The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-05-28

Booth S lQea ana on account Oh SAY
ing the taxpayers a little money, they
should be kept in an unsanitary jail
and perhaps contract some disease
which may cause their death. AS for
my part, I would be willing to pay
my proportionate part of the addi-
tional taxes that are necessary to
build sanitary Jail in which to con-
fine human beings, even though they
be guilty of the crime Of which they
are charged. Christ said He came
to call the sinners and rot the
righteous to repentance. Perhaps
Mr. Booth forgets that Paul, the
Apostle, was confined in a jail, but
it is to be hoped he was not put in
an unsanitary Jail which was kept
and maintained on account Of some
one having some idea about conserv-
ing the peoples taxes. like Mr.. Booth
says he has. I may be wrong, but a
human being to me is human be-
ing, although he has wandered away
from the paths of rectitude, and al
though he has committed crime yet
his health should not he jeopardized
because he has SO wandered.
Mr.. Booth says some people re-
mind him very much of a kid with
25c to spend, he cannot rest until he
has found some candy or toy store In
order to get rid Of his wealth. OF
course, he is referring to me in this
instance, but 1 would like to remind
him OF the fact that when I am
other taxpayers in public improve
ments 1 am likewise spending my
own twenty-five cents along with the
others. and I am not keeping any in
any institution Of which 1 am presi-
det, and the twenty-five cents Of the
public and all Of the candy going into
the institution.
Mr.. Booth says the Jail will be
built in due time. It is to be hoped
it will, but what he means by due
time I do not know. as it has Deer
over five years and the due time has
not expired. If we believe in the
Bible Judgment Day will surely come
in due time, and if Mr.. Booth man
ages the Jail proposition in the future
as he has in the past when GabrieIs
trumpet shall sound and both the
quick and the dead shall come forth,
the prisoners. then confined in the
jail in Sumter county will have to
meet their Maker coming forth
from the old unsanitary jail.
Mr.. Booth next discusses city i'm
provements, and he states: Mr..
Jennings takes great pride in imagin-
ing he is the pioneer in all improve
ments of every nature in the city
and county. but as a matter Of fact.
these improvements began before he
was ever heard of in public life I
do not think Mr.. Booth can find any
one who would say they had ever
heard me say or ever seen anything
which I have written in which l
claimed in the slightest degree that I
was responsible for any Of the city's
always left that to be passed upon
by other people. But 1 am at least
proud to say that l was not a mem
Der of the CON mission that built the
sewerage system. MIR. Booth seems
to take pride in stating that he was
member, but think if l had been
a member of that commission would
be glad if the people would forget
the fact. as I would like to remind
Mr.. P ootn that abut one year after
the sewer line was completed on Sa-
lem Avenue it went to pieces and cost
the city more than $4,000 to re-
build it, and this sewer line was built
by fhe commission of which Mr..
.ooth was member. Not only did
it go to pieces on Salem Avenue but
several places in the eastern part Of
the city, that cost the city several
more thousand dollars to replace.
am at least glad that this kind of job
was not part Of the Improvements
made after / was heard of in public
life. Perhaps Mr.. Booth has forgot
ten. although he seems to have a
vivid recollection as to who suggest
ed at the first meeting Of council the
question of paving the streets, that
the first campaign ! made for mayor
under the old commission form of
government stated if elected would
see that Main street was paved If the
city had to he bonded to do it. l was
elected. the city was bonded and Main
street was paved. Did Mr.. Rowland
suggest this at the first council meet
ing? My recollection is Mr.. Rowland
was not even member of this coun-
Gil; he was elected some two or four
years later. It is a TACT. however.
before I was taken down with typhoid
fever in 1917 city council had agreed
to pave Liberty street to the city linn
its on the west and to pave the side
walks to the city limits, and to pave
the street with asphalt, just like the
balance Of Liberty street is paved
from Wright street on. While l
was down with typhoid fever council
changed this and left off the side
walks and changed the kind OF
pavement, and everybody knows the
kind of street we have On the end OF
West Liberty. When 1 got up from
typhoid fever and after found out
about the change and before the
street was built protested and had
it so noted on the minutes. Perhaps
this was done to conserve the inter-