The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-09-11
THE NEW COUNTY ISSUE.

The election to determine whether
the proposed new county of Lee shall
be formed has been ordered by Cover
nor McSweeney after careful examl-
nation of the petition submitted to
him by the promoters of the new
county, and the election will be held
On October 22nd.
The boundary lines, as stated in the
petition, are given elsewhere in this
issue, and those interested can, from
this statement determine, without
difficulty, whether they are to be clt1-
zens of Lee, in the event of the estab-
hshment of the proposed county, OF
remain citizens of old Sumter.
TIE election will inevitably excite
intense interest and the feeling for and
against the proposition will grow in
intensity day by day from this time
until the election shall have been
held. There is a strong sentiment IN
favor of the new county and COM
pact, harmonious and intensely ener-
getic organization working to promote
this sentiment and to carry the plan
to establish Lee county at once to a
successful issue. There is an equally
strong sentiment against the new
.county movement, but up to this time
there has been no organization to pro-
mote and direct this sentiment efec-
lively, consequently the new county
advocates have plain sailing and easy
sailing in the present new county
campaign by reason Of the fact that
the opposition met with has been Of
individuals only, and it has been the
old story of organization pitted
against disorganization.
n Now, however, we are informed that
the opponents of the Lee county move
ment propose to organize and inaugu-
rate a campaign of education, the OBJ
iect of which viii be to place before
the citizens of the proposed new coun-
ty the disadvantages that will attend
the creation Of new county in as
strong and as forcible manner as the
advantages have heretofore been
brought to their attention. This
is as it should be, and no fair minded
man, be he for or against the new
county, will find fault with the course
adopted by those who are working for
and against the new county. This is
a free country and every man is
entitled to have his own opinion, to
express it when he sees fit and TO ad-
vocate or oppose any public measure
as his interests or sentiment may
dictate.
This being the case, and as the
Watchman and Southron circulates ex-
tensively in Sumter county and is
read by large majority of those who
are most directly and vitally interest
ed in the new county question we
make this propoition to those who
have anything to say either for or
against the new county;
We viii publish any article directly
bearing upon the subject that is fur
nished Us, the only conditions being
that the said articles shall be legibly
written on one side of the paper, shall
be coucbed in parliamentary language
and do not deal in persona lties, shall
be signed by the author, and shall
reach this Office on or before Tuesday
noon of the week it is to be published.
This offer is made because we wish
to deal Justly by all parties to the con-
test that we see is at hand, and be-
cause We desire to give notice in ad-
vance that all parties will receive the
same treatment at our hands. As far
as this paper is concerned we wish to
do our part in disseminating all posi-
bic information that the people should
have to aid them in arriving at cor
rect understanding Of the issues at
stake, the result that most logically
follow the formation of or the failure
to form the proposed new county.
We wish to place before the people all
arguments that can be marshalled for
and against the new county and ct the
same time to afford full and free op-
portunity to those who have some
thing to say to say it.
In our opinion new counties, and
smaller counties, in general, and Lee
in particular, cannot be regard
ed either as an unmixed blessing or
evil. The smaller the county the nearer
the people as a whole are to the seat
of government; and, as a rule, they
aye more homogeneous, their interests
are less diversi6ed and less conflicting
The average distance being less to the
Co,-t UoDse the mileage that must be