The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1910-04-20
Col. .. ]. Nnotts On the
Issues Of the Day.

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| To the Editor of The Dispatch:
read with sadness and sorrow the
references in your columns of another
secession from our county Of portion
! of our citizens to seek the advantages
and blessings elsewhere they should
find at home. For Lexington to pre-
serve her present proportions and di-
mensions will require more than mere
talk and the filing of your columns
with dangers Of leaving us and seek
ing home elsewhere. A start and
aim at last to do our duty and show
to these dissatisfied portions that we
can give the redress and relief for
which tney sigh and an immediate eff
fort to show our good intent, is all
| that can save our territory intact and
prevent the invasion which is threat
ened and prevent the secession which
is impending. These people have a
right to be dissatisfied and we have
given them a just cause to lament
their grievance and to complain OF
our neglect. The southern and wes-
tern portions of the county have not
done their duty to the Congaree aid
Broad river areas of our county.
These people suffer under severe dis
advantages in struggle to make a
living. It is now too late to live in a
land of ferries and toll bridges and
toll gates-that day should be rele-
gated to the past. :.
In 1892 and 1893 when I represented
this county in our general assembly l
tried to do my duty ss L believed it
On this question and in your columns,
on the stump and In the legislature 1
struggled to try to prevent this same
collapse. introduced bill to buy
the old bridges or build a new one at
Brookland and making the tax heavi-
er on those living near and lighter on
those living farthest away. l Wrot"
several articles in your paper detail
ing the advantages of this course and
strived to show that the advancement
would outstrip the costs and expenses,
and in your columns and in addresses
l advocated the ultimate end of own
ing the Broad river bridge and build
ing at least one across the Saluda for
the citizens in the Fork to reach their
county seat without such expense and
delay. Your columns will show that
I feared then this same calamity and
offered this as the only solution OF this
question iii tt 9 future. I believed
tnen and do still that such a course is
the only riddance of this evil. be-
lieved then and do still that Lexing-
ton offers better invitations than Rich
land could extend to investors in nice
homes ada :ent to city life and city
business, and I contended that tho In
crease in valuable buildings and
homes in our county would soon Offset
the initial expense of giving these peo-
pie franchises, andbto lose this terrific
ry would necessarily cucumber the
remainder with an additional Increase
to meet our county government ex-
penditures. Just this neglect has al
ready given To South Carolina CAL
houn county. and to continue this
kind of political lunacy will still miil-
ify our size aud magnify our expense
OH the rest Of the county.
Columbia was once willing to 60 its
part in this river tariff and Lexington
should proceed to keep in lire with
progress whether Columbia does lis
part or not. I fear the time has past
for Columbia to do what She once
would have done. Let us assure Our
citizens that we are as competent to
care for our citizens as Ricbland is to
care for hers or for any additional ac-
cessions. Our county has great fu-
ture and we have goooly land or it
could not have so successfully COM
batted bad roads and these needless
burdens. We can't depend on the
chaingang and the convict camps for
good roads, tor the people need them
and the people should 60 the expense
to build them, and to build and equip
better academies and schools for our
future uplift, and we can get it In no
other way. Il change Of name will
rot assist them in these blessings and
will not arrive at verdict any sooner
or to any greater efficacy or right.
The free silver rage and other po-
litical dognas have had their day and
have played their hand and have re-
tired from the scene and we are learn
ing that the homely questions are far
mightier and far more momeDtous to
US and our future than these national
questions aoout which we hear so
much fretting in campaign seasons.
I'he time is near when Our politicians
will have to change their cry ard ad-
vocate the common place and trite
questions to our home life; such as
better roads, better schools, better
academies and better and more public
service, more respect for law and is
enforcement and Il compulsory system
of getting our children into oar public
schools. These are the uplifting, ad-
vancing. common sense and practical
questions Of our day and of our event
tul future.
To withhold these progressive ard
elevating questions and lose this ter
ritory from sheer carelessne:s and
want Of thrift and rebuild or keep III q
state Of pres servation these Chinese
walls Of Asiatic stagnat!on !s poor bus
mess and bad public policy. AS bus
mess question 1t Is L failure and as q
| public meastH Q it end, in lo-s and de-
feat finally. An extra levy will re-
| suit finally to tout our bills II r. 2'ie-
voGs &nd CALLING than the amounts
now needed to carry Oat this PROPOSE
! ton to ol;r peoples iuttre>t and we
! Will finally be driven 10 these ends in
| the finish or lose more territory 10 aG-
| jaceno counties and be finally left
! down to small estate Of the magnlfl-