The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-15
Lee CONNTY BILL
GETS A KNOCKOUT.
Vigorous Argument for
and Against.
WILL KEEP UP FIGHT
House Committee After Hearing Argu.
ment on Both Sides of the Ques-
tion Give an Unfavorable
Report Against Proposed
New County.


button of data the House Committee
on Counties, Cities and Towns yes
terday afternoon unanimously ordered
an unfavorable report on the bill to
| create Lee county.
There was vigorous argument in
favor of the bill and vigorous argu-
ment against il. Delegations from
| Sanford and Jonesboro and the terri
| tory in the area of the proposed coun-
| ty were here favoring the bill, while
delegations and speakers from Moore,
| Chatham and Harnett presented the
other side of the question.
While the speeches of the gentle
men in favor of Lee county were pull
lsating and throbbing one felt that the
| new county was the thing desired, but
when it's opponents told of the dire
results to come TO Moore, Chatham
and Harnett the wind shifted and the
mind went sailing on the other tack,
doing a mental about, face" stunt.
Pressing with fervor for the new
county speaker after speaker declared
mlno uncertain terms that If THIS Leg
islature did not grant the authority
forA new county the fight would go
on. we Will stick to it till we get
the lnew county, and either this Leg
islature or some other viii give it TO
us ahd grant the petitions of the pco-
pie seeking this was the declaration.
Chairman Alexander read part of
the dill and was then excused from
the tother part Mr. Femster, OF
Catawba, moved to limit debate to an
hour to each side, but before the
question could be put Mr.. Duncan
McIver, of Sanford, asked for q post
ponernent of the hearing. He was one
of the speakers for Lee county, but
having been called to Greensboro by
sickness of relative was not ready
to go on with the contest. Mr.. w. j.
Adams, of Carthage. urged that the
proceedings be continued and finally
after much debate argument was be-
gun, the Lee county advocates twit-
ting their opponents with never hav-
ing been ready before to go into the
matter.
DR.. w. ~. Munroe, of Sanford, open
cd the argument, and placing a map
iii front OF the com nittee began his
argument. Il can't hear YOU in
terposed Mr.. L. l.. Spence, who was
facing Dr. Munroes back. I'm talk
ing ito the committee" was the an
swer but to oblige Mr.. Spence, DR..
Munroe changed his position and then
went. hammer and tongs, driving
home his view OF Lee county as "a
good thing; saying that he expected to
Keep up tue USnl iii u new county
was created.
Dr.. Munroe, after pointing out that
the new county, with Jouesboro and
Sanford near lis centre, would consist
Of 29l square miles, taking 80 from
Chatham, ia from Moore and 27
from Harnett, giving 1,l56 polls and
$2l10.755 worth of taxable property,
a inet courty, capable of caring for
itself. lie spoke of the provisions of |
40 no l,4-
county Of irst portion of the en-
cumbrances of the o1d ores. and urged |
that no hardship would come to these, |
but that the new county was no |
ceSSity. for the people in its limits |
who Wcre put to trouble to get to |
Carthage TO coJrt and who wanted re-
lief fronI the present conditions.
EX-Judge 4. II. Womack was the |
first speaker III opposition, and spoke |
for Moore and Chatham. He agreed |
that TO the gentlemen living in the |
area 1T would be an excellent county, |
but q hurt TO Moore, Chatham Har- |
nett and the state He said he did |
not understand why the bill for the /
county, in one section required that |
q representative be taken from Samp- |
son and given to the proposed county |
of Lee, unlrsSit was to influence leg |
islatiom by holding out that q Demo- |
crat would succeed a Republican. This |
arrangement for q Representative he |
declared unconstitutional as a new /
census must come before represcsl- |
tatjYc could be secured. AS to popu- I
lation in Lee county he held that this
would mot exceed $500 population. |
and that it would have really only /
half enough people to give it Il rep
TeSentation AS to q comparison with |
Scotland county, that county had 55
percent. more people tlan Lee. He
argued that i'll the matter Of represcn-
tation Darham county and Mccklen-
burg county would In time have rep
resentattvcs taken from them if now
counties We're formed. His argument
was here directed TO the small size of
the proposed county, and that each
new county added to the cost OF Leg
tSlation, that at this season Of the
Legislature about twenty-five public
laws had been pGssed that each coun- |
~ cm3nt more local bills. The new
county would take one bridge from
Moore and one from Chatham TO keep !
III. II would be compact but to the
Of he counties from \
which area wolld he taken. Chatham
would stu have to keep UP 6 bridges |
and that Lee county would bc eeIf-
supporting he agreed. but this ot the
expense Of the mother counties. As to
taxes the new county would take az
per cent. of he railroad and telegraph
taxes OF Moore and Is per cent from
Chatham Not great in area but
much in taxation will be taken by the
new county. Lee would be self-sup- !,