The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-06-25
The New County Matter.

| ooiile udy, perhaps, the SOdS Will
smile on Fountain Inn, but for the
present we are having a run of mighty
bad luck. Not that we mind. espec-
tally. Our grin is still in place, and
as town we don't know what it il
10 be licked, put we are-well-say,
sparring for wind.
Woodruff, Cole Blease and Attor-
ney Welsh constitute hand that is
hard to beat.
Perhaps the cards were marked and
the game wasn't on the square, but
we won't say that-yet-because we
don't know.
When we presented our petition
to the governor, duly signed by one
third of the qualified voters within the
territory of our proposed county, we
were Informed by His Excellency that
| Woodruff's petition had been in the
hands of the attorney general for sew
eral days.
A week later we learned that Wood
run people were still circulating a pc
tition in an effort to procure the re-
quired one-third-and that caused us
to wonder
In short time dispatch was sent
out from Columbia stating that Wood
ruff's commissioners had been ap-
| pointed.
Yet 1t was several days later that
Woodruff made her expense-guaran-
tee deposit at the county seats-and
our wonder grew.
Meantime, upon one techincalty and
another, the governor postponed ac-
tion upon our petition until the way
was clear to issue a proclamation call
ing for Woodruff's election.
And now that Woodruff's election
has been called for July 10Th, the
governor turns his angelic. smiling
face to u.s. Let us demand what we
Will, to the half of his king ON, and it
shall be given us-anything, that is.
except chance to vote ahead of
Woodruff.
Some days ago l talked with the
most prominent citizen of Woodruff.
Said L; You fellows don't seem to be
paying much attention to the law
over there" The prominent citizen,
who is a very good fellow, laughed in
high good humor. "Why, no." said he:
I'VE don't have to. Blease is for us.
Personally, l have no use for the man,
but if he can get county for us, well
accept it, gladly enough"
And there you are, as McCarty says.
For the immediate present, unless
my Judgment is sadly in error, Foun-
tain Inn is out of the running.
Woodruff will probably fail She
takes only small portion of her ter
ritory from Laurens county, none
from Greenville or Union, but several
hundred square miles from Spartan
burg
First comes the election. Farmers
will have finished their work by July
10Th. If the weather is at all favor
able on that date there will be heavy
poll in the contested territory. And
two-thirds of the ballots cast are re-
quired to win.
No one who studies the situation
can escape the conviction that Enoree
county, with it's rivers and hills, would
be one of the most expensive in South
Caroline.
If the people over there, after
studying the matter, desire to accept
the risk Of increased taxation that
the rough nature of the country will
impose, and believe that the increased
burden will be amply compensated for
by increased political freedom, then /
say let them have their county, no
matter what the effect on Fountain
Inn.
In a democracy-lim or other
wise-majorities should rule. Sure
ly, II two-thirds OF the qualified vot-
ers to the north and east of us desire
a new county, no power under high
heaven has the right to say them nay.
Let the people form Enoree ooun-
ty, If they want It,
doubt their wanting it, but that
is merely opinion. July 10Th will tell.
After that date Fountain Inn will
lay her case before the people-al-
ways supposing that Woodruff fails
and then we shall GOO