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

miles, tO IeSS tSSSsSSst 'taN<hoiN t'4NP>'~ -
than $1,000. 600. nor to smaller popu
lation than $1,000 Inhabitants
Sec. ) No new county line shall bs
run nearer to an established cour
house than 10 miles. Provided, tha
this section shall not apply to cour
houses located in counties not pro
posed to be dismembered:
Sec. 6. All new counties hereafter
formed shall bear a just apportlon
ment of the valid Indebtedness of the
old county or counties from which
they have been formed.
THE DEBATE.
Mr.. Gary took the floor and denied
that he and those with him were op
posed to smaller counties, as had beer
rumored about, but they did not wan
to see old counties destroyed. This /:
a matter of deep concern to my peo
pie. An enlightened self-interest wa:
the basis of good government. HI
wanted to tell them what the etfec
would be. He proceeded to tell how
the proposed scheme to slice Abbevillf
county would leave that county-lr
the shape of shoestrlng with the
court house at one end. Why destroy
Abbevllle county? She had always re
sponded to the call of her State in wal
and in peace. Is that an unreasonable
reouest2 He was not for saying any
thing against new counties. Their re
port simply put on limitations to al
low new counties and there was moth
ing to protect old counties.
Mr.. Otis was sorry that the friends
of the minority report had confined
their argument to only one section Of
the State. They all knew that II
Greenwood and Honea Path counties
were formed, the county of McCor'
mick would never be formed. he
went on to tell the effect Of establish:
ing Florence county wholly out OF
Darlington. They try to tell you that
it costs as much to run small county
as a large one. This is not so. He
then gave the figures as to Abbevllle
and showed that Florence's levy had
been below Abbeville's. Florence had
increased her taxable property. The
main difference in the two reports was
that the boundary line should not run
within less than 10 miles of the court
house. The geographical centre OF a
county was not the true centre. Look
at Richland. The real centre was that
most convenient to all the people.
There had been no complaint against
Richland's county seat.
Mr.. MCGOWAN thought better results
would be obtained by taking up the
majority report first.
A POINT OF ORDER.
Mr.. George D. Tillnan said that ac-
cording to all parliamentary rules the
minority report should be tabled and
then the majority report could be
amended by the minority:
The convention decided to take up
the minority report.
Sec. was amended in matter OF
phraseology only.
Governor Sheppard offered the fol
lowing as an amendment:
Provided. That the new counties
shall not be created so as to increase
the number Of counties above 5O-15
beyond those now existing"
He urged that some limit was nee
essary.
Mr.. Brice of York opposed this pro-
viso, but took the position that the al,
vision of an existing county should
depend upon all conditions area,
population, wealth, etc.
Senator TilIman moved to insert 62
instead of so, and spoke in favor OF
such change.
Mr.. Johnstone opposed any mere
numerical limit-though he thought
81 good number. He wanted an
equilibrium between the different sec
tions of the State. He said with 81
counties they could have 800 square
miles to the county. If they adopted
$50 square miles as the area limitation
thew would have 81 counties. If you
can take 500 you will have TO coun-
ties, % miles across and II miles from
the court house to the boundary. If
YOU have $50 square miles as the limit
of the area you will have 81 counties.
If you have 400 square miles you will
have 70 counties with the centre 10
miles from the boundary. They should
so arrange their scheme that, as the
State developed, no one section could
come forth and gobble up the control
of legislation in the interest of that
section. Now it is impossible to have
the size of the counties identlcally the
same, but they could protect the IN
terests of the old counties in the gen
eral assembly. All interests could be
given a reasonable protection If they
adopted as minimum limit 45O square
miles and $50 square miles as the max
i'm and as matter of fact there would
be only 100 square miles at the out,
side, and as matter of fact this would
be scarely more than fiftyin any case.
This would let you reach the same
figure practically as proposed by Sen
ator Tillman, not by an arbitrary tg-
ure, but by reason and by plan pre-
serving an equality to the people OF
all sections of the State. You might
90 further and have the requirement
that the people of the county could not
have new county except on certain
conditions.
Mr.. George D. Tillman was the next
speaker. 1t was subject near to his
heart and he made mastery speech,
commanding the closest attention OF
the entire convention. He said he had
never risen feeling more unable to do
Justice to cause or to himself. If he
had not had this smaller county mat
ter at heart he never would have been
member of the convention. He told
why he had come and how his people
had insisted on sending him. He had
no axe to grind; no end to attain; he
was done with public office; he was
done with that forever. ispublic ca
reer was behind him. New lights were
rising in politics. Men We're always
for the rising, not for the setting sun:
He was not conscious of any mental
decay, however. Therefore they could
understand that he was here advocat,
ing this measure with the purest mo,
o,,1l froy,o