Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1882-10-05
Multiplicity Of Counties.

A correspondent Of the Soncca Journal,
writing over the signature Of IS" says, as to
the proposed amendment to tho constitution,
reducing the area Of counties, that tho
gCouRlgR in its article has jumped tho most
vital part Of tho question aud assorts that in
1 the interest Of good government and of white
supremacy the people should vote for oil
threo Of tho proposed amendments to the
constitution.
As to the amendment proposing to mako
conviction Of certain infamous crimes for
fcituro of tho right to vote, we say to vote
Eyes" and also as to the amendment propos-
ing to change the .imc Of holding general
elections, so that tho State and national
elections may bo held on different days, but
as to reducing the area Of counties, we say
vote "No," thousand times mo" MS q
matter Of justice, economy, of good governs
mcnt generally, and Of retaining iu tho
upper counties our legitimate influence in the
State.
This correspondent says Of the amendments:
"The prime object that moved our represent
tatives in this matter was to increase the
white representation in the Senate and thcre-
by secure good government in our Suite at all
times. Heretofore there has been great hue
and cry against the low country legislation
for its advantages, &c., and now the country
has n chance to increase its white rcprcscn-
tation and these mon seem to DO kicking up
about it."
From reading This ono would think that
tho proposed amendment only applied to tho
upper counties or TINT the lower counties
were already too small in area and popula-
tion to admit of subdivision. Neither Of
these propositions arc true, Tor the amendment
will Of course apply to the whole State, and
the fact is, tho lower counties nro much
larger and moro populous thar the upper
counties. Let us take tho upper counties.
and in York it is proposed by cutting of
part of that county and Spnrtanburg to have
a court house at Goflncy City and by cutting
off another part Of York. Lancaster, &c., to
have another court house at Rock Hill.
Major Hart IL prominent lawyer of York
Vile and one of The commissioners to codify
the laws, says the census shows that such
division would give the State two counties
with negro majortics aud only ono with
white majority. Old York and Srar,anburg
nrc now Democratic and have Democratic
Senator's Will we strengthen the white Scna-
tors by giving two Radical counties Tor moth
ing and retaining but the two Democratic
counties wo now have? Abbcvllc county,
though it has n negro majority, is Democratic
created Mt Ninety Six the new county will
hnvo q larger negro majority; so that in
creating this now county if we can't hold old
Abbeyilie We would lose both new Abbcvillc
and Ninety Six, thus giving two Radicals for
nothing. Out Of Ocones Anderson, Pickens,
Greenvillo and Spartanburg wo could not
form enough new counties with white ma
joritics to even cover tho advantages lost in
Abbcvillc and York. OF course this is snid
on the superstition that the negro vote in the
counties would be cast against us. Who're
then can wo hope to get even in the up
country any sure advantage in rcpresen taton
in tho Senatc2 1t is a myth.
Not only will we lose as much rs we gain
in the up country, but wc my ourselves open
to be flooded by Radical Senators sent from
new counties cut out in the lower pnrt Of tho
State. Tho lower counties, wo have said,
ore larger and more populous than the upper
and will ask for new counties as surely rs wo
will. The question will not be q political
one. but will bo governed everywhere, rs it
y is here, by local considerations. Why does
Rock Hill or Ninety Six or Calfney City or
Pendleton or Seneca City want new county
and court house? Because it w.i to some
extent enhance the value of the property of
these several towns and their vicinity. For
tho same reason the large counties in the
lower part of tho State, with their railroad
towns, will want new districts and court
house. They will mover consider The politi-
cal aspect of tho matter, for rs wo have said
divisions proposed in tho upper counties,
give new counties with negro mnjori.ios.
Col. Wilson, Of York, in speaking on this
measure says:
It's claimed for the measure that it is dc
signed to strengthen the Democratic party ia
the State. With what confidence can We look
for that result with the overwhelming
negro majori,cy in many of tho lower
counties Orapgcburg, Collvton, Kcrshav
and others? Tho statistics show vas
difference in the nrca and population of th'
lower counties as compared with th'
upper counties Of the State. The lowe
counties have much larger orca of ter
tory, and their coored population vastl
outnumt ers ours. Colleton, which is d!
miles from one limit to tho other, and 3!
miles wide, has white population Of 1918
and colored population Of 24,202-.i
round numbers colored population doubl
that of tho white. Orangcburg is IS mile
from one limit to tho other md in som