The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-04-08
Ward Two Man Enters His
Protest.
HI WORK
Main and SOnth Harper
improvements.
Ward 2 Kicker Claims that Other Parts
OF the City Fail to Got Their
Rights.

EDITOR ADVERTISER, sIR:-Please
put mo in the Kicker's Column, for ]
am protesting against a recent action
of the Town Council.
L understand that Council by q ma
jority vote recently, decided that the
first act of the new administration
should be to expend some six or eight
thousand dollars on Main Street.
And pray what does Main Street SO
urgently need? 1t has already been
graded and macadamizei for nearly
two miles and would be considered by
the people who travel it bringing to
market their cotton and other produce
a good street, for it has q rock bottom
TO it,. But the favored residents say
that parts of it are too rough lrocky)
for a nice drive; besides, a portion is
covered with mud about shoe deep.
Laurens Street had mud this winter
knee deep, and that almost within a
sone's throw Of the public square.
While 1t may not bs used as much as
Main, it is an important feeder of the
town, being used by one of the best
sections of the county.
Then look at North Harper! Impor-
tant as Main and pays more taxes, re-
presenting as it does the cotton mills.
This street has been graded and ready
for The macadam. During the past
winter it was almost without a bottom.
In fact it was so bad right here in town
that we could scarcely get to the ceme-
terysto bury u dead.
Coupled with above Is another grand
conception 81 sstinguished Coun-
soilrprovi&ed it had Roneysto burn;
ED provided further, II 1t were not de-
.stined to become ayeritabla death
trap; Ills TO coastrucS a magnificent
steer bage ecpsiiug s~omeseight or ten
Observation-Disclosures across the ravine on
South Harper, at Whitten's shop, to
extend from hill to hill on a level with
the railroad.
And pray what does South Harper
want with a bridge? 1t too has been
graded and macadamized south of the
branch, and the short hill next to
town does not work up into mud. See
ing these things are true, why does
Council, as now constituted, persist in
this extravaganza and discrimination?
L venture to say that as individuals they
would not consider 1t good business in
their private affairs; then why should
II be in public affairs? They cannot
think 1t fair or just to discriminate
against certain sections or classes of
citizens; and it certainly cannot be
that that they are inimical to any par
ticular claes.
So then TO come down to the gist OF
the matter: What spirit is actuating
this Council, to cause it to act so I'M
reasonably, any way? lis it one of
equity and fair play9 A desire to speas
the peoples money to the best advan-
tages of all? Or does it smack too much
Of selfshness, or Of a spirit Of retalia-
tion or resentment for something a pre-
vious Council had done?
Yes, We do feel oggrieved, because
shamefully neglected so long. We are
~law-abid.ng citizens and should have
r ghts. TO be ignored invites opposi-
ton. Let Council build up the two re.
naming thoroughfares half as good as
Main now is and there will be no more
kicking. Out of the mud first, then
bouleyards.
The two projects above mentioned
Will cost some $14,oo0.O0 to SIG, 100000
and not a cent In the treasury that can
BIO r'ghtfnlly appropriated 10 that end
What will Council do? Why, borrow
money o fcourse. But perhaps one Coun
ell has no legal right to bind q succeed
ing Council, and a too fragrant violation
may DE contested. We plead for fai
play-nothing more.
In this article we disclaim any per
sonalities. The members of Council
are our friends, the personnel OF which
runs about this way: j.. G. Owings
Main Street; DIR. r. j.. Todd, Mail
Street; w. p. Childress, Main Street
Mayor Gray, little off, but property OF
Main Steeeti Clarence Babb, Soutl
Harper, which gets the bridge, DR.. w
Fl. Washington, we'll, he lives in q lit
tie side street way off in Ward 2 an
deserves nothing; and last and may b
least just now az a Counsellor, Is w. A
Watts, who is already reaping his re
ward Ia that while formerly one hors
suficed to bring him to town, it no,