L V OitCoti Kerafd. r ^ABLISHLD IN 1895. - DILLON. SOUTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, MARCH 25,^09. VOL. 14, NO. 8. OME FACTS ABOUT ^ | WOODBURY PETITION PMr JiL C. Sellers Corrects \ Mr. Jas. W. Johnson in Pf^v^egard to the Woodbury . J Matter. Effort to Cut off / '^odbury Almost Caused (iot. Proves that New >unt> did Lack only 45 otes of Winning. A j tatement of Fact Which I iL. ii 1 ? 1 r. vicars me mmospnere and Ought to Give the People of the State a 0 Clear Understanding of Conditions as Theyj Exist in Marion County Today. Some time ago Mr. Jas. WJohnson took the Dillon correspondent of the News and Courier to task for some alleged "errors'* in his reference to the Woodbury Township matter. Mr. Johnson N chareed that the corresoondent id "fabricated." Mr. Jno. C. ellers, who seems tobe in possession of the facts bearing: on the / matter, publishes the following: y reply in the News and Courier to ' Mr. Johnson's attack on the Dil\ Ion correspondent: I To the Editor of The News and 1 Courjp^ 1 ''s' 1 seeny good friend, Jas. W. Johns' out an article in The ?ws an(* Courier, in which ^xjscs "to correct a few of j i the most glaring errors" in refj /erence to the new county question / in Marion County, and the Mari ion Star of this week publishes ' the letter and makes very favorable editorial comment on same. \ In the first place the question of J whether the new county was defeated at the last election by 45 votes or 133 votes is a mere juggling with figures. The first is based upon the admitted fact that ") there were 1,223 votes east, and / ' the second, on the assumption that I there were 1,356 votes cast?133 y,more than were actually cast. If Mr. Johnson was running- for Judge (and he would make a good one) 160 votes were cast and he . was to recei ve 80, would not he and everybody else claim that he lacked only one vote of election, and in the ballot he would have to get that one vote from some one L, vwho failed to vote for him and not from one who had not voted at all, before he could be declared elected? Just so in the new county . election, the new county would V rfWye to have gotten 45 votes from those voting against it before the required two-thirds majority could have been secured. And if those 4.5 votes had been forthcoming the new county would have carried, just as Mr. Johnson would have been elected, in the supposed case if that one vote had been secured to him. But what is the use of arguing so plain a proposition? It is like a case ot splitting the hairs so as to befuddle the jury?a trick for which Mr. Johnson's profes sion is famous. An experience of [ '(i unty years at the Bar in active cjice and often, in the nature ofxfce case, forced "to make the worse appear the better part," I fear has disjointed my friend's logical powers and made him a sophist for the time being. My friend is "away off" when he tackles the second "error," so called. After quoting from The V/ News and "Courier about the Wood; bury and Britton's Neck Town1' ship proposed election fourteen years ago. he says: "The election in question was ordered and held and was defeated at the polls." , My friend is greviously in eri r. . No election was ever orderL. therefore, no vote was tioi ever taken. In order to refresh To' tny friend's memory, let me relate pre a little history, only fourteen Bri years old, whieh some of the poii- ho\ ticians at Marion Court House bet would prefer to be buried in ob- the -livion. nev It was in the years 1894-5, dur- Att inj; Governor John Gary Evan's '1 administration, that the new Jol county was first talked about in ed the new county, and petitions j^ot- der ten up for an election. In order Jol to thwart the new county the poli- fro .lcians at tne uourt House got up wo a petition purporting to be signed tioi by citizens of Britton's Neck and pas Woodbury townships, in the ex- ed' treme lower sections of the coun- net tv, praying that those two town- fici ships might be annexed to Horry : Connty. The idea was, by kick- sor, ing those two townships off into "ci Horry, the area of Marion County one would be *o reduced that it would livi forever be impossible for another sec new county to be formed in the mil upper portion of the county. ual The idea was a brilliant one, thi truly Machiavelian, and was wor- vin thy of a better ending. Ur. for- tak tunately for the schemers, the he pcopic o i nrmon s incck me! I ian Woodbury had not been con si; ted the in the matter at all. It soon got t>" 1 noised around in those two to.vn- of 1 ships the job that was proposed to see be put on them, and indignation R? was greatly aroused. Curses not bet loud, but deep and full of mean- con ing were heard on every hand. I The schemers at the Court House Lai became alarmed. A mass meet- cou ing was held at Nebo, in Britton's froi Neck, to pacify those Denighted woi people, and make them see things anc as the schemers saw them. It ha\ was proposed to build theni a cou bridge free of cost across the Lit- ty, tie Dee Dee so as to enable them con to get to Conway more easily than mil to Marion, and thus to bribe them nat to go to Horry and stay there, con The most brilliant orator of the wil Marion Bar was engaged to make vot the principal speech at the meet- citt ing at which he proposed to show of 1 those misguided people at Brit- lint A. ? _ XT 1_ 3 1IT -It ? ions aeiK anu vvoooniirv now I affs unreasonable they were in wish- yer ing to remain in Marion, when it" 1 the Court House crowd was so hin anxious to be rid of them. The onl day of the meeting came and with din it a large outpouring: of the people, Fir including: a small contingent of mil speakers from the Court House, sea An enterprising: citizen of Brit- the ton's Neck who don't mind "talk- I ^ ing right out in meetinV' his took charge of the meeting: and *ra proceeded to "read the Riot Act, sbc a geod portion of the Declaration var of Independence and a rough hn< chunk of his own mind." The the crowd became excited and bribery c011 and forgery could be heaid on ev- wh ery hand. The Marion crowd in- wa: stead of making speeches as was I expected, was as harmless as ne\ doves and mute as mice. A free tioi ride on a fence rail and a coat of plit tar and feathers was not an invit- lis! ing prospect. That speech, pre- ien pared with so much care, and ov- we] er which so much midnight oil of 1 was burned, was not delivered, not and has not been delivered up bui to date. f are The Court House crowd return- tov ed oosthaste to Marion, and 'hat To1 night one of their number took an^ the night train for Columbia. Ear- the ly the next morning, he walked 'n J into the Governor's office and ^01 asked for the Britton's Neck and ta i Wodbury petition in order to carry Per it as usual to the Attorney Gener- P611 al's office to get his legal opinion h-'r1 as to its form and execution, but lea' instead of doing so the emissary lar! "sucked his teeth,"- walked out C?i of the Governor's office and put yea the., petition in his povket, and is * there it has remained until this an< good day unless?unless it was re- fire cently ressurected when the peti- no' i for an election in Woodburv P ivnship was a few weeks ago c< sented to the Governor. That w tton's Neck petition "some- ^ v or somehow else" "got lost" ween the Governor's office and office next adjoining, and has t> rer been in the hands of the h orney General. a' Phis is no "fabrication" M r. ^ inson, but the plain unvarnishtruth. The Governor never or-! ? ed the election, and I defy Mr. t( mson or any other man to show m the record that he did. He 11 uld not even consider the peti- ^ ii until the Attorney General *l ised upon it, and it "disappear' before it reached the Attor- Cl r General's office, and that ofal never saw it. u Ci \nother mistake of Mr. Johni has made in his correction of rrors" is in saving that, "at " . that may be spent in it by the c irt and juries three times a ir. So that if the new county n ormed, Marion will not be hurt 1 Dillon will not realize the ^ at advantages as a town she iv expects, but the country peoh in. iiii 1c in the upper section of/n junty will he benefitted by w/fr ithin a convenient distance < tcir county seat. Mr. Johnson and I had the dis notion of opening the now conn ,* campaign, thirteen years ayr< e on one side and 1 on the othei nd it looks now as if we were a out to close the debate. We hot iccl to appeal to the reason < ur audience. The spirit <>t" in jleranee and prejudice had n< ten begun to manifest itself, hi; nfortnnately the wise councils < Ir. Johnson have been set asid nd for years the new countv que;on lias been injected into ever Dunty campaign and will be tint ie new county is formed. Th pper and lower sections of th Dunty have been almost solidl frayed against each other to ears. Politicians of the base nrt have taken advantage of th ituation and have been elected t tlice to the disctedit of them elves and their constituents, eard a prominent candidate a fc ears ago make this astoundin ssertion: "Character and com etency to the winds. There i o issue in this election but ol ounty against new county." Am e was elected. By such tactic * this our people have becoin libittered and reconciliation i o\v out of the question. I'ndt tese circumstances. is it not bet ir to follow Horace (Ireeley's at ice and "let our errin.tr brothei o in peace1" John C. Sellers ^ ' ? FIRE AT OIL MILL. destroys, or Badly Chare! 250 Bales of Linters. Disastrous Fire Narrowly Averted by Good W a t e i Supply. Two hundred and fifty bales t nters were badly burned at tli \:i Mm mm 1 r /u ??iu 1 uursuay aiiernoon. i 11 rigin of the fire is unknown an le flames had gained consider; le headway before they were di; overcd. The cotton was under hed adjoining the Dillon Storag ompany's warehouse and at on me it looked as if there might b serious conflagration, but the <) fill is equipped with an exceller /stem of water works and whe ie hose was turned on the flame 'ere quickly extinguished. Thci 'ere 260 bales of linters under th hed but out of that number te rere saved from the flames. Th jss will agregatc fully S3,000. Notice Primary Election. By virtue of the authority ve! ;d in the undersigned as pres ent and secretary of the Whit >emocratic Club of Dillon, not.e i herebv given that on Wednes ay, March 31st., 1909, there wi e held in the vacant store in th iracy Block, the usual votin lace of said town, an election a 'hich there will be nominated layor and six Aldermen to be vc ;d upon in the general eleetio rdered by the Town Cotineil c aid town to be held on April 6t> 909. The quali; cations for votin tia.11 be two years residence in th tate. 12 month's residence in th aunty and four month's resident 1 the town. The polls will open at 7 a. n nd close at 4 p. m. on the day c aid election. Each -candidate is required t le with the secretary of said clu hrce days before s.dd election ledge that hp will abide by th esult of said election and suppoi he nominees thereof. No vot ast for any candidate who has n< iled his pledge or paid his asses: nent shall be counted. The managers appointed for sai lection are: D. N. Oliver, W. I lethea and W. E. James. W. T. Bethea, Chairmai A- J. C. Cottingham, Se 1 _ /surveyors complete/ 5 their work. And Report will Probably be Made to the Commissioners this Week. Comh missioner Mace Holds that t Survey is Illegal on the Ground that Mr. Beatty t had been Dismissed as >f Old County Surveyor and Matter will be Heard Bev fore the Governor. Tin siirvi'vurs, Messrs. Maine by and lieatty, representing the c now and old county respectively. V completed the survey of theamen'' ded lines Thursday and will make r their report in full this week, e The Commissioners will then pro0 bablv have a hearing before the i- governor as to the legality of the 1 ' survey Commissioner Mace a* holds that tlu- survey ;s not offieia! because he had dismissed i- Mr. Heatty as the old county suri* veyor. d Tile Saturday before the govcr1 nor ordered the surveyors tc s proceed in the survey of the amenc tied lines Commissioner Mact s wired Mr. Heatty that he was dis missed as his work had beer * completed. Commissioner Dillor I" took the ground that Mr. Hearty's "s work hail not been completed ant ordered him to join Mr. IIamb\ at Latta ?ui the Monday following, While the survey was being nVUlt around Latta Commissioner Mact again wired Mr. Heatty not tt . proceed, but Mr Heatty ignorec ' the demand and proceeded witl Mr. llambyto make the survey In the meantime Commissionei M.w... ...; 1 M.. I an t UIKU .MI. i MIK'II null IK had employed Mr. Wiswall to take up the uncompleted work ant thai he would not recognize Mr. Beat ty's work as official. How' ever, the surveyors completed the work Thursday and are now 1C working on their final report 1C which will be made this week. ^ At the hearin.tr of the Commisl" sioners tie fore the governor. Gov. Ansel will decide whether or not a Mi. Beatty was acting in an ofc fieial capacity when lie assisted c Mr. llamby in the survey. Mr. Dillon holds that Mr. Beatty was actinjr under orders from 11 the governor when he assisted in n the survey of the amended lines >s as the governor in his decision e granting the amendments said: "" "It is therefore ordered that the survevors do proceed at once to lc survey the new lines hereby allowed and make a plat of the proposed new county, as per the lines set out in the original petition as amended by my fits! T order of amendment, and by the c amendment now allowed, and that as soon as the same is done the commissioners do make theii 11 report to me upon the survey and c the Other matters required by law to be made by them." From the foregoing it is very j_ clear that the surveyors were actn ing upon orders from the gover>f nor and no doubt their report will K H^e accepted as officialg \ " ,e ^ Little Bly. c (The following is dedicated to 'C l> 11T..1 !_ I .1 ?I i?ii. r. wautins uog wno came in j collision with an automobile Sat)f urday.) Now I'm sad and lonely, My tears forever flow, My little bob-tail doggie, ie I never s?e any more. rt Like Casar, was ambitious, e Would chase the automobiles, 3t s. But alas, unlucky day; Lost the nimble in his heels. An awful crash, a howl of pain, The doggies end was nigh, n Now around his hat he wears, c. A band of crape for Bly. 1 xN. ' j>^i' ^WANTED TO BE HUNG IN HIS OLD HOME. Extraordinary Wish of an Old Negro. (ireenville, S. C., March 14 ? "Mister,(please don't try me here for breaking into the store. Send me back to (ireenville. S. C.. and let 'em try me there, 'causi 'hey want me for killimr a m i' 14 rather be tried 1*?>r killing a ' i .11 there than stay here and be tried for robbery." This was the startling plea made by Sam Cray, a negro arrested in Kast Bouehe, Miss., to an officer who had him 111 charge "Whom did you kill in South Carolina and when did you kill him?" queried the Mississippi official, visions of a reward for the apprehension of a murderer perhaps floating before his vision. "Oh, 1 don't know the nigger's name but I killed him all right. You just write to the people down home and they'll tell you all about it," answered