Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-10-25
THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
Some Spirited Tits Over the Formation of
New Counties.

counties was continued on Iuesday
and Wednesday. The fight was ho'
and interesting but taken all in all II
seems that the spirit Of compromise
prevailed. 1t was agreed that no old
county should be reduced below 5O(
square miles, that no new county
should be formed with less area thar
400 square miles, and that no new
county line should run within less than
8 miles of an old county seat. The frs
two propositions seem to have beer
practically settled but the probability
is that the Smile provision will come
I'D again on the third reading.
TUESDAY-THIRTY-S DAY.
In the opening of the debate, Mr.
Ira B. Jones, small county advocate
moved that the convention take up the
majority instead of the minority re
port, so as to simplify matters. Mr.
Talbert agreed with this view. Mr.. r
B. Gary said that this was nothing bu'
a flank movement in the interest O
smaller counties, and moved that MIR
Jones's motion be tabled, which wa:
done by vote of 63 to SO.
Mr.. Prince wanted to amend section
l so that an election on the question
of organizing a new county could only
be called on a petition of one-third o.
the freeholders in the area to he incor
porated. Senator Tillman thought al
free white voters should have a voice
in the matter, and moved TO table Mr.
Princes motion. The motion to table
was agreed to-63 to Sc, and the pro
vision leaving the matter to one-third
of the qualified voters was allowed te
remain.
Mr.. G. D. Tillman replied to the
speech of Mr.. MCGOWAN of the night
before. He said that the letters
read by Mr.. MCGOWAN against small
counties was written by citizens o.
Atlanta and Augusta, who did moi
know anything about conditions in the
backwoods sections, and that the pau
perism of certain Kentucky counties
was caused by vendettas rather than
by the small county system. He
said Mr.. MCGOWAN ought to have been
ashamed to bring forward such argu
ments.
Mr.. MCGOWAN said that he was not
accustomed to doing things that he
was ashamed of, and backed up his
previous remarks by reading the fol-
lowing utterance of Governor Brown
to the Georgia constitutional conven'
tion of 1877:
"There is a considerable number o.
counties in this State now, | believe
about 1877. There are number O.
them that do not pay rs much money
into the treasury of the State as they
draw out. They do not pay a dollar
of the public debt, nor the expenses o.
the government, nor even as mucf
money as the government is compelled
to pay out on their account. This
matter of making up counties has gone
far enough"
Mr.. Jones made an effort to secure
the adoption of the small county sec
tion of the majority report, without
change or abridgement; but failed.
Mr.. MCGOWAN moved TO amend sec
ton 2 so as to require two-third:
majority instead of bare majority oI
qualified voters for the formation of 6
new county. Mr.. Otis moved to Ia
BILE; but the amendment carried-58 tc
7S. Messrs. A. H. White and w. B
Wilson voted to table. Messrs. Brice
Ashe and S. f. White voted no.
Mr.. Brice wanted to give the legis
lature power to change proposed coun'
ty lines, or refuse to establish new
counties. His motion was lost.
Mr.. Wilson wanted to strike out Of
section 8 the provision requiring new
counties to have an area of 400 square
miles. He said the town of Rock Hill
had 5000 population and nearly q
81 100000 taxable property. If no old
county is to be reduced below 500
square miles, there would be only 300
square miles left for her, and she could
never get a county seat. He did not
believe in the injection ofsectional feel
ings; but he had noticed that Charles
ton had always voted against new
and she did it seemingly for
fear the up section would gain too
much influence.
In answer to a question by Mr..
Glenn as to what limit he would put
around old counties he said he was
willing to give them $50. If the 10
mile limit was inserted Rock Hill could
not take the pan handle Of Lancaster,
that county would be willing
for it to have it. He did not believe
therefore in any ironclad rule.
Mr.. Prince said that Mr.. Wilson,
while he held that we should only
legislate for the whole State, yet the
burden of his whole speech was in ia
vor of Rock Hill. We should not
take off the bride entirely and let the
legislature form q new county when
ever it was asked for. The area
should be limited or we will have the
nuisance of senatorial districts.
Mr.. Barker, who had been out, ask
ed if Mr.. Wilson had asserted that the
whole Charleston delegation were op-
posed to the formation of new counties.
Mr.. Wilson replied that he had stated
that on every vote taken Charleston
had indicated such a disposition.
Mr.. Barker said that that was not
true. Charleston had no interest in
The matter, and he thought it improp-
er for any gentleman to appeal TO the
prejudice against Charleston.
Mr.. Wilson went on to explain that
be was answering an argument made
by Mr.. tombstone, Monday night, and
none of the Charleston delepates had