The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-12-03
The Way to Do 1t.

Doctors differ as to the best way Of curing
the evils of the present Township system,
with its seven hundred and forty townships,
its five thousand one hundred and eighty
officers, and its yearly cost of more than
eleven hundred thousand dollars. One plan
is to suspend the operation OF the law for
ten years. This is plain enough. Another
plan is to suspend the Township law in part,
and elect special commissioner for each
township, who shall report upon the condi-
ton of roads and bridges, and upon the
condition Of the poor, and who shall, also,
draw jurors and attend to the working Of
the public highways. Upon this basis the
cost OF the township system would be only
s59,2OO year. Even this is far too much.
The County Commissioners can discharge
the duties proposed to be imposed upon the
Township Commissioners. All that is stip-
uated to be paid to these new commission
ers is $50 year, and at this price it will be
exceedingly difficult to obtain good work
from any Radical official. The County Com
missioners should be willing to take upon
themselves the extra labor, finding their re-
ward in self-praise if not in public approval
A simple and unconditional suspension OF
the Township law for ten years is the wisest
course to adopt, and the General Assembly,
which does so much for the injury of the
State should be willing, once in way, to
pass q measure which will be welcome re-
lief to every taxpayer in South Carolina.
The Township law IS it stands. IS nor
strous swind!e-an infamous attempt to
seize another slice of the earnings of the
people Among the township officers, how
ever, are many gentlemen of high character
and good standing who allowed themselves
to be elected, or sought election, because q
bad law is made worse when administered
by rogues and rascals. These gentlemen,
who occupy in the townships the same posi-
ton that the Democratic members occupy in
the General Assembly, cannot make the law
q good one; but they can, and do, in their
particular spheres, prevent thieving, ex-
travagancc and waste They accepted office
on the ground that whenever true and
good man is elected to office, however small
it may be, another point is marked in the
game, and another step made toward OBJ
tanning the control OF the State. This is the
true policy, and it is deeply to be regretted
that the Democratic officers cannot be eX-
cepted in terms when it is necessary to con-
denim and expose the corruption OF the
Legislature or the rottenness of the town.
ship system. Their people, nevertheless,
know and appreciate the embarrassments
and annoyances which conscientious de-
votion to the interests Of the State have
brought upon them. What is opposed, what
IS fought what is condemned, is the Radi-
cal official. To him and his fellows, and to
them only, our denunciations apply.
All parties agree in declaring that the
Township law is unnecessary and unwise.
The Radical County Commissioners them
selves cannot uphold system which makes
the township administration alone cost as
much as the gross amount OF the State tax
alton. All that is required is q straightfor-
ward determination to give the people some
relief, and the law will be repealed or sus-
pended without more delay.