The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-05-13
A Very Important Matter.
(Iikcn RccOrdr.)

v~A
(Atkcn Rccortlcr)
The GrecnriNc .Neys and the Columbia Regis
ter IN recent Issues hnve CHILLED attention u
certain fncts In relation TO the state census
which arc very important, and which the
RccorIr fully set forth IN Its Issue OF Decem'
"This Is the wear fn. taking tho State crnsns, in
view Of this inrt Major Harry Hammond, al Beech
Islnud. who's. | i,itv rs n ST itistiran is universal : AL
mittei, was b, arh last week by the judiciary COIN
mite and much valuable information obtained.
1T appears that a simple cnnnlcrnli' III oil the pop
uln,iOn In the usual manner will involve I'm txf,rId-
i,ure OF about $4,000. but II the plan suggested ny
Major Hammond Is adopted, which involves n com
uliancc with certain forms Of the National Govern
nicnt. which cover q vast amount OF detail rl In.
formation. it will cost fi0!GH. but in consideration OF
this compliance. the United States Government will
refund ole half the expense. which would reduce the
actual expenditure 10 i35,0O0 thereby saving 10 the
State &25tAN. and securing q work fAr more satislac'
! tory and interesting.
"Such n work containing an iterniz"d report OF Rll
our industr's In addition to oar actual popr.
lntlon, would be q splendid advertisement to the
world Of our sl,lcndii accomplishment ant resources.
The only approximately correct census sine" the wnf
Is the United States census OF 1850; that taken by the
radical negro State Government was all ignorant
farce. 1t is provided by the tOnntitntinn that the
State shall take q d,ccnnial census. In order to rccu-
late the representation In our General Assembly.
This is " wise provision, and yet We understand that
there is n disposition to rvade the law under the pre-
tencr Of economy. The facts Of the case arc that Sew
ernl counties have n,ore representatives than they ore
entitled 10 and othcrs less.
Aiken and Edgefed arc among the number who
arc entitled To another representative. and Charleston
has several more than falls rightly to her share. Inc
CENSUS should be taken In accordance with law, and
our representation adjusted upon the basis OF Its re-
suits"
This is what what we wrote last December,
anu some people nre just waking up to.a real
izatiOn OF the fact that Il great blundcr has
been made, or that n we'll concerted scheme
under the thin veil OF stupid senm"my n ims
TO retain u representation. to which they, arc
not entitled by defeating. the bill FOR taking
the census OF the State. In c0inpllancc Win
the plain termS of the Constitution. The PRO
visions of the State Constitution arc as lol'
lows:
"Arr. Q, SEC. 4. The House Of Representative,
shall consist Of 12t members, to be arp"rti"n't
among the several counties accor'iins TO me nnInner
Of the inhabitants for this purpose shall he male IN
1859, and again in 1875. md shall be made IN the
course Of every tenth ycnr thereafter, In such manner
as shull b.. hy law directed; and Eepreseniatir ives shall
be assigned to the different Counties In the ABOVE
mentioned proportion. by Act ii General Assembly
nj the sessinn immediately succeeding every en'l,
meration P,0ridrd. That until the nprortiunnehi
shnlI take effect the representation Of the several
Cnnnti,s ns herein constituted shall he rs follows
Then the representation Of the several Counties Is
Set FORTH u-...
shall not be made In the course Of the year appointed
for the purposc, 1t shall be the duty Of the Governor ia
haye it ,tftcted US soon thereafter as shull be pruct;c'
able"
The Columbia Register makes the following
pertinent nj on Tue ABOVE occtlohS VI
the Constitution:
alt will be seen that the whole representation OF the
State is mude 10 depend on this State enumeration
and that there is none olher under tho sun on "hlcn
the representation Of the several Counties can ne law
fully assigned. There cali be no avutt about this
The State relies upon its own authorized enumeration
In apportiuning representation between the several
Cuuntirs.
organic law Of the State ~ the people or the several
Cnuntlcs, who are eatitled to tho representation nc
lcordiny to the number Ur inhabitants contained IN
each County To Withhold this FROM tho people OF
nny County in the State, Is q gross and grave abuse OF
a most solemn political trust, which the people should
never submit to vii .ing'y.
"Now. the Legislature ut Its last session having re-
fused to conform to the requirement. oil tho Cohstitu'
ton. they should b. called together by the Governor
In an extra session to secure the political right OF tne
p,oplc rs urvvidrd for In the State Constitution. And
this for the following reason, that the d"Tcrhor ac'
cordins to Seoti'n 5, o,n only have ms enutnerauon
effected when 1t fails TO BE- made In the course of the
year appointed :0r the PURPOSE The Governor, thch.
will ciu.c this enumeration to be made In 1855. Bu'
Renresrnta,i. cs WILDE assigned to the different C0un'
ties by Act Of General Assembly at the session I'm
mediat.ly succreding,' which will be too late To regn'
late the superintendent OF the next general election III
1856. 1t will thus be seen that without this extra
session the upper Counties OF the STATE, rs well NJ
othcrs-but I,Uintcd y the upper counties-"iH he Do
The Legislature. Is tho right!
IThe objection on account Of expense, which was
urged ns 4 reason FIR foregoing the S'uinn Utilization
uf the Assembly, 1t would seem, does MT lie. For, ne
our Grcrnville contemporary rightly says: II the
work is done In 1855 the Federal Government Will iny
over half the cost Of the same. Whereas, " the ~orS
Is done In lSS6, the State must bear tho whole Of "
And u IA nluin to Sec the plan Of the Federal Censi:
Can he followed, giving the State and the country the
benefit Of a State enumeration, conducted by me
State authority, thus tending to verify or corrtct the
Eai-r,l enumeration from time to time. And TINS
can be done for less than half the money 1t Will c"s'
the Stute to do II next year. 49,,
aAn extra session should be called to meet hi:
plain duty. and says the State money In doing Mex
year what ought To be done this year.
The CreenriUe iNews makes the following re-
marks OH tho same subject:
III the last Legislature OF this State had done It,
duty and ordered q census for re.app"rttoninent O
representation, almost the entire expense would nav
seen paid by the United States Government, ns np
pears by n letter from Attnrncy-General Garland, wh'
states that any state having u seni.deccnnial census
can draw from Federal treasury q SUN eq III 10 hal
the amount paid enumeratoss and supervisors Tor tE'
crnsus uf 1850. But to take advantage OF mis- PRO
vision the State census must he completed by SEP
trnber. Tits o matter OF arithmetic now ~lietliei
the State would not make nuney BY having MI cxtr;
Legislative session Of ten dayst TO ord the ennlncra
ti0n. Whether the session w0nld cost more UT lee
Llun what We VI WI w l'SPohN"b NV
tiun. can be Determined BY fifteen minutes Of cipher
lug"
1t Is evident that this fragrant dcreliction o
a Constitutional duty bv our Legislature a
the right time and In the right way, Will cost
the Slate thousands OF dollars aud depr:v'
certain counties Of their just and legal repre-
scntation ut the next general election. W.
watched the maneuvers In regard to this mat
ter at the time they were made. and nre con
vfnccd that this dcreliction Of n plain duty
was the result of no accident. but OF gross *
norance on the one hand Und deliberate nm
determined effort on the other, TO retain {
representation for certain counties to which
they are not entitled, hut which they are 10
no humor to %rclinquish until they have ex
hausted every parliamentary device.
II nm extra session should be called, we az
not believe the work could he arranged art
carried To n successful conclusion within tn
required time. The State has therefore lost D!
This muncuver not less than than S2',0U, prob
ABLY Sa5,O O would bc nearer the mark, ant
what is worse, several counties are defraudct
OF thor Just representation. Let the ,pe2pl'
OF theSlatc consider this matter and plac'
, the blame where 1t properly belongs.