The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1906-04-04

and the people do the thing right, taxes
or no taxes, from the beginning.
Seventy-flve thousand dollars will
macadamize three highways for a dis
lance of eight miles from Fountain
Inn. The extra expense of running a
new county would perhaps build five
miles of permanent road each year. If
Fountain Inn people and the people in
the proposed new county territory
must have their new county they
must have it. We would regret this
step because we think that at this time
and in that locality a new county would
be a waste of money-but we would
not interfere if we could. Neverthe-
less, we are sure that the shrewd,
level-headed men of the best rural
communities in Laurens, Greenville and
Spartanburg Counties will consider
well and not be led into hasty action.
A new county will cost money-not
one year but forever and all through the
years.
In this instance, is it worth the
money?
One other point: a court house and a
Jail do not constitute a city. The
court house town is not the leading
town even in all the counties of this
State. In such counties as Dorchester,
Chesterfield and York the court house
towns are smaller than Cheraw, Sum-
merville and Rock Hill. In Oconee,
Plckens, Lexington, Beaufort, Will
liamsburg, Barnwell, Edgefeld and
Marion the court house towns have lit
tile advantage over other towns within
their borders. A few years ago Clinton
wished to have a court house but was
too close to Laurens for a constitutional
county to be carved out. Meanwhile
Cinton's population has come to be
nearly as large a that of Laurens.
Fountain Inn town might pay dearly
for a whistle OF buy a gold brick.
A hundred years ago a court house
was a good stake to build a town
around. In these days a mill or college
is better and pays larger dividends.
CThe following communication, by
accident, remained in the post Office
here, until too late to publish in last
weeks ADvERTIsER:)
AS TO JUDGE THOMPSON.
The Herald of last week contains
this card from "Non-Factional:"
"Now that the candidates have be.
gun to- announce for the different of.
fees would it not be we'll to suggest
that Judge o. G.. Thompson, who has
been a faithful public servant in deed
as well as in name, be allowed to sue
coed himself as, in all probability, be.
cause of declining health, he will not be
a candidate again. This is said in nc
disparagement of others, but in simple
public life have had so little friction in
the administration of law. In view of
his age and the chances of physical de-
cline, many people, without regard tc
faction, would like TO see this faithful
public servant given another term with.
out opposition. 1t would be q compli-
ment well deserved, and a graceful act
to an efficient officer and a battle,
SCARED veteran to let him go over with
out opposition"
1 wish could have signed my name
to the card under "Non-Factional."
am writing as a former Laurens man,
not as a newspaper man. l do not know
who, If any one, will offer against
Judge Thompson and / have always
been opposed to him in politics but for
the reasons given by "Non-Factional''
and because he was a brave soldier |
guess would vote for him this year if
could have the opportunity.
The former factional differences
ought not to have cut any figure in the
election of county officers except lepis-
lators. What matters it whether a
"Tlllmanite" or an "Anti'' or Prohibi-
zionist or D~ispensary man be the officer
to pass on the validity of wills? A high
license man may be as good a clerk of
court as a Dispensary man or a "Has-
kelite' might be as good a sheriff as a
"Conservative' or a "Tillmanite"
might or might not have proved better
than either. The truth is that the less
active in politics an administrative or
judicial officer is, the more efficient ne
is likely to be. Judge Thompson has
proved his efficiency and we hope that
Laurens county will always choose good
men regardless of their fractional or
former fractional alignments.
w. w. BALL,
Charleston, S. c..
Among the good men who have been