The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, March 24, 1909, Image 9
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Senator Crosson'a
I Beply To "Critic."
To the Editor of The Dispatch:
I am not given to newspaper correspondence
nor would I pay any attention
to what 'Critic" has to say in your
last week's issue, but he presumes to
be a self-constituted dictator and wouldbe
advisor and "critic" for the whole
Le&ngton delegation, and falls so far
short of the mark or truth that I merely
for the present take notice of his tirade,
which really is immaterial to me, except
to keep the records straight, and I
assure you I have always been open and
above board and your "Critic" and evprv
nno fan at. all times, find where 3
I stand on any subject, and presume the
balance of the county delegation is able
to take care of themselves.
Critic" says that he means no ofBfewffe,
but that he is turning on the light
Has he think9 for the public good and
that he is a special friend to each and
Hevqrv member. This the writer doubts
very much and questions even his sup port
and it is a fact that such a devoted
friend, as he claims, never goes out of
the vray to pod his special friends.
I First. "Critic" says that our honored
Senator advocated from every stump
last summer reduced taxation, curtail
ment of public expenses and reduction
of sjate appropriations?donating ro the
state institutions extravagant sums?
I and not one word of protest from our
honored Senator. Is this Republican
I doctrine that political platforms are on
ly made to get into office?"
I These expressions not only displays
I the ignorance of "Critic," as to cam
paign discussions and legislation, but
I his insolence and impudence as well;
I besides, the writer has never had, at
I any time, his demociacy questioned,
I ancf since when a mere boy and rode in
I the "Red Shirt columns," he has never
I yielded to any man the right to quesI
tien his, or to lay claim to superior de
mocracy. So away with such "torn-,
myrot." The writer in the campaign
did advocate retrenchments and reforms;
he advocated the doing away
with the emmigration bureau, and the
same was wiped out; he advocated that
less appropriations should be given to
tfoe*higher institutions for boys, and
lEbrvote is recorded against any higher
?r any additional appropriation for
t*ese institutions; he advocated that
ndre money be given the common free
schools, and you will find his vote recorded
as voting for the $20,000 extra
for to help the poor free schools. This
is in keeping with the records and it is
a different thing for "Critic" to write
what the legislature did and how I voted.
He evidently makes a foul display
ef his blinded ignorance when he does
mot know these things when iie writes:
"and not one word of protest or disapproval
from our worthy Senator."
This is untrue. It is quite a different
tiling as to what a whole legislature
does as compared to wliat and how one
member thinks or votes on any question,
besides everybody knows that the
^?t session of the legislature was so
^hamperedby the "jadgship deadlock."
hen law and prohibition discussions,
that there was no time for full discussion
of other measures that I would
liked to have discussed freely, etc.
It is one thing to look at a thing from
m sordid and "critic" standpoint at
home and another to do what you would
Hke in a session of the general assembly.
| There are many things I would liked
to have done in the last session, but
ooold not be done, however, I did what
1 I deemed best and proper under the ciroomstances,
etc, I am always in favor
of reforms and economical administrations
of government, though I am not
! parsimonious and pickannish in my
| views, We often have to spend money
Lj^par own business to make money,
same often has to be done in affair*
of county and state. We can't
i
Our line of new
in Ready-to-Wear Hats.
?/
will take pleasure in arr
fore you buy your Eastei
|k The other departme;
11 an inspection of our stock
HI Our' Lexington frier
m. PI
expect everything without cost.
I introduced a bill by request to raise
the coroner's salary $50. because most
all the salaries had been raised the ses- !
j sion before but this one and it is not i
sufficient to retain a good man long, |
that might some day be the high sheriff
of our county and he should have
enough to command a proper respect
for the office. This was not passed.
Now, "Critic," single handed, presumes
to know all when the facts show
that he knows nothing. Why was the
two additional magistrates appointed?
Because of numerously signed petitions
by the citizens of those districts asking
that these districts be put back as they
formerly had been. I did not act on
the single critical advice of a single
"Critic," but after the proper investigation
of the facts presented by probably
four-fifths of the best citizens of j
those districts, which as now arranged i
cost but a very little more than as it J
formerly stood and our i^eople are entitled
to some just consideration and
conveniences, even though it ccst a
fraction more. Those districts were too j
large and w ere not giving satisfaction, j
hence the change and I hold the petitions
properly signed to justify my actions,
the opinion of "Critic" to the
contrary notwithstanding. He is woe- j
fully in the minority. Why is all this j
unrest as to cutting up old Lexington j
County? When I made the inquiry
and hivestigatad the matter the answer
to me was: we are dissatisfied as to our
free school conditions, our roads and
bridges, our magisterial conveniences,
etc. Then when I make an effort to
adjust the evils one lone "Critic" howls
against the will of a vast majority, and
is plainly representing an imaginary
following and is howling about taxation,
when personally, as is usually the
case, be pays but little. I am opposed
to cutting up our county and think the
original and natural boundaries should
not be altered. The natural boundary
lines of the historic "Old Dutch Fork"
should never be cut. The decendants
of the Dutch settlers of the Fork, if for
no other reason, should not disregard
the famous history of her ancestry and
should throw no slur upon the pages of
her glorious history, yet unwritten.
The traditional lines should ever stand
for "Dutch Fork's" glorious future history.
Be content; you will have schools,
magistrates, roads and bridges, and a
glorious future yet awaits you.
Now, as to my highway civil engineering
bill. This bill was introduced
by request of the State Highways or
Good Roads Convention and I will here
say, that I deem it a compliment to be
selected by the convention to introduce
the bill, and I have no apologies to
make for it, as I am heartily in favor o
the measure and when yen fully study
and understand it, you will see the
great benefit of it and "Critic" even
will be silenced in his sickly and chronic
whine. Now everybody knows, in
the first place, that one of the issues in
last campaign was good roads, and everybody
knows, that the county chaingang,
has never been profitable to Lexington
county. Now why? Because of
cost, misdirected and the lack of proper
scientific methods of work, and so long,
as we go on in our slipshod way?
throwing a shovel of dirt here and running
yonder and leaving this half undone
and that temporarily fixed and
promised some more, Lord knows when
and all left to bo washed off the first
big rain?good roads, labor, time, cost
and all, where is the business judgement,
or future benefit in such work?
None whatever, we need **ro system,
and scientific methods.
Now, in the Eecond place, let's see
what the cost of a highway engineer
will be to Lexington county, whose
duty it shall be, to come at any time
and properly lay off and give estimates
as to road grades, bridges, etc. This
based upon the taxable property of the
state will cost Lexington county about
$35 per annum. Can we not save a
,
TiraJiMPMg37WB-njriirBBB?fcJgg-MIMI III ?IMHMMMi
BBBHBBBE??HEMSSS^S 2MM
spring* millinery is now rc
Our Millinery* Department
anging anv kind of hat you n
o o %/
3
Hat.
nts of our store are brim full
:s, will prove to you that we
ids are most cordially invited
L ATT
COL.UMB
hundred fold more than this by having
our work done scientifically? There i
would now be money in our treasury, j
if we had had a proper highway eugin- I
eer, to have given us an estimate on
the Saluda bridge and ha\re saved expense,
averted "a county bridge scandal"
and saved time and had conveniences;
I tell you "Critic" you can't
build roads nowadays, without doing it
scientificalty. This electric age and the
demands of the times and our people
command it and you and we all have
just as well pull the scales off our eyes
and meet the issues square in the face.
If, at first, when our chaingang was j
put on our roads we had employed a j
good highway civil engineer and took j
a road at the time and done good scien- !
tific grading and permanent work we !
today, would have had good roads i
throughout old Lexington county, which I
would be a pride of ours, and oh, what I
an enhancement in value of our lands !
and property. More than enough to j
pay all cost. But, lo, where are we? j
"Critic," all these yet are future ideals j
to be obtained, but we have got to start j
in the right way, we will never be bet- j
tor off, as we are going 011. But you j
seem to want everything without cost, :
which will never be. The clamor is for !
good roads and we have nothing that is :
disturbing our equilibrium now, or at
least we are in a measure quiet and j
doing well and we should turn our J
minds to iuternal and civic improve- j
ments, but, sir, I assure you, that 110 ;
good things come to us without cost (
and our development naturally brings !
expenditures and you will have to get j
a more progressive view 011 you, and do j
away with your chronic croaking, and j
get a progressive new idea. You artU
behind the times, you are a scab on the' I
progressive body politic. This is not j
an age to prosper by grumbling it is an
age to do and we have got to be up and
doing, or before you are aware of it
the best of your county will be talked
on .Richland and Newberry and
other counties and where will you be,
why will these people go to other counties?
Because of good roads, school
facilities and because of a more progressive
spirit and action and they will
follow.
Now "Critic," I have but one more
subject to give you my opinion on and
I will close, as I feel guilty now, for
attempting to answer your lamely assertions
above a non de plume, but,
as you are not paying much tax, and not
often your debts, when you can get
out of it, I presume you are a fit subject
to do newspaper jobs or give lega
advice.
1 note fully what you have to say as
to prohibition. You surely misquote
the facts, for nine years ago, I said
openly on the stump that at heart I was
a prohibitionist but at that time, I
thought the dispensary the best solution
of the liquor question and favored
it as a stepping stone to prohibition.
You talk about a $9,000 revenue or
income from the sale of whiskey. Does
this show much business principle or
judgement. To take $j0,000 that toes
out of Lexington county annually for
liquor. That is gone, eternally gone,
to St. Louis and other points to get
whiskey, to get back to the same people
of this c-ounty $9,000 in revenue
for taxes. This is financiering on "a
high scale." Yes, 'tis, according to
"Critic's" calibre, and too, some of the
same kind say we get taxes out of the
negroes and poor whites by this and it
ought to be let alone. Now be honest,
let the burdens of taxation fall where
they ought to fall and we will have a
more equal distribution of funds and a
more enlivened and active business relations
and suocess. I am sorry indeed tliat
"Critic" thinks the ignorant voters of
luia v;v/uxii> un-i uui iwn/ M m.u
voted for me intelligently. But, I assure
you Yoters, I sliall never abuse
your confidence. I shall endeavor to so
live and work, while as your senator,
shall be, as to the best of my ability.
?I Mi 1?? il ?I BWiy Hr H IHH ! ? >
?ady for your inspection, em
is in charge of Mrs. Allen, ai
iay want. Be sure to visit 01
ot ail that s newest and best
can save vou money on even
l to make our store headqnarj
& s<
IA, S. C.
The state highway engineers bill, introduced
by me, created more comments,
probably, than any new bill introduced
at the past session and I received messages
and letters from many and var- !
ious secretary ef states and from able
representatives in Washington complimenting
me for it and urging me to
pusli the passage of the bill, as it was
of vast importance and in keeping with !
progressive road ideas and the most im- I
potant bill introduced at the past session. |
But they had'nt heard from "Critic." !
As to being Joded on account of my
position on the liquor question. "Critic"
does not know, probably, that there
were more petitions sent up from Lexington
county than any other county in '
the state, asking for statewide prohibi j
tion. It is no longer a "fad." It is not |
now a ouestion of a source of revenue. 1
but a question as to what is morally j
right and the county will by a majority |
go prohibition. It was not discussed, j
but I made it known during the cam- j
paign I'd vote for prohibition. I a mak- !
ing this article too long, but I'm not 1
half through, but I assure "Critic" I !
have never yet played two-faced to get I
an office, as I could live without it. ;
But, I consider it an honor to represent ;
the good people of my county, which j
1 shall do to the best of my ability, al- !
ways considering the best interests of !
mv constituents, "Critic," I can be ;
found seven days in a week and the j
people of my county ere this, knows of j
what manner of man I am. 1 shall here- j
after probably pay no attention to any j
article, written under non de plume, !
and as to "Critic" being a special friend j
I have my doubts, as to this, or even j
his support. I have been elected senator ! ,
of Lexington county 1 for years, I shall j
do my duty, as I see it, regardless of j ^
the favor of anyone, any faction, or j j
set of men. or single "Critic," or dicta- j
tor. At the end of my term the commission
is the people's. If they do not ! ]
see fit to return me "Critic" can advise ' '
them who to give the commission and I ; (
shall be your humble and grateful ser- I i
vant. I have no appologies to make 1
for anything I did in the last session and
I shall endeavor to pass all bills of 3
mine left on the calendar and do all I 1
can to upbuild our county and state. 1
To the citizens of Lexington couDty, I 1
am now most sincerely and most ^respectfully
and obediently your servant.
To "Critio" I will say, that I have no
correct Idea as to who you are, but you
are mistaken in your contentions and
look at all from a morbid standpoint.
I think you will find a total reduction
in appropriations of about twelve thousand
dollars. You ought to know before
you attempt to write. Now,
"Critic," in all soberness and fairness,
I don't know how you will appreciate
the invitation, but if yon will come up
and pay mo a visit and let us know who
and what manner of man, voter and
taxpayer you are, I think we may be
able to rid you of some of your billiousness,
and we have some hog and hominy
left. We will divide with you, as
we would with the humblest and poorest
citizen of the couuty, and we assure
you your mental aberation may be
more tranquil in the future, and you
will be better suited to enter politics, as
your attitude indicates. Best regards
to you.
Yours most respectfully,
D. M. Crosso n.
Leesville, March 19, 1909.
Mother Whips Younj Wife.
Atlanta, Ga., March 22.?Two girls,
one of whom had been married but
had left her husband, were chastised at
the local police barracks this morning
in the presence of the police martron
by their mothers, following a declaration
by the city recorder that a mother
had the right to "whip" her daughter
until she "was 21 years of age." This
course was agreed upon in lieu of a
fine.
? ?? Mi III "I ~ "11 r
bracing all the latest stvles
n ?.
i expert designer, and she
ir millinery department befor
spring and summer and
j purchase.
ters while in the city.
r\u
\j n,
i
He Playei Jean Valjean.^
How a soldier escaped from a coffin j
and got a pension is told by Capt. J. j
W. Lindsyy, commissioner of pensions j
and it has to do with one of prison j
records of the Civil War record.
"This applicant for a pension,'' said |
Capt. Lindsey, "claimed that he was j
a veteran of the Civil War and that j
he had been a soldier in one of the I
Georgia regiments. I investigated the j
records and they showed that he was j
marked up as a deserter, having been !
placed 011 a post as picket, from which ;
he mysteriously disappeared. I could ;
not approve the pension, although
there wa9 110 actual proof that he had '
been a deserter.
"A short while later he came back (
and said he was ready to show that !
he was not a deserter. He proved .
that he had been captured by Feder
al soldiers and put in prison, from '
which he later eseapod. The story j
of hi9 escape was peculiar.
"One night six coffins containing j
the bodies of men who had died were '
brought into the guard house where :
other prisoners were confiined.
The soldier induced one of his fellow 1
prisoners to assist him in taking; out :
one of the bodies, which the}* hid in
a pile of rags. Then he climbed in j
and had his comrade to lightly nail ;
the lid.
"Next morning the coffins were .
carried out some distance from the j
prison to be buried. You can imagine i
what happened when that fellow !
burst out of the coffin with a blood- !
curdling shriek. Graves and grave- ;
diggers fell pell mell back to camp j
and the Confederate soidier hurried i
into the thicket and was lost. I ap- j
proved the pension."?Atlanta Georgian.
;
A special from Columbia says: "The <
fight in Abbeville county as to wheth
sr or not that county shall go dry or '
:ontinue its own dispensary is interesting.
Abbeville county is now the 1
anly county in what is known as the |
Piedmont section in which there is
aJispensary, and a great deal of intefSfet
is taken in the situation. In
this connection it is to be noted that
the statement is made that a passenger
may board a train in New Orleans
and go to Richmond via the j
Seaboard Air Line, and that from the \ <
time he leaves New Orleans until he j reaches
Richmond he is unable to le- ;
i
gaily get a drink of liquor except at
Abbeville." 5
I YOUR
EASTEf
FOOT\
IS NOW I
The largest stock
wear in the State to
styles are Oxfords. S:
I Ankle Straps, and ms
TViolooora r>nmc
IJh. XIV XVUI UUVA u vvxuv.
Gun Metals, and Tai
$2.00, $2.50. $3.00. ^
Lever, T
,;\ c '. > *%. I
- ' ' ft. '
I
HNBPNNP? S7i7?E?rH.i ? lUJt i J1 MlB
DnDBKBSBO KlbHDBaKawSainNHEflHMDHH
Airepy
THE JEWELER
1637 Main St., Columbia, S. C.
REPAIRS ,
WATCHES
ASD
JEWELRY
Wakes Them Good as New
MEDALS
AM)
' BADGES
Wanufsstured in Our Own
Shops for Schools and
utner Purposes.
AVERY, The Jeweler
1637 Main Si., Columbia, S. C.
Notice of Examination.
The scholarship and entrance examination
for Winthrop College will
be held at Lexington, S. C. on the 2nd
day of July, 1909, beginning at 9 a. m.
All those desiring scholarships or admission
in the College should be present.
Applicants must not be less than
fifteen years of age and have a good
education in the common school branches.
Respectfully,
A. D. Martin,
16 Mch. 1909. Co. Supt. Ed.
Panama Eats.
Get your Panama Hats cleaned
now before Easter. All work guaranteed
to give Satisfaction.
Prompt service.
Joseph Davis,
Expert Cleaner and Clothes Presser,
Lexington, S.C.
2w21.
YEAR
READY
: of Easter Footselect
from. The
ailor Ties, Pumps,
any other styles.
} in Patents, Kids,
is. Priees: $1.50,
[>3.50 and Up. I
HE SHOE MAN I
IN COLUMBIA I