The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-10-30

was to be found any law about the
! formation of the present townships or
| any formation about them. He had
| looked everywhere. He supposed the
negroes had the present lines drawn.
MIR. Johnstone spoke on the same
| fine.
Senator Tillman's question had been
propounded when section 9 of the ma,
jority report being proposed, section -
was called up in this shape:
Section 13 Each Of the several town
ships of this State, with names and
boundaries as now established by law,
shall constitute body polite, but this
shall not prevent the Legislature from
organizing other townships.
Mr.. Johnstone said he proposed to
offer an amendment that the legisla-
ture shall not be allowed to form new
townships nor change the boundaries
of those now existing.
Mr.. George D. Tillman stated that
this section gave him an opportunity
he had long been waiting. He was
glad to see that they were now
about to begin an era of good govern
ment. He proceeded to present his
views on the township government
system in mastery manner, com
madning the closest attention Of the
members Of the convention, and evil
dently making a great impression
upon them He said he hated the rad
ical rag of a Constitution the negroes
had given this State in 1868, and had
never made up his mind to read 1t
clear through, but they must do the
radical rag the justice to say that 1t
had accomplished two great things
the Inauguration Of the common school
education. This was one important
and Invaluable item. But there was
another, and he regarded 1t as Tar
more Important feature than education
This was the idea OF township govern
ment. crudely incorporated. Would
to God he had the power to plant the
acorns even OF township government
in this State. They knew nothing
about township government. Let a
man call in his neighbors to help him
and see the result Better officers
were secured. Each township should
govern itself with legislature of its
own. etc. Each township should
be a little sovereignty of its own. He
proposed to let each township govern
itself. He wanted three, five or seven
township directors elected. These were
to look after the roads, and all other
matters in each township. The people
would then have local self-govern-
ment.
Good government started with the
individuals; then extended to the town
ship and so on up. Our present system
starts with the capitol and spreads to
the county court houses where it dies.
New England has the best government
in the world as result of this system.
It was the expression of the peoples
voice tnat was obtained by such a
scheme. This was fine system of one
man power that they had now. If the
people of a township did not know
who to make their registration officers
and managers of election, in the name
of Heaven who did2
Mr. Jones asked him to express him
self on the matter of relative cost and
how it would operate in sparsely set
tied agricultural districts before he
took his seat. Mr.. Jones stated that
he was in favor of the system.
Mr.. Tillman said that the people
would look to securing the cheapest
form of government. But this they
left entirely to the legislature. In 1868
there was a law passed to divide the
State into townships and the Republi-
cans paid for the work. He believed
the lines were laid off and could be
found on the MAPS in the clerks office
in each county.
He would like to see any board of
township directors attempt to impose
at AK the people didn't want. AS to the
populations density there was no diff
ference. Many Northern townships
had no more population than we have.
All these considerations could be easily
adjusted.
Was it right to have the governor to
appoint three partisan commissioners
of election and 10 partisan managers
of elections? Do you call that self
government? Well, we have SUBMIT
ed to it, it seems. You seem to be un-
able to get along without this mono
polistic one man power. Let's try to
adopt township system of county gov
eminent. He said he would close as
he had begun, deploring his inability
to do Justice to this vitally important
subject. Taxes would bepaid pro rata.
One township would not be freed from
the obligations to other in the county:
Mr.. Johnstone wanted to know if
this system was anything more than
town government applied to a county
community.
Mr.. Tillman said a township govern
ment did for a whole section what the
town council of a town did for town,
and great deal more.
Mr.. Z. J. Kennedy was in favor of
it, bat he wanted to ask few ques-
tons.
At this juncture the hour for the re-
cess arrived, and the convention ad-
iourned until S p. m.
IN MEMoRIAM.
Before adjournment the Conven-
ton considered the resolutions offered
by Mr.. W. D. Evans on the death
Of Mr.. r. H. Hodges, late a member
from Marlboro. Eulogies were dellv-
cred by Messrs. W. D. Evans. Ellerbee.
Burns, Rogers, and B. R. Tillman.
The resolutions were unanimously
adopted by a rising vote.
NIGHT SESSION.
The entire night session was con-
sumed in discussing the matter of
township government. No vote was
taken on any branch Of the subject.
A SUBSTITUTE.
This morning the Convention again,
with great promptness, resumed con-
sideration of the township matter.
The pending question was on section
13, offered by Mr. Buist, as follows:
:. A.k1