The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-08-03
The Rev. J. A. Sigh.

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attention.
The Rev. J. A. Sigh.
The Rev. J. A. Sigh, in introduce
ing the speakers, spoke of the press
ing necessity for better roads, and Of
the heavy mad tax which the farmers
are paying, saying that this mud tax
was the heaviest tax which they were
now laboring under. So, he said, all
were in favor of good roads, and the
/ question was the best method of get
ting them. Some said levy an annual
tax and some said vote bonds. It was
an important question and it was to
! be discussed here this afternoon, with
the people as the judges. He hoped
that no, prejudice nor any politics
would enter into the discussion, and
that the people would not jump at
hasty conclusions, but would make up
their minds after thoroughly study
! ing the question. He was very much
against the bonds at first, he said, but
he had been studying the question
since, and had found that there was
merit in what was being said on both
sides of the question, and he was now
at a loss to know how to vote. He
had said he would vote against the
bonds, but in that he had done him
self an injustice, because it was not
an intelligent decision. He. did not
now know how he was going to vote,
but was going to make up his mind
after weighing the matter and care
fully considering it from every stand
point, and then he was going to vote,
as he hoped all the people would vote,
for what he considered the best inter-
ests Of the whole county. Mr.. Sigh
said he had been very much impress
ed with the remark made by small
farmer to him recently. The farmer
had told him that he was going to vote
for the bond issue, because it was the
first opportunity he had ever seen for
the small farmer, who pays little tax
es, to get something for nothing.
"You and l." said Mr.. Sigh, twill
pay very little, and yet the people in
!the country are the ones who use the
roads most" Mr.. Sigh said he was
opposed to a two-mill annual tax, be-
cause it wouldn t amount to anything,
bringing in only a few hundred dol
lars. to be frittered away.
Mr.. Sigh said that he was, OF
course, in favor of enforcing the pres
ent law while the present law remained
| To 60 on as the county was going
on at present, said Mr.. Sigh, was sui
cidal. After awhile We would have
no roads at all.
: Mr.. Sigh said he was going to lis
ten carefully to the speeches and read
what was written by both sides on the
question, and then make up his mind
after carefully considering it.
: He introduced as the first speaker,
Hon. Cole. L. Blease.
Nh. Blease paid very pretty trl-
butte to the Rev. Mr.. Sigh, telling OF
when, as a boy, he first knew Mr..
Sigh as friend Of his fathers, and
how Mr.. Sligh's political campaigns
and services to his county had first
inspired Mr.. Blease with political as
pirations. He said that Newberry
county owed more to Mr.. Sigh than
to anv other man in it. It owed him,
he said, freedom Of fair discussion
of all questions. Mr.. Sigh had rals--
ed his voice for government by the
people six years before the great ne
former was ever heard Of. Mr.. Sigh,
he said, was the first man in South
Carolina who had ever raised his voice
! in the halls Of legislation for the high
er education of women in a separate
college for them, and while Tlllman
was the father of Winthrop, it never
theless was the direct result OF Mr..
Sligh's efforts before Tillman took,
hold Of the movement. He hoped the
day would come when some man would
write the true history Of Mr.. Sligh's
life, and when it was written it would
compare favorably, not only for his
services to this county but to the
State Of South Carolina, with that of
any other man who had ever lived
within her borders.
Mr.. Blease said he had been drawn
! into this roads discussion because he
! in the newspapers had asked certain
questions Of the commission on differ
ent occasions, which questions he
lid