The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-03-29
ANEWBERRY CENTENNIAL.
A Suggestion That the Centennial OF Judge
O'NealPs' Birth be Celebrated-A Very
Timely Reminder.

!
1t will be one one hundred years on
the 10th of next month since Judge
john Belton O'Neall was born, and I
suggest that some time during April
| centennial celebration be held in honor
of his birth.
Let US see who Judge O'Nea!l was
and if his memory does not deserve
| centennial celebration.
First, he was devout Christian and
| bis influence as such was far-reaching.
Another has told US that "no man, Ger
tainly no layman in the Baptist denom-
ination, nor in any other, has exerted
so widespread an influence for good"
The South Carolina Baptists honored
him with the highest office in their
gift-the presidency Of the Baptist
State Convention. Five times was he
chosen to fill this responsible position.
AS a jurist he was made Chief JUS
tice of the State, which exalted Office
placed him at the head of the South
Carolina Bar.
He was an earnest temperance ad-
vocate, and probably rose officially
higher lin this cause than any other
citizen of the State has ever done for
be was installed as the head of the
Sons of Temperance of North America.
Four times was Judge O'Neall elected
to the Legislature and twice was he
chosen the Speaker of that body.
We must now allude to him as a
writer. His "Annals of Newberryn is
model work of its kind. Another
work of his which will do1btless be of
incalculable aid to the future historian
who desires to learn about the old
slave days is the "Digest of the Negro
Law of South Carolina" His "Bio-
graphical Sketches Of the Bench and
Bar of South Carolina" is probably the
work by which he is best known as a
writer. In compiling this admirable
work, he proved himself the Plutarch
of the South Carolina judiciary.
Such was John Belton O'NealI-a
devout Christian, learned jurist, an
eminent temperance advocate, Speaker
of tie Carolina House of Representa-
tives and a writer of ability. will
not attempt a full sketch of him, but
have hastily noted what appeared to
me to be the salient points of his char
acter and career.
Does not such man merit a centen-
nial celebration in honor of his birth ?
This question needs no answer. New
berry County~would honor herself in
i honoring Judge O'Neall's memory.
A good way to celebrate the centen-
NAL would be to have basket picnic
of the white Sunday schools of New
berry County. If all these Sunday
schools could not take part, certainly
many of them could. Let the officers
Of the Newberry Baptist Sunday school
be the committee Of arrangement, and
select some pleasant spot near the town
for the picnic grounds. The centennial
exercises could consist of singing those
grand old tunes like Hebron" also an
address by some prominent gentleman
on this subject: "John Belton O'Neall,
His Pu bile Career and Private Charac-
ter"
Such a centennial celebration may
seem rather unique to your readers, but
none of them can say that it will not
be a pleasant occasion to the Sunday
school teachers aud scholars of New
berry County nor can any one deny
that a centennial in honor of Judge
O'Neall would bring before the minds
of the rising generation grand char
acter for emulation.
MCDONALD FURMAN.
Ramsey P. O., Sumter County, S. G.,
March 14th, 1898.