The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-10-29


, little State in itself-a sovereignt
itself. Each has u legislature, a jud
ciary, treasurer and constable Q
it's own. Each township elects three
live or seven men called select-men 0
supervisors. We proposed to cal
them directors rather than com
missioners, because that name has
bad reputation, for through count
commissioners more robbery of the
people occurred than anywhere else
1t is proposed that these director,
should have control OF the roads, fer
ries and bridges, public schools, ap
voters OF the township.
We have township commissioners
now, but they are appointed by the
Governor at the suggestion of the
Senator and he ventured to say thai
half of the people didn't know who the
commissioners are.
In New England they know who the
best men are for overseers, who the
best teachers are and SO on and they
| appoint them and as consequence the
! whole people are so benefited that
they are the most progressive people
in political and Industrial affairs in the
world.
Mr.. Ira b. Jonss asked Mr.. Tillman
| viz wi p"i hViNC CApCuSC dDu
how his plan would work in sparsely
settled agricultural districts.
Mr.. Tillman said when he was boy
| going to school he attended town
I ship meeting near Boston. The peo-
pie all attended and took the greatest
interest in everything and wanted to
know how all the money was spent.
They got pay, but it wasn't much.
There were no leaks there. There's
no chance for stealing because every
body was interested and looked after
the finances.
When Ohio was first admitted there
was great fight whether to adopt
townships or county governments and
the township won by one vote and the
people OF Ohio attribute their wonder
full progress ard prosperity to this fact
as much as to anything else.
The Republicans in this State adopt
ed the township government in 1868
but had to repeal it the next year
because there were no townships laid
OFF. But later township lines were
laid oil.
He thought it would be cheaper
government and more efficient govern
mont. 1t would prevent embezzle-
ment.
AS to sparse population he said that
throughout the North there are MANY
counties no more thickly settled than
we are. II would cost no moro to keep
up roads and bridges with spare
population than with u dense one.
In our system our school commits
sioners go about and appoint their
friends and partisans as members OF
the school boards and they in turn
elect their relatives or friends teachers
Gn hn, III. \
with it. Is it right that the Cover
nor appoint partisan county managers
for our elections who in turn appoint
their parsisans ut the precincts
That isn't Democratic, isn't self gov
ernment.
He said that. at present we have
township commissioners, but that is a
top heavy scheme and is wrong, be-
cause the people ought to move and
take action to select it's township
rulers. That's Democracy as defined
by Jefferson. Our present system is
but carrying out the monopolistic
system now so prevalent in tho South
The officers are appointed, not elected
committee outlines it is to ALLOW each
township to be little sovereignty of
itself. There is a saving clause
allowing counties like Beaufort, for in
stance, to be excepted and continue
the county government scheme, which
he claimed was q failure. The foun-
tain head of authority started at the
capital, went to the county seats and
then to the people. 1t should be Just
the reverse. 1t is proposed to make
the Legislature recOg. lie the present
township boundaries and to require
them to bear the necessary expense
of county and State government such
as court houses, bridges, prisons, etc.
We don't propose TO abolish county
governments or keep the townships
from bearing the proper, portion of
the expenses of that and the State
government. 1t will be In the town.
ship and attend to the strict local mat
ters in their own way.
He knows of no method Of obtain
ing white supremacy in the State by
fair and honest means than from the
migratory habits of the negro. BY
lOcaliZing the election districts and
requiring to live in the State Two
years and the election district one
year, he believed this migratory habit
would disfranchise a large majority of
them, while the white men as u rule
are joined to the soil, but the bulk of
negroes are always hunting places
Wnofc Uney neeQn 10 WORK at all ana
they would be disfranchised. He
believed by his subdivision one third
OF the negro vote in South Carolina
would be done away with. Other
wise he saw no way how it could be
honestly done, unless women who
owned property were allowed to vote.
The most important duty it is pro-
posed to give these directors is the
making out the registration list of
voters. They would know who should
not be allowed to vote. Compare that
system with one man systcm-say for a
county like Edgefeld.
Our plan doesn't contemplate any
interference with municipal govern
ments. 1t is our only object to concen-
trate the energies and intellect OF the
backwoods people, so to speak TO en-
able the scattered country people to
hold their own with the town. 1t de-
centralizes the government. No one
man power there.
Mr.. Tillman had spoken for about
an hour and everybody listened with
great interest. In concluding he said:
In few years at the farthest |
will have disappeared from the stage
of action. Before | go, before quit
| public life, | would like to do some
! thing that would benefit our grand old
mother State for ages to come and If
| possible preserve my name from
oblivion. II knew ! had to be called
in the next ten minutes to give an ac-
count before the create GOd who created