The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-10-31

1
the world why this power should b.
, given them.
. AS to our school system it was /,
about rs good condition now ~ coult
be wanted. The objections to elcctlnl
the commissioners apply to the plan o
of electing the school trustees.
He took another view of the argu
ment and held that these provision.
had no business hete, because /: it wa
not expressly prohibited tho Legisla
ture in its power could establish the
system If it wanted or the people
demanded.
Mr.. Parrott: Was the present sys
TEN Of tho county government author
izcd by constitutional amendment p
Mr.. Wilson said not but that the
hands OF the Legislature were simply
united.
lie argued thut Mr.. Tillman's plan
was an uncertain thing In tho South.
1t had never been tried md let ,is not
make uny such serious experiments.
Leave it all to the Legislature to take
care Of the rights OF tho people. Ho
moved to lay the section on the table.
Mr.. Otis one red tho following ~ O.
substitute:
" Zach OF the townships of the State
with names and boundaries as now Or
hereafter established by the General
Assembly y shall DO body polite and
shall provide uniform system Of local
government for tho same. and require
| each township to contribute its prOpOl'-
| tional part Of the proper expenses Of
an etiiclcpt county and State govern
mont"
MIR. OTIS In explaining his substitute
aald we simply proposed to carry out
Democratic government Us endorsed
by Jefferson. He granted that oOndi-
tions in Now England were different.
but the system has boon tried In new
States In the Wost and was found ~
work all right 1t is nothing new.
Mr.. Wilson bogs the question when
he states that we are trying to make a
county out of every township. Suppose
some township wants to have a special
school lovy that would not do for tho
whole county, why can't 1t bo allowed
to do so?
He held that tho racial conditions
had much changed and he believed
there would be Il greater one by Janu-
any, 1896. As Il matter OF fact the ne
grOea now controlled no county in the
State savesone. 1t is notorious fact that
tho Old county commissioner system
was failure, and while tho present IL
III Improvement it comes far from
meeting the expectations of its friends
It, is hard TO place the responsibility
for anything. The commissioners and
the supervisors always put the blame
ON each other when anything goes
wrong. As to the dobt there will DO
no trouble about that, because it Ia
proposed to Tx 1t so that the township
as Il whole shall bo responsible for
Bonerat county expenses such III debt,
poor houses, etc.
Mr.. Buist Expressed surprise at Mr.
| Wilson being 80 earnest against town.
ship governments. Only the other
day he was just III earnestly adv0oa-
ting the compelling Of tho incorpora-
tion OF factory towns.
Mr. Barton offered the following
substitute:
. Each OF the several townships OF
this State with names and boundaries
as now establised by law, shall consti
tnto body polite, but this shall not
| prevent the General Assembly from
organizing other townships or chang
ing the boundaries Of those already es-
tablished and the General Assembly
may provide such system of township
government as they shall think
proper"
| Mr.. Buist said this had some good
features but he preferred Mr.. Otta
amendmett
Mr. Cooper stated that in tho town
ship in which ho lived in Colleton
County there wore two negro freehold
ors to one white.
Mr.. Buist said it WIS 40 provided
that such counties Gun be excepted
from the operation of the law.
Nh. Parr0tt took the position thnt
the present system Of county govern
mont gave the State exactly what
officers the supporters of the township
system wanted.
Mr.. Burns announced that he was
for the amendment. He said tho old
State government founded on slavery
could not be used for FREQ govern
mont. We are trying now to main
tain Il system Of half slavery. 1t can't
be done Instead of piling conditions
on negroes which involve free white
| men. he favored throwing opon tho
take negroes away and leave room for
white laboring men to come in and
| find local governments In which they
could have part and in which they
could fool themselves free American
citizens.
Mr.. Bowman said no could enact
nothing to give the people local self
government better than, this schome.
When directors are elected In town.
ships each officer is under the eye and
supervision OF the people directly. II
will bo an education to the young peo
Pile IL will be an object lesson to them
in oho art OF government. As to the
question OF expense, II tho people are
convinced that expenses are reduced
by|this system they will favor It, be-
ruuse their rhi)0ron will ha hatter ad.
ucated and roads win be better. After
tho suffrage plan is adopted thore will
be vcry little danger from the negro.
----sas1s- -ga.ee--------.
The worlds record for railroad
speed over II great distance has been
brokon to-day by q special train on tho
L.ako Shore and Michigan Southern
ltaiiroad, which raE from Tenth
street, Chicago, to Buffalo Creek, Buf-
falo, distance OF 5l0.l ailes In 49,
minutes and seconds. an average