Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1895-10-30
SOMETHING NEW UNDER
THE SUN.
Uncle George on Township Gov
ernment in the Convention.

mate, Chief Justice Dow, of New
Hampshire, had written him a
rather philosophical letter, in
which he said he agreed with Pope
in saying whatever is is right"
Looking back over the past the
Radical Constitution has done two
things that may prove blessings.
The first is the seed for q common
school system. Before the lwo-
mill amendment we had misera-
BILE school system. The Republi-
cans submitted and the Demo-
Gratis supported it, most of them
reluctantly. 1t is growing year by
year and it is full of promise, of
hope for our people. That is one
important item that can be charg-
ed to that Constitution, and there
is another of more Importance
perhaps. He regarded township
government as the most important
thing 10 be provided for. He
wished he could only present the
subject as it should be. If he
could induce the Convention to
plant. only the acorns, or nurture
the seeds the Republicans planted
for township government he would
be happy to have it as his monu-
ment. Here nothing much was
known as to township government.
1t was based on the sovereignty of
the individual and calling togeth-
er of neighbors for government,
The New England States had ideal
township government. Each town
ship, SO to speak, had a legisla-
ture, a judiciary, treasurer and a
set of officers of its own. The
word commissioners had rather
offensive meaning in his section.
1t was through this office that the
leaks occurred. The word COM
missioner was too general any way.
The committee provided to call the
township officers as directors.
They were to run the affairs of
the county, even to making cut a
list of the registered voters. He
was afraid to make it mandatory
to start township government. He
wanted the system of government
to start with the individual and
not at the Capital, and then scat
ter out and fritter away. The svs-
tom was i'll arranged here. The
"selectmen" iu New England knew
how 10 get the best out of the
money, they knew who ought to
vote, they knew the best teachers,
the best builders and so on.
Mr.. Til,lan went Oh to say that
when a boy Of 18 he was invited
to a public township meeting near
Boston. There the clerk read the
proceedings of the boald. They
wanted to investigate how every
dollar of their money was spent
and how their taxes stood.
These "select men" are paid, no
one is expected to work for the
public for nothing, except the
members of the Convention. There
is no chance to steal. They are all
interested in every school house
and bridge and know exactly what
is going on and where the money
is going to. When Ohio was Or
ganized as a Commonwealth the
township system won by single
vote and the old settlers attribute
their success to this system and
all the other Western States fol-
lowed. The township system puts
the citizen on the alert and makes
him careful.
When the Republicans got con-
troll of the State they provided
for township system. 1t was
adopted in 1868, but repealed at
the next session. There had been
no division Of counties. 1t was a
failure, but townships were estab-
lished and every county was sur
veyed. He, too, admitted moi
knowing whether these townships
were ever recognized by the Legis-
lature, but he believed that they
were all recorded. He went on to
say the fact should be remember
ed that there was no chance of
stealing under the township sys-
TEN. AS to sparse population,
there are many counties in New
Hampshire and Vermont and 9TH
sr States that have no denser pop
ulation than we have. Our town
ships average about thirty-six
square miles. 1t costs no more to
keep up bridges, or schools, or
even to support paupers under one
system than another. He said the
common schools here would nsver
get to be what they ought to be as
long as the present system was
maintained. 1t was not Demo-
cratic or right to have the Cover
nor appoint commissioners of cleo
ton. We submit to this 1nonop-
listic system of government, and
he did not know how to account
for the condition. The North
would think she had no govern
ment if she did not have town.
ship system and we are content to
live as we do. He begged the con-
vention to get out of the old rut.
Township governments educate
the people in their rights and du>
ties. He did not believe such a
.-.+o,>o ,,,o,il ooof lo1c n, .o,,ol