The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-10-31
Constitutional Convention.
LARGE OR SMALL COUNTIES.
A KNOTrY AND UNSOIVED PROB
LEN.
Ex- Ex-CongressInan George ID. TI!mnh
Argues in Favor Of Small Counties
w. Q. McGowun Leads the Oppos'-


w. g. McGowun Leads the oppos'
ton.
The discussion in regard to large
and small counties was conducted IN a
becoming spirit, and thcrc WIS much
ability shown on both sides. Senator
Tillman and Governor Sheppard want
I'd to maintain tho log islatlvc symmc'
try by limiting the number of now
counties to bo created, but the sugges-
tion was not adopted, and it was
thought best to accomplish this result
Tilllnan and Capt. w. &. MCGOWAN
made the loading speeches on opposite
sides.
MI. Geo. ID. Tillman suid he never
arose to speuk where he felt So incapu-
bic o: doing his bost or the subject
justice, but ho would do his best. Had
he not beon SO thoroughly in sympathy
with the movement for these new
counties he would not have come to the
convention. He went on to say he
made no campaign, and was elected by
his people. The uniform support Of his
people for thirty-eight years had made
him feel that II he could serve them
he should do So He had twice declined
to be q candidate, but SO many of his
friends had so urgently requested him
to do so that he had felt compelled by
his duty as we'll as by his gratitude to
come here aud give what help he could
In the making OF good constitution.
He wanted to say that he did not come
to the convention to wound any ones
feelings, that he had no political aspi-
ratlons, no wires to lay or no pipes to
put down. "Sir," said he, with tho
true ring of eloquence. ~ am done
with public life. 1 have received far
more than my share of public honors
and am content. So no man hero can
anything | may say and any position
may take. lrepeat it, sir. | am done
with politics. My public life il behind
me-. Let mon Worship the rising rath-
or than the setting sun. and | will do
my best for a cause which has been
close to my heart and which has APP
poaled to my intellect since my boy
hood" 1t had bcen his pleasure to
devote g largo part of his life to polit
ical economy, sociology, ethics and
kindred subjects related to tho science
OF government. He did not feel that
physically or mentally there Is any
reason for his retirement from public
life, but he wanted to repeat it that
his retirement from public life was
permanent.
He went on to say that he regarded
this matter of small counties and self
government as of ovon moro cOnsc-
quence than that Of suffrage, for in
some way the suffrage matter would
regulate itself. The geographical
geological and hydrographical surveys
have agreed that the area of this State
is 1000 square miles. That is agreed
upon. II we make the limit to fifty
counties that would give an area Of
Al 10,
omethlng to the people. We are not
accustomed to tclling the people to
their faces they are fools. They know
what they want He challenged any
one to show that a single small county
had ever asked to be consolidated.
That was not the way things went.
The present area now was nearly 900
square miles. Colleton and Berkeley
have about 1000 square miles. We
have several counties larger than
Rhode Island and many nearly as large
bs Delaware. 1t is a singular fact that
for tho first ninety nine years after the
State was settled We have but single
court house in tho State oxcopt at
Charleston. That was what brought
about lynch and mob law and it was
tHls condition that led to tho ussassina-
Z IN of tho grandfather of Col. Thomas
Woodward, OF Fairfield. He could cito
cases In Edgetield that never went to
trial because Of tho delays OF getting
to the court and tho nnnOyancc5 and
loss OF going to court. In all the old
States the idea is fOr farmer to look
around his farm in the morning and
then 60 to the court house and attend
to business and return home before
night. That, he thought, looked like
civilization. The trouble in going TO
sat inn 1,t
had much to do with the reckless spirit
of many In Edgeiield county.
He wanted to know il thorc was OBJ
jection TO small counties, why not elect
the whole ticket OF Senators or NOM
bors on one general ticket. If you want
good representative government you
want the people TO know each Othor
II ls so easy for demugoguc or ras-
cal to pass among q largo constituency
but In small communities u representa-
tive cannot sail under false cOlors and
they hesitato to defy public opinion at
home. Now England, he thought, had
the bcstsystem Of government in this
c2untry.and he attributed this to their
email districts and tho close and inti
Hate. association of tho makers
%tth their conetituencies Their town
snip government, he held, has done
acceptable. NE ..'">r.: ",,,
Then he took up tho judicial phase
OF tho question and wanted to know
whether it was Wise or expedient to
make q wittiess 20 for miles from homo.
heglect. his business to go to court and
walt for woeka on II particularE case.
Notother: State, he urged, required,mon
to 10 40 far:und ct such Yexpense to nj.
tend court, He said. he bore Charles
ton no prejudice, bat was FREQ to admit
that when he was young he wes preju-
diced against that old city because OF
nor responsibility for the parish s}s-
tom, which he helped to defeat.
When South Carolina was orig inally
settied tho people went to tho coast.
and they secured the facilities of the
State and they grudgingly surrendered
anything to the up-country. Down to
tho close OF the civil war Charleston
mad ton Senators out of fortysix. and
six low counties had twenty-six. There
were forty.five Senators Until 1854 and
1865, when'cne additional Senator was