The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-12-16

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My Dear Sir:
You have made very earnest ap'
peal to the voters in an endeavor to
defeat our new county movement, but
believe that your efforts are in vain
as it seems that you have the wrong
conception of some things. 1 will ex-
plain to you just where you are wrong
In the first place you criticise the
shape of the county. The shape of it
claim makes it all the more conven-
lent. AS you are aware the c. G w. G..
Railroad runs from one end to the
other and being very nearly in the CEN
tre of the proposed New County, this
makes it very convenient for most
every one that we are taking in to
come to the court house to attend to
business and get back home to their
business if they like in less than a day
and as to the shape of the county, It
complies with all the requirements
Of the constitution and has been pass
ed on favorably by the board of COM
misisoners appointed by the governor.
And again, you complain that few
people in Mccormick are disgrunteled
with Abbeville County and want things
heir own way. will say to this that 1
have been in Mccormick for quite a
while, and I have never heard any of
our citizens complain Of Abbeville
county or of any of their officers. and
am sure that our leaders in the Now
County matter are very intimate
friends of our Abbeville officers.
AS for taxes, have absolute proof
this State are\less than they are in
that the taxes in the new counties of
this state are less than they in the old
counties simply due to the fact that
the old counties have gotten into an
old rut, and can't get out, In debt, pay
ing interest on money, and gradually
raising a mill or so taxes every year
CT two, some few Of the old counties
are not doing this, especially those
that have been well managed and with
good management we should keep out
of debt, and our taxes should be light,
considering the amount Of taxable
property and as for the court house
and Jail, will say right here that
you should not worry about this mat
ter, syou will never have to pay one
cent towards those buildings, The
town of Mccormick proposes to do
this, and we will have a bona fide
guarantee of this before the election Is
held, ..... d
Again you touch on taxes, comparing
this New County with Lincoln County,
Georgia. In your quotation along this
line. you seem to be mistaken. If I
am not incorrectly informed Lincoln
County has only 2S0 square miles and
their total tax levy is only Is IL mills,
including school tax levy. The poll tax
levy is $500 but look at the difference
in their roads. They are fifty per cent
better than ours, while our tax in Abb
beville County is much higher, the
road tax is only two dollars. Consider
again that Lincoln county abs nothing
taxable but farm lands:
l do not consider that Abbeville
county has anything to lose in the
event we succeed in our undertaking,
simply because if we are defeated
understand that Dopalds will cut of
about fifty square miles and so to
Greenwood county and we will cut OF
go to Greenwood County andoo-s:o ia
about one hundred square miles a.
round Mccormick and vote into Green
wood county, this would still cut Abb
beville county down to near the goo
cnuora milo noarL hesides other ter
ritory will probably vote out of Edge
field county into Greenwood county
because of the convenience of getting
to the Court House to attend to busi-
ness.
When the roads are bad we Abbe-
Vile county people have to so by rail-
road to Abbeville Court House via Cal
hpun Falls or Greenwood, This makes
it necessary to lose two days; and the
Edgefield people that are cutting off
into the proposed New County are In
tho same boat. They have to go via
Augusta and have lost two days by
the time they get back home. Why
should we be cut off from our county
seat and forever be inconvenienced in
this way?
AS for industries you omitted the
fact that we have a railroad running