Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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i . •i * i' Ledger Readers Should Patronize Ledger Advertisers. To Reach Consumers in this Section Adver tise in The Ledger. A Newspaper in all that the Word Implies and Devoted to the Best Interests of the People it Subserves. "',v if VOL. Ill, NO. 4.3. GAFFNEY CITY, S. C., THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1890. $1.00 A YE A It. THE NEW COUNTY LAW. QUESTIONS THAT HAVE ARISEN PASSED UPON. The Attorney General Gives Some Opinions Construing the Act. Only One Box Neces sary. The mutter.of the elections for the formation of the new counties in volves many issues which are being constantly presented in one form or another. Every time the people proceed with one of these elections certain questions as to the construc tion of the act governing the forma tion of new counties arisejandjthe At torney General is called upon to con strue the law. Here, for instance, are a number of legal questions propounded to the AttorneyjGeneral’yesterdayJby Mr. L- Baker, the chairman of a Limestone county committee. They are given together with the answers and will bo of special interest to all concerned in the formation of new counties: Wiil it be legal for persons living within the boundaries of the proposed new Limestone county to register December 7, it being one of the three days in each month required by law? Yes. Will they by so doing bo legally qualified to east their votes for or against the new county; the elec tion having been ordered for Decem ber 8? Yes. Will it be legal to open the regis tration books on any day previous to the first Monday in each month? No. Will a voter so registering be en titled to vote in the now county elec tions? No. Can a person be registered at the county seat by another person if he will make oath that the person, or persons, he represents has all other legal qualifications? No. Is it necessary to have three boxes al each polling precinct? The law having required u two-thirds majority will it require a two-third majority as to rame ami place? No, one box; second, two-thirds on all questions. Would a failure of a two-third ma jority as to name or place invalidate the whole election? No. AN IMrOKTANT OPINION, The attorney general has also ren dered the following opinion which wiil likewise he of special interst to new county people: Messrs. M. M. Tate and others, Managers of the Now County Elec tion, GalTncy, S. (’. Your telegram was received just as 1 was leaving Columbia and I de layed answering until I could inves tigate the question. I wired you my conclusion and now give you the reasons upon which it was based. Section :• of the act of regulating the formal ion of the new counties provides that all persons entitled to vote undi r tin* Constitution and laws of this State at general elections shall bo entitled to vote at such elec tions. (See acts 1811(5.) It is evident t hat persons registered on Decemlx r 7 are entitled to vote al general elections and that qualified them to vote at a new county elec tion. it is true that section 7 of the registration act provides tout the registration books .shall he closed 80 days before a special election. (See ttet 18% page IlSl.) But lo not consider a new county election n special election within the meaning of that act. I understand the term ‘ special election” as used in this act, to mean a special election for odicers or something of that gort, while u new county election is a regular election pursuant to law. The general assembly could hardly have contemplated closing the regis tration liooks in any county when a new county election is to lie held 5M) days before such election. Such a course might seriously interfere with the registration of electors for t.he general election following. But the registration act and the new county act, being new, may not thoroughly harmonize; hut 1 take the view that under them a person registered on December 7th and otherwise qualified to vote la entitled to vote In a new county eh 11ion held Docomber «Kth. I here is another and more serious question that might arise and which I merely cull to your attention with out expressing any opinion. You (ill wIim fve that section 7 of the Iplstrution books act requires the juistraliMii hooks to he opened on the first Monday in December, 189f>, at the court house and kept open for three successive days. This will in clude the very day on which your election has been ordered and may complicate matters. Yours very truly, William A. Bakbkk, Attorney General. , Have both your reg istration ticket and your 1895 tax receipt when you go to vote next Tuesday for the New County. r "** • He Used Foolish Argument. (Correspondence of The Ledger) Gkassy Pond, Nov. 3<*.—Editor Ledger : I have seen so much writ ten for and against the new county that it docs seem that the question has been sufficiently ventilated so that any one might see it to his per sonal advantage to support the pro posed new county. The Headlight uses the most fool ish argument in his ‘‘three brothers” example that I ever saw in print. Mr. Gantt seems to think or trios Lo make us believe that we would he deprived of our homes, stock, etc., should wo determine to establish Limestone county. He must remember that all we would lose of our own improvements would be the residence, which would be the court house and jail and other public buildings. As to the parish,, or county poorhou.se, I see from the presentment of the grand jury that Spartanburg county has forty in mates of that institution and there is only one from the cut-off that I know of personally. Then again, why will we have to issue bonds to meet debts? What debts? I should like to know. Gaffney will build the court house and jail. If Mr. Gantt calls a bond a promise I would like to know what he calls a promise. Mr. Editor, why is it that we build more churches and school hodses? Is it ndt for the benefit and convenience of our children and our neighbors? Surely it is; then why should we not have oar courts and records more convenient? If we can sec it to he to our ad vantage, I think the Headlight ought to be content to let us alone, as the other papers of the county do. If our taxes were to be higher would we not be benefitted in other ways in return? Yes, in many other ways. Now, Mr. Editor, this is the first article 1 have ever written for your paper, Publish it, if it will do the ne\(’ county any good. Bill Dooley. — —. Have both your reg istration ticket and your 1895 tax receipt when you go to vote next Tuesday for the New County. - -* -«•»• ——- Draytonvillc Dots. (Conespon'lence of The Ledger.) Draytonvillk, H. C.. Dec. 1.— Mr Editor:—The news in our part of the moral vineyard is all about the new county. Wo have got such a new county fever on us that the first tiling we say when wo meet our neighbors is how is the new county getting along and then we go on and ask him about the health of his family. We have been doing this way and arguing with each other until it now looks like old I'nion county is going to roll up a larger majority than either of the other two old counties in the cut-off for the new county, hut there are some few who are still opposing, some for one thing and some for another. .Some are sincere in their convict ms, others 1 fear are lotting their blinded prejudices run before their better judgment. It is u fact, a lamentable fact, that some of them say they do not want to see any of the new county literature nor do they want to hear any argument in favor of the new county. This ought not to ho so. It does look like that a man ought to be willing to look at both sides and consider which way is the best for himself and the largest number of people concerned. The health of our section of county generally good. Very respectfully yours, Kamiilku. - • * Ah an emergency medicine, Ayo.-’s Cherry Pectoral takes the lead of all other remedies. For the relief and cure of croup, whooping cough, sore throat, and the dangerous pulmonary .'roubles to which the young are so liable, it is.invuluablc, being prompt to act, sure to cure. HAS HE PROVEN A TRAITOR? LARA SAYS THE HEADLIGHT IS FALSE. The 8th of December Will Be a Mo mentous Day for Old Spartan burg, Union and York Counties. (Correapondence of The Ledger.) Mr. Editor—The 8th day of De cember is almost here, and I feel that it is a momentous day for this section of Spartanburg county—yea. for the entire county, and more yet for South Carolina. We are then to vote Yes or No on the question of establishing a new county out of the counties of Spartanburg, Union and York. I say it is momentous to the people within the proposed cut-off, for it will be a change for the better or worse. Let us reason and see if it will be to our disadvantage or against our interest. No, stop, those Gaff ney people are bigoty and voted 11 votes for McKinley out of about 2(57 for Bryan, and I intend to resent any such an insult to Democracy by voting against a new county. But you forget my proposition to let’s reason and see if it will do us any good or harm to have a new county. Ah, but I don’t like some treatment 1 have received at the hands of some party in Gaffney, and 1 can’t cast my ballot in a manner that is cal culated to do him any good. How about us—me and you, my friend— will it help us any, not the man in Gaffney? But I like old Spartanburg. I have lived within her boundaries all my life and I want to die there. Yes, that sentiment is good and patriotic, but it is only sentiment and does not affect our material prosperity in the least, my friend, does it? No, of course not, but Spartanburg is now very rich and a new county would commence very poor and our tax levy would be increased. Why so? / boes Gaffney not propose to build the public buildings if the county seat is established there? and has not the comptroller-general said that the tux levy in the new counties, without an exception, is less than in the old counties from which the new ones were formed? That Giiffney bond, is it any good and collecti ble? Of course it is good and un questionably valid and legal. It was drawn by one of the best lawyers in South Carolina — Mr. Hardin, of Blacksburg—and it is now on record in Spartanburg, subject to the criti cisms of the world, and is it not rea sonable to believe that if it were de fective in any particular somebody would have found it out before now? Wc aro an integral part of Spartan burg, but I assure you we carry our own load now—just what we would do if wo should form a new county. To illustrate, every brick in a build ing sustains its own weight, and no more, and it makes no difference whether it bo the bottom one or the the last one on the topmost pinnacle. Again, the Gaffney cotton milis have a capital of about .$10,000,000. Quite a rich concern you say. Sup pose you have $1,000 cash and you invest it in this mill, are you worth any more because you are a stock holder in a million-doliar cotton mill? No, you are worth just the same thousand dollars, and have only the one one-hundred thou sandth control of >t that you had before you invested it there. You have just one vote in one hundred thousand. But suppose you put your thousand dollars in a mill with a capital of fifty thousand dollars, you would still only have a thousand dollars, but you would have far more control of it, for you would have one vote out of every fifty.. .Just so in this rich old county you spoke of. You have so small an interest your voice is not heard. Ku is it not clearly to our interest to east our lot and invest our money in that institu tion and locality where we can and will be recognized, where our voice is heard and listened to in matters which are ours? Yes, your reason ing is good, and I shall think more about it than I have yet, but I am a Reformer, and always have been, and have felt it a duty that I owe myself and my party to listen in a measure to our organ, the Piedmont Head light, and it strongly opposes a new county. I, likewise, am a Reformer of the Old School, and have regarded Mr. Gantt our friend, but 1 now absolve myself from him forever. I have tiad occasion several times heretofore to doubt his sincerity, but never till now was it so evident that he is un reliable and treacherous to his fol lowers. In this new county matter ho is meddling where ho has no business. I think wo have blindly followed liis lead long enough. He was once the mouthpiece of the peo ple, hut he is now endeavoring to assert himself dictator. His only harp is the ‘‘unsophisticated far mer.” Is there no other class of human beings ” unsophisticated ” but us? What does he intend for us to understand by the expression ‘‘un sophisticated farmer?” The meaning is, as I infer from liis writings: “You farmers aro a class of idiots and don’t know it, but I do, and I am your guardian, help yourself if you can, you durn fools you.” E.ery issue of liis paper on the new county subject is an insult to our class. In no instance does he appeal to us as creatures endowed with equal facul ties of reasoning with ourselves and with other classes of men as to what is best for us, but us if he hr.e.v o , .:r inferior capabilities, he appeals to prejudice alone. Is this not a'■fact? Where can you find one single sen sible argument against the new county advanced by Mr. Gantt in any of his papers? In the Head light of last week (to say nothing of the previous ones) what reus .ns does he offer us for opposing the new connty? Not one thing except to call our attention to the fact that some of the Gaffneyites wore white caps to Spartanburg six years ago to a political speaking. I denounced that act then and do now, but show me the common sense in recalling these unpleasuntries at this time in such a case as he does. Have we no reason to which our editor can ap peal, or is it that he has nothing to offer us but prejudice? He sneer- ingiy mentions that Senator Tillman will speak on the olh instant to us concerning smaller cuunGes. lie has a right to speak and be listened to, for from him we shall expect to have good, sound counsel, not founded on prejudice, but common sense. We expect him to address us us human be.ngs, capable of reasoning our selves and listening and heeding to reason. Last week Mr. Gantt said : “Small er counties breed nothing but law yers and'higher tuxes, ami I cun prove this to any man who will take the pains to tind it out.” Wtiy don’t he Sake some pains in this matter, as he appears to desire to nestle us so fondly under his wing? He has had two months to prove to us that our taxes would be increased, and yet be has not shown it to be a fact in a single case. Mr. Gantt would have us believe that all the new counties that show a reduction in tuxes were formed before the last con stitutional convention, and that there is quite a change in the law now. lie again attempts to deceive us by simply misstating facts. Very well does he know that there was no change in the constitutional law as to the formation of counties except as to area, wealth and population; area being the principal change. We will start the new county (if at all) with no burden save what we are now carrying, and which we will continue to carry if we remain in Spartanburg. Then what aro we forced to conclude as to Mr. Gantt’s position in this matter? Is is not clear that some motive other than the interests of his “ unsophisticated farmer” is moving him? Is it not evident he is working against us and for the moneyed interest of others than his supporters? Let us drop him, traitor that he is. Lara. •— — Have both your reg istration ticket and your 1 895 tax receipt when you go to vote on Tuesday 'for the New County. Clifton Chronicles. (Correspondence of The Ledger.) Ci.irroN, 8. C., Nov. 30, 1890.—At a meeting of the Sloan Literary So ciety of the No. 2 school last Friday afternoon, the following question was discussed: Resolved, That the United States should annex Cuba. W. I’. Darity, Henry Seay and Miss Zillie Bushes spoke on the affirmative side, while the negative was represented by C. B. Morrow and Miss Alice 1‘rugason. The judges, Misses Ola Allen, Cora McKenny and J. I). Bailey, though evidently Cuban sympathizers, felt constrained to decide in favor of the negative: In the next debate Thomas DIgby, E. B. Willis, and Misses Lola Turner, Ola Allen, Cora McKenny and Belvia Allen will participate, the question being Resolved, That Columbus deserves more credit for the discovery of America than Washington for the de fence of the American colonies. Mr. E. Bomar has returned from a business trip to the North. Mr. Sum T. Reid spent last Sunday in Greenwood. Mr. B. D. Bates, of Gaffney City, was here about a week ago. His friends wore pleased to meet him. Mr. J. C. Putman, of Clifton, has moved to Gaffnzy. ‘‘Seaton.” • «•» • If you are anxious to find the most reliable * blood purifier, read in Ayer’s Almanac the testimonials of those who have been cured of such Lerrihlo dise&ses us catarrh, rheuma tism and scrofula by the use of Ayer’s Sarsaparilla. Then govern yourself accordingly. TEN QUESTIONS ANSWERED. MR. J. L. SPAKE TO THE PIED MONT HEADLIGHT. He Docs Not Know that the Answers Will Be Satisfactory but they Give Reasons that Will Influence Farmerc. Editor Gakfney Ledger: I send you a small contribution in answer to the Piedmont Headlight’s hard questions. I think I have an swered them satisfactorily. Please print and ask Spartanburg papers to please copy for benefit of the coun try people. Truly, etc., J. L. Stake, From The Plains. Editor Piedmont Headlight: In your issue of Nov. 20 you take occa sion to score very severely the people who wish for a new county. In the course of your lengthy article you make the assertion that ten proposi tions which jou lay down in the form of questions, cannot be answered, and that, unle-s satisfactorily an swered, would be sound reason for voters refusing to estaolish the new county. Now, I propose to answer your questions and show that there is nothing in them, and that, if not dictated by personal selfishness, yet there is a strong presumption that Spartanburg interest is, at any rate, as strong against, as Gaffney interest is for, the new county. Your first question is: Must not you bear your share of Hie public debt of the three old coun ties, and which leaves the cut off sections just os heavily involved as before the new county was created? Answer: We agree. If we have it to pay by being in the old counties, will we be any worse off by having to pay it in the new? It is evident that wo will be in the same fix in either county, so that question is nothing. If the new county mokes us pay it, so will the old ones. Second question: Must you not relinquish your in terest in the court houses and jails and public enterprises that you have helped to pay lor? Ans. Yes: but if we do, won’t we get others? Ain’t we better off by having them nearer home? Who wouldn’t swap an old house fora new ons, when he gets the new one in a place much more convenient to him and more suitable? Third question : Will it not lie necessary to build a new court house and jail, and do you think that the people of Gaffney will be content with public buildings that will cost less than $40,(XX) be sides the $15,000 to be given by Gaffney ? Ans. Just so Gaffney foots the bill what possible difference can it make? Gaffney is to furnish it, and if she has tlie pride and push and cash to do so, don’t you glory in her public spirit? Wc do and you ought to. Fourth question: Will you not have to employ three skilled and experienced men for a long series of years to copy those public records, or else come to one or the other of the court houses, when ever a land sale is made, or a case involving the question of title comes up, and will you get any pay for this? Will not this require more trouble than to attend court as witness or juror, and for which you are paid mileage? Ans. You must surely be object ing for the fun of the thing. What do you have to do in the old counties? Don’t you have to go to the old court houses whenever a land sale is made or a question of tit le comes up, and will you get any pay for it in the old counties? Your fourth question is simply ridiculous. What possible effect can the new county have on these facts? You must surely believe the new county is going to be moved off somewhere out of reach of Spar tanburg. Fifth question : Will you not have to construct sev eral costly bridges over Broad river which can now be dispensed with? Ans. Is it any objection to the forming of anew county that a pub lic improvement will be set on foot that should have been completed years before? Should not the citi zens of the great commonwealth of South Carolina' be so connected in their interests that it would be and is a stigma on the fame and honor of York and Spartanburg counties that a watercourse divides people so close in interests of all kinds. And pray why should the bridges be costly, and why wouldn't the ferries do the new county as well us the old? Sixth question : Most of the cotton mill property being locate 1 in incorporated towns, where is your road tax to come from, except oul of the pockets of the farmer, must not the former put his hand in liis pocket to make up for the taxes relinquished when he cuts himself loose from those cotton mills? Ans. The same old story. As if the farmer didn’t know he paid fur everything anyhow. Oh, no, Mr. Headlight, the farmer knows he has to pay and he always had to pay, and now Gaffney, a city, wants to pay, and the farmer for once, is going to let the town pay. The farmer knows your question is all 1 umbug, for Union and York don’t get any of the cotton mill money, so you see the farmer is'thinking tof" iiirnserTr^lsd lie knows it is lots better to have a court house only ten miles away in stead of twenty-five. Seventh question : How in the name of common sense and reason can you keep down an in creased tax levy when you have just us heavy a publiedebt as before the new county was created, and must then go to work from the ground up and incur a heavy bonded debt before a case cun be tried or a prisoner con- lined? Ans. You must, suppose that a prisoner cun only be confined in u $20,000 jail. We know that it won’t cost any more to coniine a prisoner and try him in a new county than in an old one: and wo further know it is state law that governs this; our tax levy need only be for the actual needs of the county, and being a n wly wedded party, wo won’t set out ms expensive us you “old. wunt- to-sliow-off married folks.” We will try “an economical government eco nomically carried on” plan, and so keep down our tax levy. Eighth question: How can the establishment of a court house at Gaffney possibly' help the farmer and land owner in the new county? Can you not to-day buy farm land around Spartanburg just as cheap as you can around Gaffney, Greer’s or Woodruff? Ans. Don’t know and don’t care whether we can or not buy land us cheap one place as another. The question is: Is it not more conve nient to have your court house where you can go and get back every day, and not have to fool a hotel bill every time you go to court? We think Spartanburg has a peculiar interest in the farmer’s pockelbook, aqd it don’t seem that it is altogether t»n interest that would tend to keep the farmer’s money in the farmer’s pockelbook. Maybe if the long and expensive trips the farmer has to make to Spartanburg did not benefit Spartanburg so much that city would not care whether the fr tier got his new county or not. So 3n you cry out at Gaffney remember, “folks who live in glass houses should not throw stones.” Ninth question: How much will the towns of Gaff ney and Blacksburg contribute to ward keeping up the public high ways? Will not this burden fall upon the country people? Ans. They have not said, hut if Blacksburg is as liberal as Gaffney the farmer won’t have to pay any thing. Anyhow, the new county will keep up its roads. You need not fear. Gaffney lias gumption enough to not Jose any trade for lack of good roads, and you know all roads lead to the court house. Tenth question : Why. in lunning their last line, did they leave out every town, cotton mill and thickly settled community from which tuxes could be collected to help support the new county? Was not this purposely done so that the town vote of Gaffney and the influ ence exerted by the persevering and clever people of that place should overbalance the country vote, and, should the new county bo created, will not this town still overbalance the rural vote, as was the case in Edgefield, and make of the country man a nonentity when it comes to politics? Ans. Green eyed jealousy. Your tactics are silly. We all know town'8 strive to rule, and will have town rings. But if we had in the old counties one dozen towns with all the ring influences, all at work against the poor farmer, isn’t it very evident that Gaffney is doing us a favor to give us only two to work against us? Why, you aro actually making ('alT' i>% ney a friend to the country people! These two towns have only one-fourth of the votes in the new county, ai)4 if the other three-fourths can’t man- , { age that, why, let her go. As for expenses, the new county had only three criminal cases in last court, ■„ and she wants to get out from so ex- . • pensive a county as Spartanburg, " anyhow. Look at her criminal docket. ' Spartanburg is too costly a county for us peaceable citizens. Further, we want you to understand, we want the new county for the reason we want evfciy other improvement, of modern times The same cause that induces us to dig a well close to our houses prompts us to have our court house nearer to us, to save time and labor; the one word, “convenience,” tells you why. Now your questions are answered, whether satisfactorily to you or not. They give the reasons that will influ ence the rural population to have a new and mor' convenient county created after Dec. 8, next. J. L. Ht.vkl,