The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-10-30
Sec. 4. No old county shall be re

miles, to less assessed taxable propert..
than $1,000, 900, nor to smaller popu
lation than Is, 600 inhabitants.
Sec. 5 No new county line shall b
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 hereafte
formed shall bear a just apportion
ment of the valid Indebtedness Of th'
old county or counties from which
they have been formed.
THE DEBATE.
Mr.. Gary took the floor and deniet
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 destroy ed. This il
matter of deep concern to my peo
pie. An enlightened selfinterest wa!
the basis of good government. Ht
wanted to tell them what the etfec
would be. He proceeded to tell how
the proposed scheme to slice Abbeville
county would leave that county-i1
the shape of q shoestring 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
request9 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.
Ir. 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 If
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 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. Tillman said that &C.
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. 1 was amended in matter OF
phraseology only.
Governor Sheppard offered the fol-
lowing as an amendment:
provided. That the new counties
shall rot 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 all existing county should
depend upon all conditions-area,
population, wealth, etc.
Senator TilIman moved to insert 62
instead of 50, and spoke in favor OF
such change.
Mr.. Johnstone opposed any mere
numerical limit-though he thought
62 q good number. He wanted an
equilibrium between the different sec,
tions of the State. He said with 50
counties they could have 900 square
miles to the county. If they adopted
$50 square miles as the area limitation
they would have 81 counties. If you
can take 500 you will have go coun-
ties, % miles across and II miles from
the court house to the boundary. If
you have 450 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 identically the
same, but they could protect the in
terests of the old counties in the gen
eral assembly. All interests could be
given reasonable protection if they
adopted asa minimum limit 450 square
miles and $50 square miles as the max:
i'm and as matter of fact there wo aid
be only 100 square miles at the out.
side, and as matter of fact this would
be scarcely more than fifty in any case
This would let you reach the same
figure practically as proposed by Sen
ator Tillman, not by an arbitrary fig
ure, but by reason and by plan pre-
serving an equality to the people Of
all sections of the State. You might
20 further and have the requirement
that the people of the county could moi
have new county except on certain
conditions.
Mr.. George D. Tillman was the mex
speaker. 1t was a subject near to his
heart and he made a mastery speech
commanding the closest attention ot
the entire convention. He said he hac
never risen feeling more unable to de
Justice to a cause or to himself. If hi
had not had this smaller county mat
ter at heart he never would have beer
a member of the convention. He tolt