The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1916-04-19
MCCORMICK COUNTY.

The Court en- banc has finally
passed on the Act creating McCor-
mick county, the decision being in
favor of the new county. The peo-
pie of Mccormick are greatly re-
joiced at the decision, and we hope
that it will work out in line with the
expectations of the people of the
county. This paper has had no in
terest in the new county, or against
it, except to see that the law was
complied with and that Abbeville
county lost none of its constitutional
and statutory rights. Personally
we regret to lose the Mccormick
people. We lose some of the best
people Of the present county of Alb
beville, men who have always stood
for the best in life, whether private
or public life. We can but regret
to see them 60. But since the coun-
ty is to be formed we congratulate
it on having men of public spirit in
it-men who will want to see the
county developed, the condition of
the people bettered, and advance
ment along all lines. The new
county will give to these men fine
opportunity to show the mettle of
which they are made. There is
much undeveloped territory in the
area of the county; the schools need
improvement; the roads need intelli-
gent work; and the people who have
battled for the new county move
ment have only begun in the fight to
do something for their neighbors.
The people of Abbeville have moth
ing against the good people of Nc
mick-none of them have. Some of
our people have fought the county
as they had a perfect legal right to
do, because we disliked to see the
territory taken from the mother
county. Some have thought that
the formation of the county would
be a serious blow to the old county,
and that we would suffer seriously
from being forced to give up this
territory. We feel that we shall
for little while experience some
embarrassment on this account. But
the country is growing fast, and in
little while the present county of
Abbeville will be greater than the
old county was. What we want to
do is to build up at home. We have
neglected enough opportunities here
at home. A few large corporations
organized in the present county will
more than compensate for the loss of
Mccormick so far as taxes are con-
cerned. We shall at the same time
be spared the expense of maintaining
the roads and bridges in that part
Of the county, of trying offenders
against the law from that part of the
county, and in other ways be relieved
of expenses. We shall not know the
difference in a financial way ten
years from today.
To the people of Mccormick, we
would say that the formation of the
new county will not prove panacea
for all ills. The people of the new
county will find taxes creeping up
wards very shortly. Some of the
large landowners will reap reward
IN the advancement of the property
which they wish to sell, but the av-
erage man who owns his home and
who does not wish to sell it will find
himself paying more taxes than he
has been paying. He will have added
advantages though in the ways we
have indicated, but they too will be
expensive. These things should
warn the people responsible for the
county to guard well the finances Of
the new county from the start. This
can only be done by refusing to
create useless Offices, and by putting
the right kind of men in the offices
created. None but business men
should assume the management of
business offices, and none but states
men should fill legislative offices.
Mccormick county has men of the
calibre needed and we hope the peo-
pie will demand that they assume the
management of the affairs Of the
county, and that these men will not
refuse.
In conclusion, we wish to state
that the people of the new county
have the good wishes of The Press
and Banner. We wish for them
peace, plenty, and great progress
along all lines.