The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-08-10

gatlon ana quite a number of citizens
The act was discussed in detail. |
was asked for a statement Of the fin
ancial condition Of the county, which
| gave and when asked by the fore
man If the payment of the money
replied no.
Two days later the board met in
special session to consider the uues-
ton. We had with us all of our del
egation and quite "a number Of citi-
zens. / had read a paper prepared
by Purdy & Bland, stating that their
opinion was that if we paid over the
money as directed we could be held
responsible for so doing and that our
bonds would be good for the repay
ment Of same, should suit be brought
to recover it. Messrs. Clifton, Dick,
Belser, Noise and Strauss held oppo-
site views and advised that our DUTY
was to pay the money as the act di-
rected.
The board hestitated. we could not
decide what to do in face Of the con-
tiicting advice we had received.
Finally it was suggested that we ac-
cept bond from the gentlemen pres
ent which would protect the county
and ourselves from loss. A motion to
accept the bond and pay over to the
city the $4,000 was made and car
ried. A bond signed by Messrs. Man
ming. ODonnell, Jennings, Noise,
Strauss, McLaurin, Lennon. Osteen
and others was prepared, signed and
delivered to us.
The check was written by our clerk
signed by myself and handed to Mr..
c. M. Hurst. City Clerk. :, .e majority
of the gentlemen whose names are
attached to that bond are individually
good for more than $4,000.
Now, gentlemen, l have tried to
give You plain. concise statement Of
my connection with this question. 1t
IL easy Tor someone to say that l
should not have signed the check,
but j believe that any one occupying
my position would have done just as
i did.
AS your supervisor l say to you that
our county has not been crippled by
this act, neither will our road i'm
provement be retarded. We will
have ample funds to carry on the
county's business just as we have in
the past. Your taxes will not be rails
ed and unless something unforeseen
at this time. should happen necessitat-
ing an unusual increase In our ex-
penditures. We will not have to bor-
row money. / found the county ON
a cash basis when / became super.
VISOR 1t has been my and the
boards desire and intention to keep
it so and there is no reason why we
should not This appropriation
should not be called a gift, from
which We will secure no returns. II
is simply an investment which the
railroad will pay back in taxes in
few years. After the principal has
been repaid the railroad will pay, by
way of taxes, an annual income into
the county treasury.
AS Mr.. Pitts was concluding he was
asked if he would vote for Blease.
He said he expected to vote for Ira
Il. Jones.
County superintendent of Educa-
ton, j. III. Haynsworth, spoke briefly
on school matters and expressed the
confident expectation that in the
coming two years he would be able to
do great deal for the advancement
of the rural schools of Sumter county.
He also de Jared for Jones and
against Blease. when asked the qucs-
ton.
DIR. Geo. w. Dick. who has served
six years as a member of the House
was next called to the stand. DR..
Dick told of his work on the state
Hospital for the Insane committee
and asked his hearers to bear in
mind that time has proven that his
position on this question was correct
and that coming years will furnish
vindication of his judg-
ment. He discussed his record in the
House and gave his reasons for advo
eating various measures with which
he had been identified. He defended
his position in respect to the railroad
appropriation. He was asked how
he stood on the Jones' -Blease election,
and he declared he was for Jones and