Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1913-03-12
A Statement From Supervisor
Edmunds.
To the People of Edgefeld Coun-

uuSC oO w iildh w SliO Si@Au July
aud the presentment of the grand
jury of Edgefeld county and after
Illuminating thereupon," as Bill
Arp would say, l feel it my duty as
an officer of said county to give an
account of myself.
First, let me state that l have di.
vided the handful of prisoners left
between MIR. G. P. Sawyer and Mr..
M. A. Walker. Mr.. Sawyer is sta
toned at Shaw's Mill while Mr..
Walker is at Republican church.
Since Christmas we have had five
convicts, whose time have expired
and two who have been pardoned
and we only got two out of the
March court. So you can See that
some other means of working pu bile
roads and doing public work will
have to be resorted to if this state
of affairs continues.
l had already visited the bridges
mentioned by the grand jury and
am already making arrange
ments for their repairs. l note the
grand jury's resolution to widen
roads. 1t is and has been my pur-
pose to start two gangs. One to
doing emergency work over coun-
ty and the other to commence to
widen roads beginning at county
seat and going out for few miles
and then at other towns in county
doing the same. But I fancy there
will be several Supervisors to fol-
low me before all the roads in the
county will be widened with pres
ent system and the present facilities
for working.
With the conditions that exist in
Edgefeld county to-day it will only
be a short time before we will not
have any chain gang at all. just one
day last week one of our best work
ing prisoners was pardoned and
there are petitions in existence for
the pardon for three or four more
that ! know of.
Now why is this? Is it because
people believe the prisoners are be
ing ill treated and poorly fed? If
80, I invite them to the camp to see
for themselves. Or is it because
the people are short of labor in
their fields, and that is their only
resort to get hands?
just a few suggestions and l will
close this rigamarole. First, let
me suggest that the people in tle
different communities cultivate and
manifest more public spirit like
the people Of lower Meriwether
have done in the past two weeks.
By coming together and helping
to improve their roads free Of
charge.
Second, That the white people
of the county will assist the Super
visor by finding gullies i'll their
fields in which to dump their trash,
brush, briars, logs and rocks, in
stead of in the road bitches, there
by filling up their. own gullies and
setting an example to the more ig
norant race, because every white
man ought to know that it is
against the law.
Third, Let we office holders of
Edgetield county be more par,icu-
lar in the purchase of supplies for
our Office and only purchase such as
we are obliged to have-and in Civ
ing out matters for publication that
we comply strictly with the law.
Fourth, That the grand jurors
and citizens of Edgefeld county
can we'll, in as much as we have an
extra officer to pay $4,000 per
month, that they assist this officer
by notifying the Sheriff Of any
lawlessne,s that may be going on
in their community. and not, if
the sheriff or deputy should hap
pen along, TO point them to some
lawlessness going on over yonder'
when the same lawlessnes IS is going
on, in their own community, proba,
bly, on their own plantation and
they are aware Of it.
Fifth, Let the people who have
heretofore cursed and abused hls
exccllency, Gov. Blease for pardon
ing prisoners cease TO cuSs" the
governor while they have petitions
in their own pockets for pardons
for criminals themselves.
Sixth, Let the merchants OF
Edgefeld county be more particu.
lar in taking mortgages of stock
that has already been mortgaged
or does not exist, thereby encour,