The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-10-30
tors and lynch law in selfdefense.


field. was assassinated on the road.
The long travel to the courthouse, 80
miles away, was the trouble-the dan
ger in having large counties. That
should be fixed differently. Such
trips were expensive to the people.
The people must make laws to gov
ern themselves. They must do 1t
through representatives. Why not
elect every body by vote of the State
if you are going to have these big,
great" counties-60 or 70 miles across
to elect them as now, is but little
better If you want the people to get
the best men let those men be elected
by the people who reside in a small
territory in which all live. and all the
people know him. The representa-,
tives of large county are not careful
of going against the will of their con-
stituents ike those of a small county
He thought the New England people
were better and more wisely governed
than any people on this earth, and ne
attributed it to their township system
of government. 1t was close con-
stituency and representation. The
people knew the men. He might
enumerate many advantages of the
smaller counties. If it was desirable
to have large judicial districts, why
have but one2 Is it right, wise, pro-
per-is it liberty to have every man
to go to the expense ofatteuding court
till all other peoples cases are tried! :!
And, let me say, no other State but
South Carolina requires it. Just look
at the cost to the people. Our coun-
ties average nearly 1000 square. He
bore no bitterness to the old city by
the sea. He did, however, during his
early manhood, because of her parish
system, which caused her to control
things pretty much aer own way. He
had led the the fight against and de.
stroyed the system in the 1865 conven-
ton.
South Carolina was originally set
tied on the coast and at one time had
only SIX counties-Beaufort, Colleton,
Charleston, Barnwell, Sumter and Or.
angeburg, and had 26 senators out OF
that body's members, and until the
close of wal, and Charleston had ten OF
them. The up country then had more
than four times the population and
paid the bulk of the taxes. 1t seems
like poetic justice that the low-country
should experience a little of this equal
| itv now. There is not large county
in the State that would be willing to
see one foot cut off of its territory, II
left to it. The greatest exhibition OF
meanness he had ever seen was when
the question of reducing the area was
present to the people, the newest coun-
ties voted against it. Indeed enlght-
ened self-interest was the best, but
some people were so little and so mean
that thew couldn't come up to that
standard. and so he would say that his
friend from Abbeville should work up
to that Observation-Disclosures
using it. Uaughter.)
Georgia's average county acreage
was 42S square miles; Tennessee was
427, with provision pending to make
| it 3S5; Kentucky's was 31S; Nlrglnlas S
1888; none of the counties in those
States wanted to consolidate with any
other county. They held on to their
counties, to use a vulgar expression,
like death TO dead niger" All
there is in it is to allow the people to
govern themselves Give the people
chance, in Gods name-a chance
which they never have had before:
Therefore. he contended to allow
any section willing to erect its build.
ings and pay its expensesto form itself
into a new county. He said the ma
iority report had thrown certain re-
strictions around the methods OF form.
ing a new county. The other report
was fatally defective in all essential
particulars. He would; therefore
move to substitute the section of the
majority report on the subject for the
section of the minority report. The
parliamentary methods being employ
ed in this matter was new to him.
He was continuing his argument
when the hour for recess arrived:
At the night session Col. Tillman
concluded his speech, emphasizing the
points he has already made.
Mr.. w. C. MCGOWAN then took the
floor and made an able speech. He
said he confessed to some interest IN
the matter, as he was proud OF and
loved old Abbeville, now menaced on
all sides by at least six new county
schemes, all wanting to take parts OF
her territory. He said he did not think
Mr.. Tillman's arguments were borne
out bv the facts. There were now
great many conditions which he pro-
ceeded to speak of. He supposed his
venerable friend, for whom he had
the highest respect, bu, whom he be-
lieved was flying off at tangent now,
was as much interested in getting Nc
Cormick county as he was in having
Abbeville as she was.
Mr.. George Tillman stated that he
lived 20 miles from the proposed seat
of cCormick county, and had a rail-
road to get there, it was true, but he
had no interest in the county seat OF
the prosposed county.
Mr.. McGowan-But you are an earn
est advocate of it,
Mr.. Tillman-No, sir.
Mr.. McGown-Well, you are in
favor of it.
Mr.. Tillmau-I would vote for it.
There was further colloquy between
Mr.. MCGOWAN and Mr.. Talbert.
Mr.. MCGOWAN presented letter
from Maj. VIM. T. Gary: This letter
said: THE small counties of Georgia
have not been a benefit" that the ex-
penses of government had been in
creased; that the Offices yielded but
poor pay; that good officers could not
be secured.
He also read letter from Maj.
Hammond of Atlanta, which was
along the same line.
Mr.. MCGOWAN then devoted himself
to the discussion of the ten mile limit
matter. He thought this limit was
Just. They spoke Of Columbia being
right on the bank Of the Congree.
This was really the best argument on
he e;Sa Sup,,oca tho limit was not