Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE LEDGER: GAFFNEY, S. C., OCTOBER 2(1, 1890 5 .COUNTY ARGUMENT, CONVINCED ON SUBJECT. \.Ccmpclled to Ride and E.gnty Miles to a Court House to Have a Deed Recorded. It is a wise rule of court that ignor ance oi law shall excuse no man. but la it a just rule where every reason able facility is not afforded both for acquiring a for complying with his requirements? publishing good and what In addition to freouent editions of the law, better means can be devised to pro tect the innocent and punish the guilty, and award every one his own, than by having a court house cheaply and quickly accessible to all. To say that ignorance of law shall excuse no man and yet prevent that man from having suitable facilities for acquir ing a knowledge'of the law by tbrow- ing difficult bstaclea in his path is as tyrannical in spirit and effect as Caligula writing his laws in such them so read. St. hanging not there is no not imputed herself of each with a greater iode Island, and at least small let tors and high the people could I’uul says “Where no law is, transgression; sin is where there is no law. Yet our judges in Carolina have to hold that to bo a crime and punish it, which Paul declared is not even a 1 ‘transpre-b>>n.* l.ntil South Caro lina shul 1 rid herself of having so many counties area than ill three, either of which is about equal t) Delaware, i for one will contend that she ou lit to quit claiming to bo even a Chrisiiun state or a free state, much less the champion par excell ence of ‘local self government.” Ought a m.m to lie compelled to ride sixty or • ;hty miles to and from his court iu.m-c, just to have a deed recorded, consult an attorney, make a fiduciary return, listen to the trial of a cas - in court, hear a distinguished orator speak, attend a county meet ing of his fellow citizens for consultu- tion, or do any of the many things which can better be done at a court house than anywhere else? It is probable that in each of half the counties of South Carolina, at least 500 white in. n can be found who do jipt on an average visit their respec- fve county seats of tenor than once live years, except on compulsion. Is it reasonable that such virtual banishment from the common ren dezvous for the whole county is cal culated to make them either con sented, intelligent, public spirited or law-abiding citizens? Must not these men regard a journey to their several court houses as much a pilgrimage of pain as a trip for pleasure or instruc tion? The young men near the borders of our large counties very papelv ever see their county seat Until after reaching yearsof maturity. Is not the wholesome example of administering public justice lost at a time of life when the deepest impres sions are these youths nal cases from remote localities of large counties not unfrequently fail to attend court even in response to process, and if forced to do so will often prove unwilling witnesses, or, with patience worn out and perchance purse exhausted, will leave before the case is tried, on pretext of sickness or some other feigned excuse. Then too in litigations, or prosecu tions from distant quarters of a large county, it is not uncommon that the most respectable wives and mothers of the neighborhood are important witnesses and sometimes when in poor health themselves, have to be dragged away from their iittle chil dren as well as their domestic alTairs and after a long journey through cold or rain be detained week after week on expense at the court house. Rather than encounter all these ob stacles and drawbacks in the pursuit of legal redress, even the best people on the outskirts of our large counties have permitted many a crime to go unwhipt of justice and many a righteous, civil claim to pass un pressed. As a contrast I have been at a number of court bouses in Georgia, North Carolina and other states where there were plenty of private resi dences and but little or no hotel ac commodations because they were not needed, as the people were accus tomed to return to their homes after court hours, which they couid easily do. As a rule, in our neighboring states, us well as in Tennessee, Ken tucky, Virginia, etc., etc., every voter of nearly every county can that a neighborhood has no fixed center or boundary, whereas a county seat is an established center in so cial, political and business matters for its tributory cirvle of population. The words “civil.” “citizen,” “civilization,”‘.urbane,’’“urbanity,” “police,” “policy,” “politics,” “polish,” “politenei-v,” and many other analagous English words come to us from Greek and Latin roots meaning "city,” and the city or town has ever been regarded as the nursery of social, intellectual, gov ernmental and industrial improve ment of the human race. While “heathen,” “clown,” “boor,” “rustic,” “peasant,” etc., conic to us from words which signify secluded “country.” The origin of these terms plainly indicates that in the opinion of the world scattered men in the country ought frequently to be brought together for commun ion and not be left dispersed in uncivilizing isolation. Solitude of course has its charms and advantages at times, but the magic agencies for improving man and ren dering him happy and prosperous are for the most part neighborly and social. Ibis for this reason that by the aggregate judgment of mankind a home in the country, yet near to a city or town is held to be the most desirable place of abode on earth. The nearest we cr.n approach supply ing all of our dispersed population with such a pleasant and profitable “rus in urbe” is to erect a court house for any designated territory wliose people are willing to construct theirown public buildings. It may leisurely leave Ids homo in the morn- i be claimed that the many new rail roads lately built and building through South Carolina, by founding multi tudes of flourishing depot villages are furnishing the much needed oppor tunities for social and mental im provement, so as to prevent the ne cessity for establishing new court houses for that purpose. In several aspects the contention would be cor rect, but a court house town has in numerable instrument'dities and fac ilities for the highest social and mental culture not possessed by a town without a court house. And just here, while on the social argument, a strong special reason suggests itself why South Carolina should erect as many now court houses, asjthe people within a given area may be willing to build after a vote among themselves. That strong reason is that more court house towns arc necessary to meet by anticipation, one of the rapidly developing evolutions of the negro problem which is that ulti- mately the bulk of the Southern whites will probably reside in towns as agricultural landlords while most of the negroes will dwell in the coun try us peasant tenants. The causes working such a result are not far to sock. made in a great measure on and would not they us Veil us the.r fathers ho immensely prolited in a number of ways if they could oftener breathe the atmosphere of the court room and mingle with the multitude of their fellow citi zens. Not only does a largo rural county promote ignorance, but to a a great extent it practically denies justice and oilers a premium on vice and crime. In such a county there arc so many criminals tube tried and so much civil litigation to be tran sacted that court has to sit every term two weeks or more. \Y hereus in a small county it usually sits but one week or less, and neither prose cutors in criminal cases, nor parties, nor witnesses in civil suits know when their cases will bo called; so they mqst dance prolonged attend ance, losing valuable time, neglect ing business at home and enduring Worry, while a host ol other cases are tried. Thus prosecutors, parties and witnesses have to pay hotel bills 4nd incur other necessary per diem expenses, costs for twice or thrice the time they ought. Numbers of citizens (not many of whom are mere spectators either) from a long distance frequently have to linger ut court for a whole week, sometimes two consecutive weeks. They cannot go home at night, as they could if it wore a smaller county but either camp out like gypsies or contract big board bills ut or near the county seat in which case they usually have to huddle together like sheep—a condition of alTairs always leading more or less to drinking, gambling or carousals. • Ti-. ever common Thai m< n ire merriest when lliey Are from home. That is more prone to dissipation and mischief us well as to hilarity, especially as night shows human na ture in a plainer light. The temptations of such surround ings and the vexations Incident to a )emi-imprisonincnt like that just de scribed—doubtless often make men contract bad habits, indulge in vice or commit crimes. Whatever the cause, in proportion to population i.v more offenoes against society, kjMtd the ordinances of God are JTiuitted In the larger counties of Mouth Carolina than In the smaller ones. Witnesses In both civil and crlmi* ing and reach his county seat by the time court convenes, to be a specta tor or to transact business, and after the usual adjournment of court can go back home in the evening without fatigue. A small county, therefore, not only makes its county seat headquarters for administering justice, but also makes it headquarters for an en larged social and business intercourse for all the people within a prescribed territorial circle and it further con verts the court house into a common school house for instructing those people in their rights and duties, as well as in general intelligence and the courtesies of life. What South Carolinian who bus traveled much in other states where small counties prevail, has failed to notice the supe rior enlightenment, refinement, self- confidence, familiarity with laws and knowledge among the country peo ple of those states when compared with the isolated inhabitants of the sleepy hollows and dark corners of our wilderness counties? Most of the dwellers in these sleepy hollows and dark corners, and particularly their wives and daughters, unless rendered callous, like the prisoner of Ghilon, by 4he deadening torpor of habitual seclusion, must often fool, if they do not utter, Robinson Cfrusoc’s wail— ‘•O. Solitudi!, whore iiro the charms That saK»'s have soon in Ihy facet Hotter (hvoll in the midst of alarms Than roijfn in this horrible place." The people as a whole in the small counties of other states have ut least four times as much intercourse with each other us in our large counties. They also have more circulating libraries, lycoum lectures, debating societies, agricultural clubs, fairs, amateur theatricals, pleasure parties, etc. Should it be any wonder, then, that tlicfe is so inqch emigration from, instead of immigration to our large counties? 1 have hoard num bers of migrating and migrated South Carolinians assign her large counties as the main reason for quit ting the state. Ilencc it is advisable reduce our large counties, if for no other reason than to promote sociality among our dispersed people. It is as true now as it was when Shakespeare wrote it that •Home keepin wits." youths have over homely Man is naturally gregarious, and must enjoy frequent as well as varied and wide contact with his kind, to fulfill his highest destiny. Solitude, with its dreary void, and waste of thoughts unexpressed and feelings unemployed, has in all ages and climes been considered the bane of agricultural life, in which most of our people are engaged. This is doubly true of rural life at the south on account of our spurs? population, and the presence of so many uncom panionable negroes. The Grange formerly, qnd the Alliance latterly, have attempted to cultivate this “leafless desert” of the agricultural mind, by instituting monthly meot- ings and regular festivals, to bring the scattered brethren and sisters to gether. Rut a more permanent'aiul feasibl? method to increase sociality, attract population, establish high schools, diffuse Intelligence, improve man ners, refine taste, promote content ment and advance the general wel fare in baekwood regions is to estab lish more county seats which speedily grow into good-sized towns and be come common centers of thought and action, by reason of the social, edu cational, religious and business ad vantages they afford. It is an (indisputable fact that half the mule population of South Caro lina resides so fur away from their respective court houses that they loath the thought of a visit thithe*. Nearly all their mental associations with the court iiouse and its people are disagreeable. This doubtless furnishes one solution why curses loud and deep are often heaped upon lawyers in largo counties i t| l0 W ivos and children of those Isolated rustics are alfnost literally deprived of any opportunity for mingling in society except with their Intermediate neighborhood, and every one knows 411 the colored races shrink from Intimate contact with tie white man. because the latter repels it, and on this account there is not and cannot be any genuine socialty between the two races at the south since real companionship requires social equali ty, which the whites will never con cede, yet us social equality and free dom from restraint of unv kind are things which every human being craves, no one can blame the negro for striving to get away from the white man as much as he can and assoeiuto only with his own race, lienee the negro instinctively prefers a school of his own. a church of bis own and a business of his own, with which the white man shall interfere as little as possible. Rut the wiiite man and the negro have got to live together at the south for an indefinite period. The white man has plenty of land, but ho has no labor comparatively speaking, while the negro has plenty of labor but no land. Therefore the two races are mutually dependent on each other and must come to terms. The negro insists on being to himself and gov erning himself socially and indus trially, ut least without the presence or supervision of the ivhite man, which makes him decline to work, either for wages or on shares, although lie is eager to rent that he may be his own boss, and to get part of a farm where no white person resides the negro will not only promise a good rental, but will work hard as well as live even penuriously to pay that rental. The large land owner is fust finding out that it is (o his interest pecuniarily to grant these de mands, and that it is to the advantage of himself and family to remove to a town for social, education and reli gious privileges, where or whence he may also engage in other business, since his occupation as an agricul turist with wage hands to produce shares is gone. I know a largo number of cotton planters now living in a city or vil lage, who, without having any white agent on their plantations, and with out having to make any advances or incur expense except for permanent improvements, are getting better rents with less trouble than when residing on the plantation them selves. Of course negroes on sueli places would bo untrue to their na ture if they did not persecute the land owner for advances, but the latter lias only to resolutely re fuse, when the former will got all the help he needs somewhere and pay the rent. As such an arrangement seems to give more satisfaction to both races than any which has yet been hit upon, it appears likely that with in a few years a largo majority of our rustic negro laborers will have become almoit permanently installed as contented quasi-peasant proprie tors, with homelike surroundings as to houses, gardens, orchards, pas tures, farm stock, etc., while the white landlords and their families will bare likewise become established I in towns where they can possess far better schools, society and all the concomitants of a good home. Whether this impending exodus of whites from the country to the towns and get era I installation of the ne- groes into happy and prosperous peasants shall prove the ultimate so lution of the unsolved race question remains to be seen. Re that as it may some mighty impelling causes more or less all over the south are driving white men to the towns while leaving tfieir plantations in nearly exclusive control of the ne groes, and especially i- this the fact in neighborhoods where negroes are numerous. This transition state of residence and occupation must have a great deni to d>» with the present general unrest among our whites which makes many of them lend too attentive ear to delusive remedies for an unsettled condition of tilings that nothing hut. time can adjust. Our IS.OOO.tKH) of whites and blacks are obliged to dwell together for an in definite period, to do which in peace the}’ must work out some new but normal civilization to take the place of the old, by agreeing upon some general permanent plan of social and industrial policy, at least that shall be mutually satisfactory to botli races, and the assignment of homes and occupations, together with the quasi separation on the line indicated, promise well. Such a system, or rather custom, will put the negro on his good be havior to keep his place to which he has become attached, while the white man who has gone to town will in most cases engage in manufacturing, I trucking, fruit growing, canning or | some other oi the thousand large or small industries more congenial to a Cuucnsin than raising cotton by his i own sweat. Another far reaching ^ and incalculable but beneficial effect ' that the flocking of our whiles to the I towns will have must be the the tre mendous impetus it shall impart t > manufactures of all kinds, and to the diversification of Southern indus tries—two tilings we most need. The recent influx of whites from the country to the towns is one of tiie factors that is at present pro ducing such a marvelous growth of manufacturing at the south. Rut whether the white land owners sx settling in the towns shall engage in other business or not, they and their families will gain much by the ex change of lonely isolation on the log plantation for a pleasant village of farmers where the school, the chqrcli. the public amiHeiqent, aoejal gather ing, the lecture, the (jaijy paper and constant IntercourseMfitfi th-inquals can be bah. ^ the present, genera! tendency of our large liqi'l owners to migrate (.q the tuiyns and villages should become so universal as to locate nearly everv white family in an agricultural village, It would per haps be the very best tiling that could happen for the south, ami might to a large extent compensate for the sacrifices, trials and tribula tions that negro slavery has cost us. If such an event were to occur, it would simply be going back to first principles and organizing agriculture upon its best basis. The happiest, most intelligent and prosperous agri cultural communities in the world dwell in villages from which the owners and laborers go forth dally, need bo, to work the lands for many miles around. It is so in Spanish America, so in Europe, so every where except in the Southern States and in large sections of some of our northern states. Rut even in these there are hundreds of almost ex clusively agricultural villages that were founded by the agriculturists themselves or at the prompting of their wives and children to gratify tho cravings of their social nature. Except to a person who 1ms traveled among these village agrjcqlturql communities it Is surprising how little thieving dr Iqalicioqs trespass ing is commitlecj qn the distant and seemingly unprotected farms, which must bo caused either by tho for bearance of the evil disposed on ac count of a penalty being trusted or from tho certainty of punisl\^ent by reason of the mqsqn'tcihko eo-opera- tion of tho villagers in bringing of fenders to justice. My Views of Marriage. (Correepomlence of The Ledger.) There has been a great deal said and written abbut ni.tia iage b> ing or not being a failure. Now after h,;vi g been married nearly forty years. 1 feel that*! can safely say that marriage must he a divine inslitntion else it could not bear the strain of ai! the burdens that are put upon it. Marriage is not a failure but like many other tilings people rush into it without giving it very much thought. There i» then a failure and we need not wonder at the di-content and est rangement that often follows. The fact that tho average marriage turns out ns well as it does is a positive proof that marriage is an institution from God. I know that nearly every thing in the world is common-place and ordinary, but we still insi.-t that men and women ought never to pledge themselves to one another without the distinct intention to make their union as perfect us possible. At the risk of being considered a little sentimental I venture to say that marriage is always the profana- lion of a great and holy mystery un less it lias Die warrant anil sanction of a pure and passionate love behind it. No right hearted person will sneer at tills idea. And now let me add with gnat emphasis that the tender regard which a young I ride and groom usua.ly feel for each other ought not to be allowed to die out as they grow older. For when love ceases to be the controlling power, indifference soon follows, unless there ho a lack of perfect fidelity on the one vide or t he other advancing years have a tendency to strengtlun all the ties that bind two souls together. Not long since I heard a thought less young lady say that it. looked to her that man ami wife would get so tire.l of seeing each others faces and hearing tiie same vo'ee day after day 1 lint it really would produce a feeling of irritation, isaid: My young friend there seems to he something lacking in your understanding of tiie subject. And if you will pardon in > I should like to give you a little advice. Don’t you give yourself to any one unless you feel that you have love enough for that m in t> not get tired of see ing ami hearing him, but rather us you grow older like fruit, as it ripens, tenderer grows, ami let your fond heart be fait liful to t be lust,. Mas. R. A ns Watkhs. • »■ Unclaimed Letters. List of letters remaining in office uncalled for to date : Glenn Adutns, Martha Rrown, Frank K. Rryant, Nettle Co ivy, Octal Edwards, C. II. Holt, Mary Jeffries, J. \V. Jenkins, Matilda Johnson, Lee Moore, Lillie Moore, Tom Maxwell, 1*. L. Prichard, Harry Purshall, Thomas Phyall, Rob Tinsley, Corea Torrence. M. S. Tindall. L. A. Wylie, J. M. Whisonant. N. B.—Persons calling for these letters will please say advertised in The Ledger. T. H. Littlejohn, P. M. Oct. 21), 1890. -«•»- Marvelous Results. From a letter written by Rev. J. Gunderman, of Diatnondale, Mich., we are permitted to make this ex tract: “I h ive no, hesitation In rec ommending Dr.Kintf'sNew Discovery as the were almost marvelous in the case of my wife. While I was pastor of the Baptist Church at Rives Junction she was brought down with pneumonia succeeding la grippe. Ter rible paroxysms of coughing would last hours w tl\ little Interruption and it spetned as if she could notsur- vive them. A friend recommended Dr. King’s New Discovery; it was quick in its work and highly satisfac tory ii\ results.” Trial bottles free at W. R. DuPre’s drug store. Regu- lar size .j()c and $1. [LJOQD’d Sarsaparilla has over and FI over again proved by its chits, when all other preparations failed, that it is the Ouq True BLOOD Purifier. For Sale The Hr. Holmes H room house with tinesar- ilen. stiihles and out huililiniis attached. "> room cottage on Limestone St. :i room cottage on (iuIiics St. with splendid garden. 2 vacant lots on Uaines St. 4 vacant lots on Factory Hill. 1 clcifuat lot 011 Urunurd St., opposite T. ti. Met’raws. Insurance 1 1 ivprcsi'av tiune Lire and Accident I — ' to furnish Cyclone and the ta'st of Fire, ^ Insurance Companies. Ala proparoit to furnish Cyclone i Tornado Insurance at moderate cost. Your patronage will be duly ippredated. The Curse The most horrible disease to which the human family is subject is conta- gio-s blood poison. It has always baffled the doctors, for notwithstanding- the progress made in some branches of medicir.;, they have failed absolutely to discover a cure for it. Whether in the form of powder, pill or liquid, the doc tor’s prescription is always the same— potash or mercury. Mr. Otto H. Elbert, who resides at the corner of 22d Street, and Avenue N., Galveston, Texas, had a severe experi ence w’ith this dreadful disease, and under date of April 5th, 1896, writes: “Several years ago I was so unfortu nate as to contract contagious blood poison, and was under treatment of the best physicians continuously for fonr years. As soon as I discovered that I had the disease, I hastened to place myself under the care of one of the foremost doctors in my State, and took his treatment faithfully for several months. It was a very short time after he pro nounced me well, that the disease broke out afresh, and I was in a far worse con dition that at first. Large lumps formed You Throw 4~ ■4 $65 Away When You Pay $109 for a Typewriter. F. Q. STACY. - '•*.’ J. E. WEBSTER, •Attorney-A. t> l^swv 9 Gaffney City, S. C. Practices In all the courts. Collec- tioui a sc: MR. OTTO H. ELBERT, on my neck, my throat was filled with sores, and a horrible ulcer broke out on my jaw. After being treated again with no success, I became disgusted and changed doctors. I was again given the usual treatment of mercury, and took enough to kill an ordinary man. Of course, I was pronounced cured half a dozen times, the disease returning each time, until my physician finally admitted that he could do me no good. I am sure that no one was ever in a worse fix than I—my hair had fallen by the handful, my feet were so swollen that I could scarcely work, and I was in a sad plight. “ I had seen S. S. S. advertised as a cure for this disease, and determined to try it, and before I had taken one bottle I felt much better. I continued to take the remedy, and a dozen bottles cured me completely, so that for five years I Have had no sign of the terrible disease. S. S. S. is the greatest blood remedy of the age, and is truly a God-send to those afflicted with contagious blood poison.” For fifty years S. S. S. has been curing this terrible disease, even after all other treatment failed. It is guaranteed Purely Vegetable and never fails to cure contagious blood poison, scrofula, eczema, rheumatism, caucer, catarrh, or any other disease of the blood. If you have a blood disease, take a remedy which will not injure ou. Beware of mercury; don’t do vio- ence to your system. Our books on blood and skin diseases will be mailed free to any address. Swift Specific Co., Atlanta, Ga. I FOR Up-to-Date Job Print ing, call at the LEDGER Office. Gaffney, S. C. | Ripanslabules. Ripans Tabules nre com pounded from a prescription widely used by the best medi cal authorities and are pre sented in a form that is be coming the fashion every where. Tub —. BLICKENSDERFER TYPEWRITER Weighs hut Six Pounds and rosta hut favOO. I>u|>lh-atlug the Work of any of the Standard ?hK) Machines on t he market. Practical ar ranged key-lHiard. writing visible, perfect alignment, adjustable line spacer, weight six pounds, interchangeable type. Only am parts as compared to limo to undo In the a vet age machine. t<r'Scnd for sample of work. Testimonials and catalogue free. K. H. TURNER, GENERAL SOUTHERN AGENT, No. 41 N. Broad St., Ihitly Record Building, ATLANTA. UA. BALTIMORE, Mil. Nat’l Union Building, No. 014 E. Main SL WASHINGTON, D. C. BICRHOND, VA. Ripans Tabules act gently but promptly upon the liver, stomach and intestines; cure dyspepsia, habitual constipa tion, offensive breath and head ache. One tabule taken at the first symptom of indigestion, biliousness, dizziness, distress after eating, or depression of spirits, will surely and quickly remove the whole difficulty. Price, 50 cents a box. Ripans Tabules may be ob tained of nearest druggist; or by mail on receipt of price. Sample vial, 10 cents. RIPANS CHEMICAL CO., 10 Spruce Street, NFW YORK.