The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-10-30

was uu6 W ILLS ldCG IudI tuo ohSOotoA
: of Mr.. Thomas Woodward, of Fair
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 it
through representatives. Why not
elect every body by a vote OF the State
if you are going to have these big,
great" counties-60 or 70 miles across
Ito 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 a large county are not careful
of going against the will of their con-
stituents like those of small county.
He thought the New England people
were better and more wisely governed
than any people on this earth, and he
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 one9 Is it right, wise, pro-
per-is it liberty to have every man
to 90 to the expense of attending 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 1866 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.
aneeburg, and had 26 senators out OF
that body's members, and until the
close of war, 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 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, If
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 enlight-
ened self-interest was the best, but
some people were so little and so mean
that they couldn't come up to that
standard. and so he would say that his
friend from Abbeville should work up
to that objective Observation-Disclosures
using it. Naughter.)
Georgia's average county acreage
was 423 square miles; Tennessee was
427, with provision pending to make
| it 1856; Kentucky's was 318; V!rglnlas
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 a dead Niger" All
there is in it is to allow the people to
govern themselves. Give the people
a 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. G. 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 by the facts. There were now q
great many conditions which he pro-
ceeded to speak of. He supposed his
venerable friend, for whom he had
the highest respect, but whom he be-
lieved was flying off at a tangent now,
was as much interested in getting Nc
Cormick county as he was in having
lAbbeville as she was.
Mr.. George Tillman stated that he
lived 20 miles from the proposed seat
of McC Cormick 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 it2
Mr.. Tillman-No, SIR.
Mr.. McGown-Well, you are in
favor of it.
Mr.. Tillman-I would vote for it.
There was further colloquy between
Mr.. MCGOWAN and Mr.. Talbert.
Mr.. MCGOWAN presented a letter
from Maj. VIM. T. Gary. This letter
said: 1.-THE small counties of Georgia
have not been benefit" that the ex-
penses of government had been in