Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-06-16
Geography with Office.

and Banner seems to think We regard It de-
soription Of title or right to'ofce. In political
and social sense IL certainly has. always hat
had, and'wiil ever have, little influence in the
matter Of representation In office. It wat
geography that after years Of struggle, killed
the parish system In this State and checked that
arrogant claim Of superiority In intellect onoe
prevalent in lower Carolina, and upon which
that section enjoyed the lions share Of office
1t was geography which gave the nomination for
the solioitorship TO Col. J. 8. Cothran in 1876
when hfter fifteen ballots the candidates from
weakor counties withdrew. 1t will hardly be
claimed that the votes, Of other counties were
thrown to Col Cothran because Of his superior
fitness and experience over one who had for
four years filled the Office ably and acceptably.
We believed then and do now that the delegates
recognizing both candidates as possessing ample
qualifications for the Office gave the nomination
to,Abbeville rather than to Greenville, because
the latter county had held II two terms.
Previous to and at that time Abbeville had
held no position in tho National, State or Cir
Quit Department Of South Carolina, and CON
sider:ng her wealth, intelligence and past po-
litical record, all thought her claims strong and
gave her candidates a ready support. At that
time, too, COL D. Wyatt Aiken was nominated
for Congress, not because he was the only or
best qualified candidate in the District, but be-
cause among the candidates he, partly by reason
geography, polled the largest vote after q num-
Der of ballots. After this Col. Thomas Thomson
was elected Circuit Judge without Democratic
opposition, and his age, long experience and
application we'll merited the compliment. The
election Of Gen. Samuel McGowan to o seat on
the Supreme Bench met with universal approval
in this county. where he was we'll known and
highly appreciated and where he could have
been elected to any position by vote Of our
people. When finally the name Of Col. Cothran
was suggested for Circuit Judge there was no
expression of opposition, but our bar having no
candidate for the Office and believing him
qualified signed Recommendation for his ap-
pointment as unit, not hecauso he was the
only or best qualified lawyer in the circuit, but
because being qualified his was the first name
presented for recommendation.
We made no complaint at these nominations
Or appointments and the dragging them in by
the Press and Banner was gratutous, as was
the construction put upon the whole temper and
tone of our article. Ours was the last of
several articles written in the midst Of contest
for Solicitor, in which all the counties except
Piokens had applicants. The week previous,
in reply to a comment Of the Greenville Neus
on the Solicitorship, presenting the claims of
dseenville to that Office and stating that that
county since reconstruction had been ''severely
left out in the cold" we eviewed the respective
claims of the counties Of tho Eighth Circuit as
based on location, showing that while Green
vile, Abbeyie and Anderson had enjoyed their
full share of Office as far as their claims rested
on location, Oconee and Pickens had az yet held
no prominent Office in the State. We went fur
ther and stated as a reason for this that the
lettep counties being later settled and enjoying
heretofore less favorable educational facilities
had not pressed theip claims, but that these dis
advantages had passed away and their claims
should be considered. In that article, too, after
mentioning the positions held by Abbeville at
present, We said Of that county: "This grand
old county was early settled and has done much
for the bench and bar as we'll as for the political
progress Of our State, and we rejoice in her
honored names; but she has enjoyed her full
quota of Office both before and since recoustruc-
tion 80 fap as her claims rest on location" In
no article did we arrogantly claim superiority in
competency for our candidate over those of
other counties, and in none did we then OF do we
now admit any superiority in their applicants
over ours, but believing and generously ex-
pressing the belief that any Of the counties
could furnish q number Of lawyers competent
for the position, we claimed that all things In
this respect being equal, our section had strong
claims.
Is it great wrong to even place on plane Of
equality number Of candidates, one being from
Oconee, and say all things being equal, one
county has superior claims over another? Does
the best qualified man always or even generally
win? In making appointments to Office are the
applicants carefully weighed and tho best
qualified man selected Who oan judge Of this?
Does the Governor, not a lawyer, know the
qualifications Of the applicants for Solicitor, or
does he depend on the recommendation of others2
If solely on the latter then the most populous
county will always hold the Offices, and in them
men of the most prominent and influential
families. We believe that men are generally the
creatures Of circumstances and that position
and opportunity have developed greatness in
men, which without them would have never been
heard Of. We believe farther that there are o
SCORE or moro Of lawyers in the Eighth Circuit.
some in every county, who could and would fill
the office Of Solicitor with credit to themselves
and the State. Why, then, should we not,
among number of competent candidates, assert
the right Of our county to strong consideration,
without subjecting ourselves to the charge of
appealing to ''that prejudice and envy which
would draw down others rather than elevate It's
own citizens to the higher standard Of attain
ments." Has turn Of fortune exalted the Press
and Banner to that vain.glorious position, when