The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-08-20
TO THE PEOPLE
OF BAMBERC co.

My attention has been called to an
advertisement inserted by my oppo-
nent, Mr.. R. NJ Mixson, in some of
the county newspapers in which he
states what he claims to be his rec
ord and assumes to state what has
been done by me in Congress. In the
few speeches | have been able to
make in the district this summer I
have refrained from criticising the
record of my opponent except in-so-
far as criticism was incident to re-
ply to his remarks. | do not know
that it is necessary to reply to this
newspaper article and l do so only
because it is apt to mislead the peo-
pie as to public measures.
He criticises appropriations Sc
cured by me for river and harbor i'm
provement. In the Democratic eau
Gus l opposed public building bills
and bills appropriating money for
river and harbor improvement be-
cause l believed economy in these
measures would increase the chances
for road legislation in which | was
vitally interested, but when the ma
jority of the party voted to bring in
these bills and other districts were
securing appropriations ! determined
to secure for this district what it
was entitled to. At the request Of
truck farmers on the Islands in Beau
fort secured an appropriation to i'm
prove Archers creek. Before that
improvement the only way in which
they could ship their truck to Savan-
nah was by the steamers large
enough to go to sea. This improve
ment gave them an inland waterway
which could be traversed by small
boats and was thus an injury instead
of help to the steamboat lines. The
appropriation for the inland water
way off the coast of South Carolina
was TO connect up the inland water
way from the South to the North. so
as to enable us to ship our products
to the North on barges and cheaper
boats instead Of shipping them in the
steamships going to sea, and in re-
turn we could receive from the North
the commodities We need 1t meant
competition for the steamship lines
that now send their ships to sea and
also competition for the railroad COM
panies. If, as Mr. Mixson says, he has
been an official of railway company
for twenty years, he should know
that the more competition there is
with railroad companies, the cheaper
will be the freight rates.
He criticises the soil surveys of the
department of agriculture. Prof.
Harper. of Clemson college, writes the
department that these surveys are
proving of great value to them in
their efforts to destroy the wire
worm and other destructive insects,
but of course is mistaken, and Mr..
Mixson right. In his own county the
board of education wanted map Of
school districts and before they re-
ceived the soil survey map the lowest
bid they had for the work was from
Mr.. R. C. Mixson. After Mr.. Mixson
secured one of these maps he said it
would enable him to reduce his bid
several hundred dollars and did so
reduce it. Certainly it saved Barn
we'll county that much.
He criticises my securing 100000
for road improvement In my district
when no other district in the State
could secure a cent. The terms upon
which this money was appropriated
were fixed by the department Of ag-
riculture and not by me. AS I found
it l offered it to the people in the
district. Only one county found it.
self in financial condition to accept
it, but the conditions stated by Mr..
Mixson are not correct. He misrepre-
sents it stating that the appropria-
ton of the government would be con-
sumed by the high salary Of the road
engineer in charge. The truth IS, as
have before told Mr.. Mixson, that
the salary of the engineer does not
come out of the fund but is paid by
the government outside OF the fund.
He misstates the manner In which
the work will be done and says that
extravagant prices would have to be
paid for everything. If the chain
gang is used extravagant prices would
have to be paid to the county. II
it is not used then the prices paid
would not be extravagant because the
reputation of the engineer depends
upon his doing the work at the low
est possible cost, and IS
checked and safeguarded in
every way. Not content with
this he adds that the fund
would be consumed by graft got
ten" l know little of the gentleman
in charge of the work except that ne
enjoys the confidence of the officials
of the Democratic administration in
Washington; is reputed to be man
of good family and of sterling char
acter. When the Democratic admin
istration is good enough to give ue
$4,000 and, in addition, sends one
of it's officials to help US with our
roads what do you think of an as
pirant for Congress welcoming that
official to the district by charging
him, without knowing him at all, and
before he starts on the work, with
the intention of getting graft out OF
it?
Answering the last paragraph OF
his criticism, am glad that have
been able to help the town OF Beau
fort, as he says, by securing pubic
building. At the time this was done
no other city in the district was en-
fit1ad to ono tho renuirementS being