The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1896-09-02
70 the Voters Of Lexington County.

I am credibly informed that my
competitor, Mr. Lewis Langford, has
spread over the county the report
that if I am elected the long bridge
over the factory pond, between Lex
ington G. Fl. and the depot, will be
thrown on the county and thus en-
tail heavy expense on the tax pay
ers, and he assigns as one of his rea-
sons that my father, Maj. Meetze, is
a large stockholder in the factory
(S5,0OO) and through his influence
over me, this result would be accom-
plished.
Now for the facts. Neither my
father nor any member of his family
own one dollars worth of stock in
said factory, nor is be the counsel for
the company. So much for that.
(See Mr.. Roofs certi6cate.)
The Board of County Commission.
ers which preceded the Board on
which Mr.. Langford served had given
permission to the factory company 10
raise their pond over the road leac-
ing from the village to the depot,
covering it ard the bridges thereon
ore over the creek and another
over the branch near by-by build
ing a bridge at their own expense,
which they did When the Board
of which MIR. Lapgford was a mem
ber, came into Office this was an
open question, and be, with s. i
Smith and P. II. Caughman, entered
into a contract with W. ?. Roof,
President of the Lexington Manu-
featuring Company, in which it is
stipulated that the county was to
keep up Sc feet of said bridge, the
exact length Of the bridges over the
creek and branch. and the factory
company was to keep up the remain
der of the bridge. The whole bridge
is 4S9 feet long, or in more exact
terms Of the contract, the County
Commissioners were to keep up the
whole bridge, keep an account OF the
expenses and at the end Of the fiscal
year the Manufacturing Company to
pay the county in proportion DIS 56
is to 3S3-in other words, abount
one sixteenth was to be paid by tie
county.
The original contract is on file in
the office of the County Commission
ers, and it is also recorded in the
office of the Clerk of the Court.
This contract is binding on the sue.
cessors of the Commissioners and of
". 2. Roof, President of the Lexing.
ton Manufacturing Co So far, this
looks favorable to the county, but
how We come to another portion Of
this contract: That if the Manufac-
turing Co.. at any time it desires, on
thirty days notice to the County
Commissioners, may fill in this
wooden bridge with dirt, thus max.
ing a dirt road three feet above
high water mark and fifteen feet wide
at top, and the County Commission
ers, upon such notice, agree to bui,d
abutments on each side of a space of
seventy-6ve feet, so as to hold a
bridge to be put thel con, and also
wings to hold the dilt from sliding
into the weter-56 feet of said
bridge to be paid for by tie county
and 10 feet by the Manufacturing
Co., and the said company further
agrees that if it shall be necessary to
place a bench under the span of IS
feet, it shall be done at their ex-
pense. Now this being done then
the county assumes forever the ex-
pense Of keeping up, not only this
bridge, but the entire road way of
414 feet in addition, and the factory
company also agrees to repair said
dirt way if it should be effected by
the water.
No, no, Mr.. Langford, if I should
be elected there is no danger of my
fixing this load on the county, the
Board of which you were a member
have already, by the contract, tied
my hands and the hands of the
County Commissioners, and you have
fixed this matter beyond their con-
troll.
It is painful for me to thus appear
before you. To all my competitors
have endeavored to be courteous and
kind, and l am sure that not one of
them can say with a truth that [
have uttered the faintest whisper
against either of them. Idon't want
office if I can't get it honorably, but
would be untrue to my friends and
10 my own manhood if did net, in
his public manner denounce these
statements of Mr.. Langford as false