Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-12-21
FOR PUBLIC RBLIEF.
Fairfield Wants to Issue
/. Road Bonds.
REMEDY FOR The CROP FAILURE,
Level Headed Business Men Have
Under Consideration an Idea That
Promises to Turn Widespread Dis.
tress Into q Great BenefactiOn.

tress Into a Great BenefactiOn.
Winnsboro News and Herald.
The mass meeting called for Saturday
was we'll attended by representative
citizens from all parts Of the county.
The meeting was called to order by the
election Of Major T. w. Woodward as
chairman, and ]. r. Curlee as secre-
tary. The object Of the meeting was
fully stated by Mr.. T. K. Elliott, at
whose suggestion 1t had been called.
He introduced his remarks by making
the following motion: That the citizens
Of Fairfield county take the necessary
steps to have the county issue from
$50, 900 to $75,U00 Of per cent. bonds to
be expended upon the public highways
Of the county. This motion being sec
onded, he then explained the conditions
that now existed that made 1t necessary
for the citizens Of the county to take
such action-a condition fully summed
up in the fact that a large per cent. Of
those present had come to town in a
mortgaged buggy drawn bya mortgaged
mule or horse wearing mortgaged har-
ness, that left a mortgaged home and
the road. The cause Of this condition Of
things, he explained, was due to the
fact that IS years ago the people Of this
county had set up cotton god which
they had ever since been bowling down
to. The cures for this condition he sug-
gested were both temporary and per-
manent. AS temporary cure, he sug-
gested the plan of issuing bonds for the
Improvement of the public highways,
which at this time would give employ
ment to the idle and provide a perma-
nent improvement that would save
more annually than the expenditure on
manent cure he emphasized the necessi-
ty of a change Of the present modes OF
farming in this county. Let there be
more small grain, more corn, more Of
other crops, and less cotton. In his Of
fetal capacity he said tnat he was going
to discriminate against the man who
planted too largely Of cotton and too
little Of the necessary food crops. So
far as he could he was going to use his
influence to get the people to plant one
third Of the land in small grain, one
third in corn and one-third in cotton.
He concluded with encouraging words
to all not to become discouraged, but to
be courageous, pressing on to overcome
their present depressed circumstances.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Elliott's talk,
which was closely listened to, A. s.
Douglass, Esq stated some Of the nee
essary legal phases of the issuance Of
bonds.
Mr.. D. L. Stevenson, Of Stevenson,
then took the floor and strongly opposed
going into debt. The crop conditions in
his neighborhood, he said, were not near
so bad as those reported from other
sections. Should the county be taxed
for anything it seemed to him it should
be to provide an abundance Of seed
grain with which the lands Of the coun-
ty could be sown. He thought the need
Of the people was to work, and thus
overcome the conditions that now con-
fronted them. At this point there came
several suggestions from various parts
of the house that the landowners did
not have the necessary means to pay
for the labor necessary to sow grain,
and that farmers were already so mort
gagged that it was impossible for them
to be mortgaged more.
Hon. Jno. D. Harrison, Of Long
town, next secured the floor, and the
picture of desolation he pictured in his
section was very dark. The crop had
been a failure on the river and on the
ridge. In his section the wind was
whistling through the corn cribs. Here
he told a pointed anecdote, calling for
immediate action. He favored the issu-
ance of bonds.
Mr. Daniel Hall, of Milford, here gave
a picture of the desolate condition OF
things in his section and expressed HIM
self as highly favorable to anything
that promised his people relief.
Mr.. Geo. H. McMaster here took oc-
casion to say a word in regard to the
warnings that he had given from time
to time against the planting Of SO much
cotton to the exclusion Of other crops.
Hon. Jno. G. Wolling followed next
with a picture of the condition in his
section and with strong approval OF
the proposed bonds, through under ordi-
nary circumstances he was greatly op-
posed to taxing the people.
Hon. John D. Mobley spoke next.
The condition of things in the Wateree
section as pictured by him was very
gloomy. AS a general thing he was op-
posed to taxes, but in this instance he
was in favor of the proposed bonds.
The next speaker was Hon. T. w.
Traylor, of White Oak, one Of the larg-
est landowners of the county. Unlike
the two previous speakers he was still
opposed to taxation Of the kind propos-
ed. He did not agree with previous
speakers that it would be difficult FOR
those who would work to get work. He
also was confident that every one who
had acted honestly the past year would
find no trouble in securing credit anoth-
er year. Those who would work could
get work and rations now, and those
who would not work now would not
work upon the public roads or else
where. He then spoke of the demorallz-
ing influences upon labor that worked
for the public or corporations, and also
emphasized the fact that all the labor
of the county was now needed on the
farms as farming operations covered
tho whole twelve months of the year.