The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1910-08-18
CONGRESSMAN J. o. PATERSON.

CONGRESSMAN J. o. PATERSON.
The Man with a Spotless Record
Praised by a Northern Writer.
J. E. Jones, writing in the National
Monthly, Boston publication, under
the head of Flashlights of Public
Men, speaks in the following COM
plimentary terms of Congressman J.
o. Patterson, of this district:
''The member of congress from the
second district Of South Carolina,
Judge James OH. Patterson, has
rather upset the popular impression
that a man in order to get congress
sional favors must belong to the
regular Republican organization. Now
while Congress Patterson is a
Democrat and got S,440 votes in his
district in the last election, against
ffty-eight for the Republican nomf-
nee, yet he has done what no Repub-
lican has been able to accomplish.
The established rule in connection
with appropriations for public build
ings is that they will be granted to
only cities of ten thousand inhabi-
tants or where the gross receipts of
the Office exceed ten. thousand dollars
per year; but Mr.. Patterson got ten
thousand dollars for site and fifty
thousand dollars for a building for
Aiken, South Carolina, which is
place of about four thousand popula-
ton, and with receipts running TAR
below the usual amount required,
and to top of all that has practically
arranged for free delivery. This Is,
of course, a local matter, but simply
goes to show what the right kind
Of congressman can accomplish by
keeping everlastingly after things.
There is delicious air of south !,
land about room 400 in the house
office building, and in. it I spent
pleasant half hour with Judge Pat
terson, while he told me Of his great
interest in the projects to drain the
swamp lands Of the Sonth. We are
realizing the greatness Of the irri-
cation projects in the West he said,
but it seems to be rather difficult to
make our people understand the
greater advantages that attach to
DRAINAGE problems. In the West, the
irrigations systems must be first in
stalled, and then it is necessary to get
people to come in and settle on the
lands; while in my State the peo-
pie are already there and the moment
the lands are supplied with satls-
factroy system cultivation begins;
and these lands are as valuable as any
of the lands that are being talked
about so much in the West. Judge
Patterson made a speech upon his
subject that attracted a great deal
of favorable comment among Con-
gressmen at the time and did much
to enlighten his colleagues in refer
ence to the needs of the South.
Judge Patterson has covered his
district with rural free delivery
routes. and in this matter as well
as in the instance cited Of the Aiken
public building has demonstrated his
ability to get things He has also
secured a soil survey for Saluda coun-
ty which will be Of great value TO the
AGRICULTURAL regions as 1t Will clearly
define the chemical and physical
value of the soil in the different
regions. and show conclusively the
kind of crops to which each section
is best adapted.
In the way of local legislation 1t
Is found that the Congressman has
heen unusually successful in securing
appropriations indemnifying suher-
ers from outrages perpetrated during
the Civil War, but in the broader
and more comprehensive field OF ma
tional affairs he has addressed the
house upon the subject Of the tariff,
and threw some hot shells into the
Republican camp in his argument
along the line that the opposltlon
was attempting to serve the interests
rather than the consumers OF the
country, while his speech upon, tne
Federal Judiciary System has oeen
circulated pretty well over the coun-
try. He elicits great applause 1rom
members of his party when ne ae-
clared that federal judges are tne
sappers and miners of desp
and characterized the system as
against the policy and principles .!
our government and of all clVlllzeo
nations because it places tne na
chinerv of the courts OF justice pe,
vond the reach of the poorest anu
hnmh1est citizen who seeks redress
for a wrong or remedy for an exist
ing evil o, ono NAV
ssNo matter how much one may
disagree with Judge Patterson upon tSot
his views, yet it is doubtless true tnae
the Republicans in congress malntal9
the highest respect for the ablilty ana
fairness with which the South caro- T
Ina member has presented his az,
enment from his party's standpoint.