The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1907-08-21

more nor less, than a sly, court at
tempt to deceive the people into be-
lieving that this levy would be indefi-
mite if forced on them, as everybody
knows that bonds are issued for this
purpose when built by the county.
Your publishing that statement was
prima facia evidence that you thought
the people were ignoramuses and
could not see through the veiled in
sinuation. But, after all, are you pa
triotic and consistent in your course?
You denied selfish motives attributed
to you and divested yourself as fol-
lows: eve did not tell reliable
citizen at Lexington court house that
we would always be found fighting
the cutting of Lexington county 80
long as our bread and meat depended
upon the newspaper business" You
deny the above and substitute state
ment which is not plausible as no
stranger would have noted such an
innocent remark. Fortunately.
third party was present and you are
welcome to publish his version. You
know that neither of these gentlemen
would lie on you for the whole of Lex
ington county. Iquote from q letter
kindly written me by the reliable
citizen'' of Sandy Run whose identity
is at your disposal when requested:
'sHe (Mr. Harman) asked me if the
people in the proposed new county
were not very bitter against him on
account of the position he took in the
matter. Ireplied that they were not,
as far as I knew. He then said, being
a newspaper man he was obliged to
write as he had, but if he lived in the
proposed territory, he undoubtedly
would be in favor of the new county
and it would certainly be a dandy lit
tie county,"
1t is inconceivable to me, in view
of the above and your published at
tacks on the measure, how high
toned Christian gentleman's con-
science can sleep on an easy pillow
when practicing such dou5le-dealing
upon an honored citizenship. I leave
it to you to reconcile your 't'Dr. Jekyl
and Mr.. Hyde" tactics before fair
minded public.
Boiled down to legitimate analy-
sis, your position simply is that Cal
houn county would be a good thing
for you as citizen of Sandy Run but
you are selfish enough to deny that
advantage to those who live there,
because it pinches you commercially.
quote again: eve have never
contended that Calhoun county would
not be good county but we do not
wish to give up portion of our good
citizenship to help form it." All!
there is the rub. Then why not leave
the matter with them since you, at
last, confess that they are going into
a good and safe county with manifold
advantages and conveniences which
they do not now enjoy. I am truly
jealous of your profound devotion to
these people, of late. Though read
er of The Dispatch since a small kid,
7 had never known your sincere saf-
fection for them in such bubbing
way until the Calhoun proposition
bobbed up. The grand old "Dutch
Fork Hollow Creek, Batesburg,
Leesville and even Platt Springs must
now shift for themselves.
Yourswarm, editorial and reporto-
rial wing snuggles only the blue hens
brood, of Sandy Run, these days. No
gushing appeals to the "Fork' polit1-
clans to see that their grand section
gets it's due representation with heavy
II mill taxation; no tall, intellectual
timber now grows except on Sandy
Run; no rattlesnakes are now killed
elsewhere and the finest melons, on
earth, spring from her fertile soil.
You say that I "want Calhoun county
worse than child wants a toy" I
donot want it bad enough to sing one
song in the public prints for it but
chant an humble soliloquy in its favor
to private friends in order that I
might not lose Equine or comm"
You have clutched both sides of the
fence, with toes and fingers, so long
until it naturally strikes you very Pc
culiarly when you see man take a
bold, positive and aggressive stand
on any matter of public concern.
I have no apologies to make for be-
ing in the thick of this fight when I
think of the staunch and strong citi-
zenship of both counties who are as
anxious as myself for greater devel-