our clients asked
| US TO prepare and stopped with that.
IL our fore-sights: mad been as good
as our rhsnd-sights'' doubtless we
would have gone into it deeper and
that's all there is to 1t except that
the impression you attempt to make
that Twas paid o special fee for this
contract. is not corrS,ct and you
could have known 1t was not correct
| IL you had beer Just enough to ex-
anime the miD;fes OF council which
several times invited you to exam
inc before ycu asked your questions.
Question 8 must be joke or q
/ "joker." But for the editors infor-
nation, (everybody else seems to have
kept up with the franchise fight
but him) refer the editor to the
minutes OF council, to the filec OF his
own newspaper. TO Ex-Mayor Holle-
ras.ad, the ex-aldermen, to the files OF
/ the Daily Mai, to the archives OF the
4 city, to Mr.. Zebulcn Vance Taylor
/ etc, ETC.. etc, for my objections tc
the "franchise."
In answer to question 8, reply
that the city attorneys were paid spe-
cial compensation for their services
In connection with 'the recent bond
eleetion and the water and light fran
chise" upon motion of Alderman
Fouehe made at q meeting on Janu.
larry 9th, 1914. The white way wae
tnat even mentioned until q meeting
Eheld more than two months later. ou
March 1efhs 1914. Tliese facts take
from the public record. the minutes oi
which the editor bad access to at any
Itime and had both q special" and Q
lastandingr Invitation To examine on
any; onestioa he desired to know
4 ak5nt. ss.ss s n 10
What. then. Is the editors purpose
lin ainglius me out for attacka Is 4