The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-12-20
GREENWOOD COUNTY.

GREENWOOD COUNTY.
ANEW COUNTY ENTERS THE LIST IN
SOUTH CAROLINA.
The Bill Occupied Nesrly an the T me o.
the Hoase in Ysstsrdsy's Session., Both
Day and Night. but was Passed at Last
COLUMBIA, S. c., Dec. 12.-This has
been Greenwood's day in the House
Nothing else was considered. The re-
districting scheme was brushed away
on a technically. It could have bsen
considered, and there is ray Of hope
In the disposition of the House. Fol-
nearly three hours this morning the
pros and cons Of Greenwood County
were advanced. and everyone ought by
this time to know what he wants about
the new county proposed to be made
up of portions of Edgefeld and Abbe-
vile. The most striking incident of
the debate was the unexpected refer
ence to the Legislative members being
q vest-pNcket edition of Governor Till
man; otherwise everything went along
in a nice. quiet, humdrum way.
The first tilt of the day was on the
redistricting bill. The people scored
one! 1t looks hopeful. The Black dis.
trict champions haven't things alto
xether their own way. The lines were
drawn today and old Charleston and
the low-country have their friends.
When the bill came up Mr.. Moses
original bill was promptly killed.
Then the substitute bill, with a ia.
vorable report, came up. Mr.. Maglll
the chairman of the special committee,
moved to kill the bill, as there was q
Senate bill upon the Same subject. MIR.
Maglll did not anticipate Mr.. Moses's
close attention to the work of the
House. The House bill was laid aside
and thereupon Mr.. Moses called atten.
tion to the fact that the Senate bill
had not been On the desks for twenty
EUR hours. Speaker Jones held the
point Of order well taken.
Then Mr.. MagiH wanted the bill
whereby the House bill was killed re-
considered, Speaker Jones held that
an affirmative vote to reconsider could
not beregarded. Mr.. Breazeale moved
to take the bill from the table. The
House, by q vote of 28 to 26, refused to
have any more talk on the subject to-.
day.
The Greenwood County bill was the
next in order, and furnished the battle
royal of the day. Mr.. Yeldell first took
the Goor and made very strong argu-
ment In favor of the new county. He
said that there has never been strong
er argument for new county. Out
of two thousand voters in the territory
affected seventeen hundred petitioned
for the new county, and the first name
on the petition was that Of Governor
Tillman. There are times when one
should not let sentiment overrule ne
cessity. The objection comes from
Abteville. You have no assurance
that there will ever be constitutional
convention. We have been looking for
tariff reform for twenty-five years and
1t is still coming. We have had the
county surveyed and Greenwood will
pay for the buildings. When we tell
these counties that we are tired paying
them tribute they raise great protest.
He debated elaborately the question Of
area and the necessity of forming new
counties. Mr.. Yeldell quoted from the
census bulletin and showed that the
Incorporated towns in Abbeville had
more population than those in Green
wood. He devoted considerable atten-
ton to the railroad situation, and de-
MED that Greenwood would get more
railroad mileage than Abbeville.
MIR. Hill, of Abbeville, said that, al
though sick. he was here to prevent
this monstrous ini1uity being placed
on Abbeville County. If Abbeville
must be des poiled consider the inter
ests of the remaining portion OF the
county. The idea of a new county Is a
new thing. He understood that names
to the petitions had been secured by
promises of Office. They want to take
out of Abbeville what they want and
leave US worn-out lands nearly all
streams that require bridging and an
undue proportion of the negroes. The
judiciary committee reported faVorably
because 1t heard only one side of the
question. We were not advised OF
heir facts and data. They took snap
Judgment. We did not know how
much We we're to be hit or how much
we were to be hurt. We would rather
move the court house to Greenwood
than have the county divided.
Mr.. Graham, of Abbeville, who "a
vored the new county, said that the ad-
yocates of the county went about the
matter in business-like manner. We
have afidavits of competent surveyors
that old Abbe1ille has plenty Of area.
We have been paying Tor Their Lridges
for the past hundred years. They &C.
cuse US of not having Greenwood IN
the centre of the new [. uuLy. We
went for the business centre. We have
made Abbeville valuable, and If the
portion we want is more valuable Il
belongs to US. We have made 1t valua-
BILE Dy our enterprise ana push. We
take only about half of the railroad
mileage. Abbevllle never built roads for
Greenwood's benefit. They never Car.
RED them that way. Abbeville and
Greenwood are rival towns and they
are noG building railroads by our doors.
The first mention of the new county
was made by farmers living In Edge
field County and doing business in
Greenwood. Notice of this matter
came out IN the county newspapers
week after the project vas started.
MIR. Suddath, of Edgefeld, did not
think the new county would offer any
convenience to the people of Edgefeld
who were to be taken IN to Greenwood
There are said to be 1850 square miles