The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-27

rehearsing the parliamentary steps oS Wh'Gn c,.
ihis "1euu lock" was maintained ana ny
which it was ultimately solved, can say tnaI
the line was not drawn by the llmltS ol tile X,
up-country and w-country. The Journals VI
the last two days of the session have not yet
been published SO can not give the names Oh
those who voted for and against the HousG 81 le,
ceding on the amendment. But II lsto! tiiuse u.
who spoke for and against the action Oh Iie
House will show that am correct in the aver
meEt. ,. .h,,
Those who spoke in favor of receding-that
is giving up further effort to take the ,S census
at The time. were MeSsrS. BOggs Of PlckenS,
Farrow of LaurenS. Pope of Newbcrry, kut.
land of Fairfield. Blue of Marion, Maher OF
Barnwell, Haskell OF Richland, Hnts0n Oh
Hampton, anu myself from CharleSt4n. lon m"sI 81
who were for refusing were MesSrs: Bowen Oh
Pickens, Rucker of anderson, W Wharton OF
Iaurens. Blake and Graydon OF Abotvllle'
Thompson OF Spartanburg. Ready or Eose;
field. Lee of Sumter, Aldrich OF Aiken, ahu
Bellinger Of Barnwcll. ~ .,
It will he seen by this that on this 1lhai
question OF insisting or not on ihe census ~ a..
lnis time, as represented in the House py
those who spoke, Pickens, Laurens and Barn
well were divided. Abhcville, Anderson, spar
tnnburg, .Edgetield and Sumter were for lllSlst-
ing and Newberry, Fairfield, Marion, Rlcl-
land, Hampton and Charleston were FOR receu-
ing. There were no lines of up and low-coun-
try here.
In the Senate, on the similar vote, the coun-
ties stood-for receding-the Senators from
Oconee, Pickens, Anderson, mon, Se%DeIrrS, Ii,S
ton, Sumier, Williamsburg. Clarendon, Klcl-
land, Aiken, Lexington, Orangcburg, Hamp-
ton, Co!leton., Beaufort, Georgetowa herKe, tho
ley and Charleston. Against recedlns10,,tne
ter, Chesterfield, Edgefeld, Horny and ker.
shaw. If we take out all the low-country
counties in the vote. the question would nave
been decided in the Senate by II vote or TWO 10
one against insisting on the census at ms nl'
time by the up-country counties themselVes.
The fact is, the question so far from being Il
sectional one, htS divided the representation
in the General Assembly in ench anu every
county in the Strte, except, believe. Green
Vile, Spartanburg and Ed2eheld, ana these
counties have been more generally supported
by the low country counties OF sumter, beau
fort and Berkeley than by any others.
The real obstacle to having census taken
has been economic-nOt sectional. The mem
berS OF the Legislature have never been Will
ing to make the necessary approprlatlon. ~
was early calculated that another census
would probably make but few changes In the
observation-disclosures by that OF 1850
the old parish counties would lose but TWO III
all, and it is known that they have increased
in population since. Charleston 1t was sup,
posed would lose the most. but her loss would
probably he gained by Beaufort. Berkeley and
Sumter-the first q negro county, the second
scarcely less so and the third very doubtful
one. Uudcr this belief the State Mt large was
unwilling, especially the members from the
up-country, to 70 to the necessary expense u
make these and a few other changes. THIS uGS
the real cause Of the defeat NJ the census at M1S
time. Mr. Lee. the chief advocate of q census,
fully realized this, hence the introduction by
him of the bill to provide for its being taken
at less cost than required by the General
Statutes, and hence the low figures OF his
amendment TO the appropriation bitl. Mr.;
Pope, of Newberry, one of the truest ana
ableSt men In the House, openly aroWed MS
opposition To the measure on this ground.
Had the Legislature desired the census Sufh-
GENTLY to pay for it, a simple clause in the APP
preparation bill providing the means TO cna.
ble the Governor To carry out the provision OF
the law now on the statute book would nave
beeR sufficient. But q majority OF the lIegiS-
lature were unwilling to pay for having IT
taken properly, and many were unwilling to
have 1t done Improperly.
Is 1t wise or patriotic, Mr. Editor, to excite
feeling of unkindness between the different
sections Of the State?
AS write this, there leans on my desk q 1iag
that was carried from Fort sumter and plant.
ed in the town of Gettysburg. It's folds areall
stained with the blood of South Carolnians
from all parts of the State, and when think
of the noble men from Abhrvilic. from Edge
field, from Newberry. from Marion, from Rich.
land from Barnwell. from Charleston ana
Beaufort have seen lay down their lives ull-
der th is flag, and then turn to such editorials
as yours on this subject, begin at last to be-
leve these men died in vain, for they died for
a State whose people, having no longer enc
mics from with out. now turn to rend each
other. EDWARD MCCRAD1, JEs