University of South Carolina Libraries
VB tED an tws. VOL XVI N ($3NEWBERRY, S. (.. TUES DAY. A UGUST 10, 1909 TWICE A WEEK. $1.50 A YEAR GOOD ROADS. A Convert to the Bond Issue.-That Government Mile.-Objections Answered. Mr. Editor:-At first we were op posed to a bond issue for roads. We believed an annual tax the wiser plan. We believe it is now conceded by nearly every body that either an an nual tax on property. or a bond is sue is necessary, if we are ever to have any roads worthy of the name. Since giving the subject mature thought and. since reading the argu ments on both sides as published in the papers we have changed our mind and will vote for the bond issue. We want it understood, however, that we are not at all "crazy'' over this question. for we know very well that the people are going to defeat this imeasure on August 31rlt, but this cannot and will not affect our duty as a citizen and voter. Our consola tii-;n is this: That we are living in an age that is demanding better high ways and is making this question a positive issue in county. state and na tional affairs: therefore. the battle lost on the '31st will not be the end of Lie war-it will only have begun. Every honest and fair thinking man who in the beginning of this agi tation set his mind in a receptive mood to listen impartially to all ar zumentz for and against this question must have long ago been impressed with the fair, straightforward. honest. sound arguments for the bond issue. while even the most prejudiced must by this time have become sickened with disgust at some of the childish arguments advanced against the question-arguments to save the dear people f.om taking a step that would be suicidal-arguments that have about as much sincerity in them as in the grief of Mark Twain weeping at the tomb of Adam. Now, the undersigned wants to ask a question or two. Suppose the coun tv of Newberry (a mere speck on the map) should vote $300.000 in bonds for building roads how much would cotton goods advance in price in the world's market or in the local mar ket fo. that matter? How mneh would the rate of interest on money in-refse? How much would the price on meal and hulls advance~? How muwh would the rates on telephones increase? What a pity these in creased rates and the poor people w!iO nay them, were not thought of and ~heir wishes consulted before the new court house was built! We sup pose it is a good thing they were eiminated fro:n the proposition for they might have voted, ''No Court Nose' js as they are going to rote "oBonds.'' Come to think of it just at this ngoment: If store rent has zone up. and clerk hire raised. Sand the price of goods increased, per haps it is all because of those blrsted emdrt house bonds. If so. who is to Ne~w all of these excesses must creme oum of t.e pockets of the poor. helplea far:ners. It' a shame! And h';v:ere not even giv en an oppor tunity to~ say wheth'er th'.y wanted a new cour: h.oec-no reference where by they might say whether they were w'im to eti " themselves .and 20 hiP'ry and half naked by paying hie!:er prie:s for cotton goods, in creased rates of interest on money, increased prices on meal and hulls to keep the cUl cow from starving on the spot immediately. increased rates on telephones, increased store rents, clerk hire. etc.. etc.. in order to build a shining Temple of Justice. where terrible judges and shrewd lawyers might hand out morsels of justice with strings tied to them. so that when one of these poor farmers g.ets j:!W-e of the kind he wants he d'oesn't know whether to take it or not. It is to be regretted that the nowerful rich and the humble poor a.nd the town vs. county, had to be injected into this dissussion, but since it was done by the opponents of the bond issue they must excuse the un dersigned for handing back an argu ment of the same color, when we say that the town of Newberry and the la wyers got the new court house and it's an ornament that any city might well be proud of--but when it is proposed to build up roads for the County of Newberry and the farmers. these poon one-gallus fellows, who feed and clothe the world, and pa the excess in store rent, clerk hire, telephone rates. ete.. are told as gen tly as possible; to keep from making them niad. that it is a luxury they can 't afford and hence they mustn't want it; and as many of them as do want it must quit wanting it at once. Now really there iSn't a reasonable man in the County who would con sent to have the new court house done away with and the money spent on its construction refunded; nor if the bonds were voted and smooth hard roads built would there be one fair minded man who would return to present road conditions. The mile of road built by the U. S. government has been basely misrepre sented. There isn't a better mile of road anywhere in the - entire State. There are those who say that this was never a bad road. Is a road running through a sand bed that mires down from three to five inches, a good road ? We positively do nu believe that any preacher or any body else ever drove in a trot through this sand bed from one end to the Orer unless the sheriff was after them. The undersigned has traveled over this road too many times not to know what he is talking about; and he is too thoroughly familiar with tihe past and present conditions of this mile of road to believe any man who asserts, or any newspaper which gives currency to tile statement, that this road is in a worse fix than it ever was. A large majority of our people have the vArong conception of the government 's object in building thcse sample roads here and there over the county. This is the reason we -hear so much about the road out at John C. Neel's not being the worst road in the county. Now 'the government didn't send a man all the way down heie to hunt up an impassable piece of road and go to work with no other purpose than to accommodate the peol)le on that road by putting t in ,ood condition. The object of the government was to give a practical emonstration of what can be done in t.e way of road building by mixing sand and clay in proper proportions ard for ti lpurl))e the road by Jno. C. Neel's place was selected without reMard as to whether it was the worst road in the county or t.e best one. The primary ob.ject b)eing~ to show. we rep)eat. that by prop)erly mixing sand and clay, our worst clay roads may be sanded and made good and our worst sand roads may be clayed, like the one out at Neel's, and made ood and hard. Now one more point and we are through. We are told that we are already burdened with taxes. We ad mit that this is true. Now to add .$300.000 to our indebtedness seems unwise. So it would be if we intended investing this money in dead proper tv like court houses and jails and like from which there would be no returns, but when we putt this money oni the roads we save a mud tax that reatlv exceeds a two mill tax. The valuable mules and horses literally pulled to death over our roads every year. thle wear and tear on wagons, bauges and hairn ess. and tihe time lost incident to slow travel and trans notton over bad roads, would in less than ten years- macadamize every 'ublic road in Newberrey County. Is thsnta sufficient dividend to offset the two mill tax that we would pay?! Sand Packer. THE SALUri REUNION. Old Soldiers Give the Rebel Yell and Children Sing Songs. Saluda. August 7.-The Annual Re unon of the old soldiers of this county. held here yesterday under the auspices of the members of Lucinda Hone Chapter. U. D. C.. was largely attended and greatly enjoyed. The exercises were held in the Saluda school building and fully five hundred were present. A count of the Veter ans showed 101 of them in the line of march. The old boys lived over again *the days of the sixties and the Rebel yell which they gave at the special request of the aud'ience, had the old tme ring and was just such a yell as on more than one battlefield car ried consternat.ion to the ranks of the enemy. The Rev. N. D. Bodie led in prayer. th childe sang the national air, a few words of welcome were spoken by Mr. B. W. Crouch and Mr. C. J. Ramage was presented as the first speaker. By citations from history lie showed conclusively tb.at the sol diers of the South were justified in their course and fought to maintain rights guaranteed to them by the Con stitution under which they lived. He closed a most interesting address in these words: "The younger genera tion are happy to look into the faces of men who were true to the instincts of their birth. faithful to the teach ings of their fathers. constant in love for the State. fearless in the per formance of duty-men whom power could not corrupt, whom defeat could not dishonor, and whose virtues still plead for a just judgmeiit.'' Solicitor Timmerman, who is at the head of the Sons of Veterans of this State, made a most happy address. He as well as Mr. F. Earle Bradham, who followed, reviewed at some length the causes which led up to the war, and with language at once fervent and eloquent. paid a glowing tribute to the Confederate soldier. Mrs.'William L. Daniel, in a most persuasive manner outlined a Pl-an for the erection on the Court square of a monument to the soldiers of Sa luda county, the dead and the living. "I'se Gwine Back to Dixie'' was sung by the children and the memo ries aroused by it brought tears to the faces of many of the old soldiers. The Rev. D. E. Camak closed with a heart to heart talk to the Veterans exhorting them that the Cause was not yet lost, and reminding them that there were yet battles to be fought and victories to be won of far more consequence than any of those they had participated in under Lee and Jackson. 1 'His fund of anecdotes as *he grad ually ingratiated himself into the fa vor of those to whom lie talked kept the audience in an uproar. The songs by Prof. Shands and the solo by Miss R.uth Etheredge were re eeived' with high favor. At the conclusion of the exercises a barbecue and picnic dinner was served to the old Veterans and they never had fairer faces or warmer hearts to do their bidding. THE SALUDA CONVICTS udge DeVore Decides That He Is Without Jurisdiction.-New Ac tion Commenced. Edgefield, Aug. 6.-About a month ago W. D. Padgett, as supervisor of Saluda county, filed a petition for mandamus against D. J. Griffith, sup erintendent of the penitentiary. to require respondent to deliver to peti tioner certain convicts in the peni tentiary under sentence from that county. The action was based upon an act passed by th~e legislature of this year, which 'act requires the su perintendent to deliver said convicts upon the application of the supervis ors of certain counties, Saluda being among the number. On July 28 Judge DeVore issued an alternative man dam us requiring respondent to delivI 9r to the petitioner the convicts or show cause before him at this place to-day why said convicts should not be so delivered. In pursuance of the order the matter came up to-day be fore Judge DeVore, the attorney gen eral representing the respondent and Messrs. Able & Ramage of t-he Saluda bar, the petitioners. The respondent's attorney took the position that his honor was without jurisdiction to hear the case for the reason that Jad'ge DeVore is not the resident judge of, or the judge pre siding. in the Fifth judicial circuit, in which circuit the delivery of the con vits is sought to be compelled, and asked for a dismissal of the proceed ings. This motion was not resisted, and an order to that effect wasF )assed. While the merits of the case were not heard the judge intimated that' he t'hought that the act of 1909 was in conflict with an act passed in 1903, limiting sentences on county chain gangs for ten years. This is a matter of public concern because if counties are permitted to take all convicts sent from them to the penitentiary and work them on the chaingang and the law is made general, it will have the effect of depopulating and per haps destroying the penitentiary. Messrs. Able & Ramage will bring . ABOUT THAT ROAD. Mr. John C. Neel Says That Experi ment Road is Alright.-Favors Bonds. I live right in the middle of that mile of improved road, one half on One side and one on the other of my home. There is as much as forty cords of wood carried over this road daily, it raining most of the time and the road is standing alright. I have trav eled this road for thirty years and ,have had wagons to stall 1)ot.h in wet and dry weather quite often, before it was improved. As for Bonds. what more is a Bond than a note well secured? A county is like an individual if it waits to pay cash for permanent road building there will never be many such roads in this country. I do not know where this idea originated but, to my mind, it is a fair proposition well gotten up. Some say t.hey are afarid t1he money will be wasted: it seems to me that this is safeguarded by the Bond Act itself. It also seems evident that the bur den will fall equally on each one and, I am sure, every one will be equally benefited. I heard a three horse farmer say recently that it was the first time he had received something for nothing and that he intended to vote forbonds. I also 1heard Mr! Luther Fellers, who does a great deal of hauling from his home to town. say that if all the roads between there and Newberry were as good as this one mile, he wouldn't keep a two horse wagon at all but would get a heavy four horse wagon and put two mules. so as to bring a four horse load. Mr. D. W. Buzhardt, mho runs three wood wagons over this road from near Cannon's Creek chureh. two or three times per day, said that when he strikes this mile of road, a cord of wood barely "tightens the traces.' I am satisfied two mules could easi ly pull five cords over it at one time. This is the farmers and country peo ples oportunity to get something for nothing as one farmer expressed it. The property of the country has lain silently by and has done nothing in tie way of road -improvement and it is this that has to work the roads and educate the children. What little has been done for the roads (and that is little) has been done by a few white people and the negroes. Roads, e,hurches and schools go hand-inhand, one without the other being a failure. I do not know of a country church or schoolhouse in Newberry county that has a good road leading to it. In fact this mile of road is the only good road, outside of Newberry, that is really good. If the church, t,he school and the roads do not get more closely connect d and do more for the improvement of one anot'her the movements from the rural districts are going to con tinue until a 'good deal of our country will be depopulated of the white pop ulation. We need these good roads for our nreachers, doctors, mail carriers, as well as for ourselves. With free delivery and the tele phone. if the people were so they could travel, country life would be al most as comfortable as city life. This road question, next to tariff, is des tined to be one of the greatest things in the United States. I can 't see why the Farmers Union and otter farmers organizations do not agitate this question more strongly as it seems to be the key note to the situation of what they are trying to do: this would take a great deal of worthless labor from the farm to the roads, thereby reducing the production of cotton. If this could be done all over t.he cotton belt, the production could be sufficiently reduc ed in five year's time to raise the price of eotton to 15 cents per pound. There seems to be an impression over the country that this is an auto mobile movement which, I think, is a treat mistake. I never expect to own an auto for own use but I am sure that a good road would be worth more to a one horse farmer than to a man who owns an auto. Thi talk about the commission wasting,; the money is all campaign clap trap. No matter just what you undertake you will be compelled to trust some one: you might as well say you can't trust our county treasurer, J. L. Epps. I do not suppose that his bond cov ers one fifth of w1hat lie handles, and yet no one seems to doubt his honesty and rightly so. I am glad of this, that I live in a day when men like 0. B. Mayer. J. M. Kinard, Geo. W. Sum mer. Z. F. Wright. Dr. Wheeler and other men renresenting large property and corporations, are willing to be taxed by these bonds to work the pub lic highways some being twenty miles or more from their homes. I am sure, some of these corporations would pay more tax to satisfy t:hese bonds than some whole townships in the county and yet these corporations would not be benefitted any more than a farmer living the same distance from New berry. With roads worked like this mile of road a man could live at Chappells depot and send his sons to Newber ry college every day from home. He could also live at Newberry and farm on Broad river. going down ev ery morning and back at night. He could even live at O'Neall's on Saluda and run a store at Newberry. The mail could be delivered by twelve o'clock. What a grand oppor tunity. To t'hose who have any doubts whatever concerning this road, I want them to come and inspect it for them selves and I will prove just what I have said. (Signed) J. C. Neel. The Bond Issue. Editor Herald and News:-As it is in line to say something about the road tax. I rise to say that I am against it, for this reason: We are not makinz the proper use of the monev that we now have, and what reason have you to know that we will apply this $300,000 where it ought to go. Let us see what we now have, and how are we spending this amount:* First. from the $2.00 road tax. we get $12500 00 Second. from the 1 mill tax$ 7500 00 Third, from the county fund 12000 00 Fourth. value of the chain gang 5000 00 A grand total of $37,000 00 Are we getting value for this amount ? Some will say that we do not get t'his much from the $2.00 road tax. If not, then we ought to get the days. which is equivalent to this amount. Are we working the roads as we ought ? I say not. Whose fault is it? I say that it is the fault of the supervisor. Why do you say that? He is not working the chain gang as it ought to be worked. He is too easy with them, does not push them, allows them to stand and talk and laugh while at work, takes the mout late and brings them back long before night, stops so he can get them here before night. These things ought not to be. If they are ut there to be punished, then -it is his duty to pu~nishl them. I heard one say after serving thirty days that he would rather work on the chain .gang than to work on the farm. so working them as we are working them is no punishment. I would that I could call back some years when Bill ];ill was supervisor and Wallace was guard, that I might take our county bosses out to see a chain gang work. I think we ought to change the name of our chain gang and call it a fattening pen. Again, what has become of the ma chinery that the county bought? Did we buy it to stand? Our supervisor can take this road machinery and work more roads in one day, than he can in three or four days without it. Then why not keep it at work? If I were supnervisor I would buy three more scrapes, and more mules, divide he gang, and it would not be long until I could show you some roads. Again, some will say that the super visor can 't get the overseers to work the roads. Let him read the law, rand see if he cannot get them to work. But he must have a backbo?ne, and not be afarid he will not be elected again. Some say that if he does his duty, he will not be elected. I differ with them. and say that we all Io'.e a man that does his duty, because it is his duty. And then if the super visor doe hi duty he will make the overseer do his, and the overseer will make the hands do theirs, and we will then have good roads. The super visor is elected for four years for this reason, to give him a chance to show what is in him, and if he has. done nothing in that time he ought to be man enough not to apply, and save himself a defeat. I go back to that $37,000.00. When we have spent this amount and have made the proper use of this, our legislature can levy .another mill, which will give us $7,500 more, which added to the $37,000 willmake $44,500 for each year. and when the roads are gotten in good fix, then the leg islature can take this nill off and we will not be much the worse off. But not so with the bonds. When they are voted we will have them for forty years, and will have them to pay, whether they do any good to the roads or not. I will close, and only say this, Oh! for a supervisor that has a backbone as big as my ox's hind leg! J. H. Wicker. NEAR-BEER IN GREENVIJE. Wagon Loads Being Handled by the City Drug Stores.-Is the Law Being Violated? Columbia Record. They have found a soothing balm for prohibition pain up in Greenville in the form of a sort of nearbeer known as Wurtburger Malt, which is destined to become rapidly popular througlhout the State if its seizure is not ordered by the State administra tion. A Columbian in Greenville a few days ago saw a two-horse load of the stuff in barrels being unloaded at the rear of one of the Main street drug stores, and investigation disclosed that this supply was expected to last this particular store only three days, and that is was being sold at scores places throughout the city at 15 cents a bottle, and was eagerly sought as a substitute for beer. He was informed that the Greenville sheriff and mayor had agreed that it could be sold as a tonie regardless of its being used as a beverage, though -the dispensers of it were cautioned not to allow it to be drunk on the premises, and it is not being kept on ice. Chairman Murray of the dispens,,,y ~commission frankly stated today that his wholesale drug company is sell ing this malt in various parts of the State, but he was not advised that' it was being sold as a beverage or used 'as such. The Columbia druggists are not selling it. being ordered last spring to cut it out. The drink contains three per cent. of alcohol, and Attorney General Lvon is under the impression that he has rendered an opinion against the sale of it under the name it now bears, but he could not get at his records handily this morning to confirm this. Any way. if- the stuff contains any amount of alcohol, and is being used as a beverage, whether sold as such or not, its sale is in violation of the law, and the venders are liable to the penal.ty under ethe new law providing for a fine of not less than $100 far the first offense. and imprisonment without fine for from one to five years for subsequent violations. FELL ASLEEP ON R. R. TRACK. Pendleton Farmer Run Over By a Train and Cut Nearly in Two. Anderson, August 6.-Robert M. Ritchie, a farmer 35 years old, was run over and killed at Pendleton by an excursion train on the Blue Ridge railway early this morning. It is pre sumed that he went to sleep on the track. His body was horribly man gled, being cut nearly in two. JOHN G. CAPERS STEPS OUT. Secretary of the Treasury Announces Appointment of Cabell. Washington, August 6.-Official an nouncement of the resignation of Jhn G. Capers, of Sonith Carolina, as commissioner of internal revenue, to take effeet September 1, and of the appointment of Royall E. Cabell, present postmaster of Richmond, Va., .to succeed him, was made by the See