The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-12-30
"CHARLEsToN's INTELLIGENCE. u
The City and the Low Country Win
Two Signal Victories Over Their
Up.Country Neighbers.
Ne,c6erry Observer.

Ne,c6eTry Observer.
| Charleston and the low.country ought to be-
satisfied with the Legislative session. They
| Lave gained two signal victories. ,. ~
| The Joint resolution to so amend the .Constf-
tuition as to allow Charleston only one Sena7
tor, as each of the other counties has, hats beelf
defeated. This advantage oyer other counties
should never have been given land 1t certain.
ly should not be continued now, since anoth.
| er county berkeley has been made from q
portion Of Charleston and given Senator.
-, But no one can seriously blame Charleston for
holding on to this advantage as long as It is
extended TO her, though 1t ought not to have
| been given.
A correspondent of the Ne,cs and Courier.
writing from Lancaster, insists that Charles
is entitled to two Senators on account Of her
"intelligcnce, wealth and population" But
the people Of Charleston are not more intelli-
gent, and do not claim to be, than the people
number of Senators were to be fixed in pro-
portion TO wealth ana population, then Char1
lesion ought to have two or three more: Tor
| herwealth constitutes about one sixth of the
ment Newberry should have double the num-
Der of Senators that Oconee or Horny has.
But the number Of Senators Is not, and should
not be, dependent on intelligence, wealth or
population.
In the United States Senate Rhode island
has two Senators; New York has the same
number; and so has every State In the Union.
And in the South Carolina Senate each couna
ty should have one Senator and no more; But
as we said before, it has no serious charge
against Charleston that she retains this advan-
tagc. If there is any blame at oil, 1t belongs
alike to all the members Of the Senate who
voted against the joint resolution. Certainly
the Charleston Senators could not be expected
to refuse an advantage that Is offered TO them,
especially MS no Constitutional or Statute pro-
vision 1t violated thereby.
low-country to pass the bill providing for O
census, for the purpose of reapportioning the
representation In the House, rests upon On
entirely different basis
The Constitution expressly and explicitly,
without ambiguity or the shadow Of a doubt,
directs the General Assembly to provide Tor
this census. We quote from the Constitution
Art. H. Sec. 4: "rhe House of Representa-
tivcs shall consist Of one hundred and twen-
ty-four members. to be apportoned among the
several Counties according to the number or,
inhabitants contained In each. An enumera-
ton OF inhabitants. for this purpose, shall De
made in lS69, and again In 1875. and shdU os
made in the course oI every tenth gear thereaf-
ter, in such manner as may he by law direct
cd and Representatives. shall be assigned tn
the different counties IN the above mentioned
proportion, by act Of the General Assembly,
1T the session Immediately succeeding every
enumeration"
Nothing could be palmer than this: and we
cannot c0nce Give how Senators, under their
against this bill. We would not, however.
presume to Judge Senators consciences. Thcy
may have their reasons to justify their course,
though no reasons have been given.
The reappOrtiOnment provided TOT wOuio
lessen the number Of representatives from tn"
low country and increase the number from
the up-cOuntry; and glance at the ayes ana
noes on the bill would lead one 10 suspect tnht
this fact furnishes The explanation Of the vote
Here is the list OF Senators voting Tor the
bill: ~.
Bieman Of Oconee, Bobo of Spartanburg.
Clyburn of Lancaster Earle of Sumter, Field
Of Pickcns, Mccall of Marlboro Mauldih Of
Greenville, Moore of Anderson, Patterson or
hester, simmons of Berkeley, Sligh OF New,
berry, Smith OF Horny, Todd OF Laurens, ana
Williams Of GeorgetUwn-lt
And here is the list Of Senators Young
against the bill:
Bell Of Aiken, Benbow of Clarendon. Black
of York, Buist of Charleston, Byrd of VII
coiieion iiE i izlar % Of orangeburg. Leitner Of Ksr
shaw Maxwell Of Abbevill-, Moore Of Hamp-
ton. Munro of Union, Redfearn Of Chester
field, Reynolds of Beaufort: Smythe of Char
lesion, Wallace of Richland. Wingard Of Lev
ington, Woodward of Fairfield, and Youmans
Of Barnwell-l9.
Taking the 3th parallel of latitude, which
runs through Columbia, as the dirlu!ng line
between the up country and the low-country,
1t will be seen that the large preponderance or
Senators voting against the bill are from the
low-country; and 1t would seem that, regard
less OF their oath, they are holding on to an
advantage that, under the CONSTITUTION, tney
-
We deprccate all animosity or jealousy. be-
tween ur>country and loW-country, ana do
not seek to stir up sectional feeling. AND we
do not think there Is any sectional prejudico
OF consequence IN the up-country; but me
ur-c0untry wants its rights that are granted
to 1t by the Constitution, and to which II Is en-
titled in justice and cqulty-it wants repre-
sentation in the House of Representatives III
proportion to its population. This has been
denied by the votes of the low-eOuntry, and
in violation Of the plain requirements OF the
Constitution.
The legislative reporter Of the Ne,cs and
Courier, in reporting the vote on this bill, says:
"Thc unexpected defeat Of this measure causes
great dissatisfaction among certain up.conn,
try legislators" Well might. And II Will
cause great dissatisfaction among the people
of the uocountry, and will tend, in large
measure. to foster whatever sectionalism may
have heretofore existed between upcountry
and l0w-country. The up.country cannot
help feeling that it has not been treated fairly
by the low country.
The low-country rails against sectionalism;
vet 1t furnishes the occasion for 1t. The low
country takes undue advantage OF the up
country, and because the up country COM
plains, the l0w-country charges the -coun,
Try with scctiOnalsm. 1t Is like the boy call
ing TO his mother, "Ma, make Bill have his
self: ev ry time hits him he hollerS."
ABREv1ILE HAS REASON FOR sELF-CoN-