The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-11-22
Wednesday, Nov. %, 1893.
Twelve Pages.
Shall the New County be Established
in the Wrong Place?

Mccormick is centrally located for new
county, and 1t is said with authority that Mr:
G: 81. Mccormick H. VIII furnish the the Court Court
tunities we certainly ought to work for a new
county. AS to going into new county win
Greenwood we would not he willing TO 60 IN
chances here for q county seat. Any thing
that tends to retard the formation of county
seat here we oppose. There is no place more
likely to get county than McCormlck alter
the area has been reduced. We cry out long
and fierce to give US new counties: ANY map
who does not live rs miles away, but close 10
the county seat does not know the vast neon, cor
not worth the ride. Other States are highly
pleased with small counties and we say give
them TO us.-McCormick News.
The above extract is part Of an editorial IN
last Thursdays issue OF our esteemed contem-
porary. the Mccormick News.
Our neighbor must know, and surely does
know, that II the proposed Greenwood coun-
ty Is cut of from Abbeville, that neither NC
Cormick, Lowpdesville or Honea Path VIII
ever be Court House town. The survey OF
the proposed new county may reduce Aooe-
willie to the limit, 625 square miles, even II IL
does not reduce us below that figure, and oi
course old Abbeville would have nothing left
which she could give to the other places, all
of which need Court House ten times as
much as Greenwood does. AS matter Of fact
Greenwood stands less in need Of a Court
House than either Ninety-Six, Mccormick.
Lowndesville or Honea Path.
In the first place, Green wood is only four
teen miles distant, while Ninety-Six, McCor-
mick, Lowndesville and Honea Path are each
twenty miles or more away from the Court
House.
Besides, being only fraction over half the
distance that the other towns are, two rail-
roads run daily several trains each way
between Abbeville and Greenwood. Citizens
Of Greenwood can come to Abbeville ana re-
turn in few hours, whereas 1t is a long jour.
ney by private conveyance from The other
towns, or II they come by the cars 1t requires
about two days time.
There are no doubt reasons more or less ur-
gent why the citizens Of Ninety-Six, McCor'
mick, Lowndesville and Honea Path should
desire to have Court Houses established at
their respective places, but there Is perhaps
less good reason for establishing Court
House at Greenwood than at any other town
in the county. 1t lies close to us and sew
eral trains will bring them to Abbeville and
return them the same day.
Under the circumstances, the other towns
really have reason TO ask for Court House
We do not see why the Legislature should
pick out the very town, which Of all the rest.
needs It least, and establish therein county
seat.
The fact is, that the people residing in the
old county have some rights. and their rights
deserve consideration.
Every citizen Of the county has. or should
have some county pride, and it is nothing but
natural that those who are injur ed should OPP
pose it.
Even If the public sentiment should de-
mand new counties, and even If the Reform
party should be willing to entail the addition
al cost to the State and to the county for the
additional officers, the act should be done
with deliberation and with proper respect
for the rights and interests Of the people as
whole.
To do this, there should be some general
plan Of redistricting the State-a plan by
which people living in remote corners could
choose q central or suitable place for their
Court House. In carrying this plan into ef-
feet, Ninety-Six, Plum Branch, Mccormick,
Troy, Lowndesville, Donaldsville, and Honea
Path would be centres that would certainly
accommodate much larger per cent of peo-
pie than the proposed plan Of destroying the
symmetry Of the county to establish Court
House in a town. only fourteen miles away,
and which really has less need OF Court
House than any of the towns named. The
citizens OF that town have much less trouble,
expense, and loss Of time In going to the
Court House than the citizens of any Of the
towns Of which we have spoken.
AS the Constitutional Convention is soon to
be called any hasty destroying Of the old
county lines Is premature and ill-advised. II,
when the Convention meets to adopt new
Constitution. the people should be willing to
establish new court houses 10 every neigh
borhood, and II the State should deem 1t wise
to adopt 80 expensive plan, then let Ninety
Six, and Troy or Mccormick survey off a lit
tie square compact county. Let Lowndes-
Vile or Calhoun Falls do the same. Then
Donalds and Honea Path could compete for
the Court House in that section. Such an ar
rangement would accommodate the different
neighborhoods. leaving Aboeville in good
shape, even II smaller. A lop sided county &C
commodities a small per cent. Of the people,
and leaves them territory which is ugly of
shape.