The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1910-06-29
SHOULD THE FORK
40 70 R1c9LAED ?

To the Edit )r OF The Dlspatsh:
Some of the reasons presented by
the people advocating annexation for
wanting to 60 to Richland are: that
they are not recognized in Lexington
county; that the chaingang has not
worked in the Fork in TWO years; that
the only privilege they have is paying
tax; that Ricnland will give them
good roads, good schools, free bridges,
a good county government IN every
way; and, I suppose, make their des-
ert places bloom with roses. l have
heard red hot annexationist, one
who has accomplished great things in
his time, ascribe the backward aud
unprosperous condition Of the Fork TO
the fact that it was a part Of Lexing-
ton county.
Now will admit that the Fork has
not had a square deal as far as the
chaingang goes, for the chaingang has
been AZ Invisible in the Fork IN the
last two years, rs the tail OF HalleJ's
comet was on the 18th of last May.
Yet it is not just to put the blame On
Lexington county; for the Fork had as
much TO do with electing the supervl-
sor who has betrayed The trust you
placed in him, as any other part OF
The county; as be could not nave beeh
elected Without the support he re-
ceived in the Fork,
As tor the Fork not being recognized
by the other part OF the County, oe-
nv that as absurd in the Extreme. l
have heard men rip, snort and curse
about the Fork having no representa-
tion in the county government; yet
have never known man 10 run fOl
office, who was Fork man, but what
he was elected II he received a TAR
Support at home. I have meyer KNOW II
a Fork man who ran for Office and
was defeated but Wnat he attributed
his defeat to the tact that the Fork IL
Self failed to give him the support he
expected.
How about the great things Rict.
land will do for us? Has Kichland
promised not to tax US? Has Rich
land promised US free bridges? Has
Remand promised US good schools,
good roads, good government, aid
prosperity? Has any private individ-
u Il or public official, as the fact may
be, promised anything or pledged the
county TO do things teu. twenty, thir-
ty or nifty years hence? 1.say II any
man in Ricnland has promised any
thing or pledged the county to do any
thing one year or six months hence,
he takes tue people of this portion OF
Lexington county to be set of fools
who cannot see three inches before
their faces. How can Richland build
up schools III the Fork, when the line
which has been made cuts five out of
the eight school districts half i'll two?
It looks to me like we are ID lh3 way
of having no schools at all in the Fork
on either side of the line, rather than
having good schools on the Richland
side.
AS for the free bridges, do you
think you can get free bridges cheaper
or easier to 60 to Richland than TO
stay in Lexington? Could Lexington
and Richland, by concerted action,
build or buy the bridges sooner and
cheaper to each and every individual
than Richland can by itself? And
again would it nos be about as much
sense for part of Rlchland to come
to Lexington in order to get tree
bridges as for part OF Lexington 10
60 to Richland?
Lexin&onians, Richland don't want
you to give you schools, bridges and
rvads, nor anything else coming your
way. Richland has higher, nobler
and more sublime object in view; she
has an axe to grind and she Wants
you to help turn the stone. What Is
that axe? Colunlbia-which is practi-
cally Richland county-is ambitious
to become winter resort for nortu-
ern tourists. she IL striving to get
this patronage by every meaAs possi-
BILE. She, as Jhe now powerful lactor
in the county, is advocating The e.
tabhshlng of automobile roads Lead
ing out from her Iii all directions. In
deed it has been rumored That Rich
land contempiates bonding the coun-
ty tor fYe or six hundred thousand
dollars to pave those roads around
Columbia in order that the rain and