The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-09-15
stray cattle. hogs, Sheep.


i IL. Library trustees.
/ Most of these officers (except tax
collectors, constables, etc. paid by
Ifecs) serve without lay, just as school
committeeman do i'm the south, sim
Iply because they feel pride in doing
ia citizens duty. Thus the great au-
thor and philosopher Emerson served
a term as field driver in his town
tship.
\ And everything that deserves the
Tattention OF the voters gets at the
lannual meeting. IF there is any new
lplan or any change in old plans that
1--WE believe would help the commune
lty," as one Massachusetts man said
Ito me, 1--WE begin talking about it and
Iagitating 1t before the annual town.
tship meeting. Ten voters can get any
pertinent subject listed for discussion
land action by their fellow citizens, and
this means that everything worth
lwhile gets hearing. Even a crank
him and have his idea brought for
Iward!"
Just to give an idea of how COM
Ipletely the people rule themselves in
these New England communities or
townships. I may mention a warrant
saw for the annual mass meeting of
the voters of Hadley township in
Hampshire county, which visited. 1t
provided for discussion and action up
on the following subjects:
1. To select q moderator
i, 2. To hear reports of township Of
fcers.
:. 3. To elect township officers for the
|ensuing year.
| 4. Road and bridge improvements
s. License or no license.
i 6. To confirm or reject the men
proposed by the selectmen for jurors
in the county court.
Il z. To consider appropriations for
the ensuing year.
8. To consider plans for having
1.-THE state highway come through Had
ley township.
9. Should we close Hockanum
school and transport pupils there to
the central school?
10. To consider lighting the town
ship hall Cor community center) with
gas.
ii. To consider plans for improv-
Ing the fire-Gghting equipment
IL. Should the township spend $500
to improve the road from Thomas
Glaherty's to the four corners at East
Hadley?
13. Better drainage of Shipman's
swamp.
Ia. Appropriations for the high
school. ,
| 10. Should the charge for renting
the township hall for dances and en-
tertainments be reduced?
IL. Should the township spend
500 to harden the road from p.
Ryan's to the North Amherst line?
Time for the South to Follow jefferson
And even this liPt of sixteen sub
jects does not exhaust the list of top.
les listed for action by the freemen of
Hadley township. But this simple re-
r cital of some of the things discussed
and settled by the people themselves
once year at least, in each New
) England neighborhood-this ought to
3 make 1t clear how free and unhamp-
. ered is the stream of progress under
, the township system of government
r and how damned and clogged is the
stream here in the south where we
have nothing hut the county TO act for
us, and the small communities have
} no power whatever except to elect
I their constables. Or rather we should
say that the small rural communities.
the communities Of farmers have no
} power whatever except this, for Just
as soon as IL community of villagers
~ 10 AhSoi poIdleu una given
all these powers. In other words, the
} townspeople everywhere have local
selr-government, while communities
or farmers have no such power.
Consider conditions in your own
county. Mr.. Farmer The people new
er have any stated time for getting
together I'm mass meeting unless it is
In county conventions Of their repec-
tive political parties every two years.
ana this plan does practically nothing
toward helping community progress
In the first place. distances are so
great that only small part Of the
eoters attend. In the second place.
the convention Is so intent upon the
distribution of ollces and upon state