Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Constitutional Convention. LARGE OR SMALL COUNTIES. A KNOTTY AND CNHOIA MI) FB?B Kx-OuiticruMMiiiHii George l>. Tllliuau Argnee In Favor ofHmull Counties? W. O. MoQowan Ijeuds the Oppowi* tlOD. The discussion in regard to largo and small counties was conducted In a becoming spirit, und there was much ability show/I on both sides. Senator Tlllman and Governor Bheppard want ed to maintain the legislative symme try by limiting tho number of new counties to be created, but the sugges tion was not adopted, and it was thought best to accomplish this result by limiting tho area. Ex-Congressman Tlllman and Capt. W. C. McGowan mado the leading speeches on opposite sides. Mi.Geo. D. Tlllman said he never arose to speak whore he felt so incapa ble of doing his best of the subject hiFtioe, but he would do his best. Had no not been so thoroughly in sympathy with the movement for these new counties he would not have come to the convention. He went on ?o say he made no campaign, and was elected by his people. The uniform support of his people for thirty-eight years had made him foel that if he could serve them' he should do so. He had twice declined to be a candidate, but so many of his friends had so urgently requested him to do so that he had felt compelled by his duty as well as by his gratitude to como hore and givo what help he could in the making ol a good constitution. He wanted to say that he did not come to the convention to wound any one's feelings, that he had no political aspi rations, no wires to lay or no pipes to put down. "Sir," said he, with tho true ring of eloquence. 141 am done .with publio lifo. I have received far more than my share of public honors and am content. So no man here can charge me with political purposes in anything I may say and any position I may take. I repeat it, sir. I am done with politics. My public lifo is behind me. Let men worship tho rising rath er than tho setting s?n, and 1 will do my best for a cause which has boon oloso to my heart nod which has ap Eealed to my intellect since my boy ood." It had been his pleasure to devote a large part of his life to polit ical economy, sociology, othlcs and kindred subjects related to the science of government. He did not feol that physically or mentally there Is any reason for his retirement from public life, but ho wanted to repeat it that his?retirement from public lifo was permanent. _ He wont on to say that ho regarded this tnattor of small counties and self government as of even more conse quence than that of suffrage, for in some way tho suffrage matter would regulate Itself. The geographloal, geological and hydrographlcal surveys have agreed that the area of this State is 34,000 square miles. That is agreed upon. If we raako tho limit to fifty counties that would give an area of 3ver500 square miles. Why not leave omethlng to the people. We are not accustomed to tolling tho people to their faces they are fools. They know what they want. He challenged any one to show that a single small county had ever asked to bo consolidated. That was uot tho wuy things wont. Tho present urea now was nearly 1,000 square miles Colloton and Berkeley have about 2,000 square miles. We have several counties larger than Rhodo Island und many nearly as largo as Delaware. It is a singular fact that for the lirst ninoty-nlno years after tho State was settled wo havo but a single court house in tho State except at Charleston. That was what brought about lynch and mob law and it was this condition that led to tho assassina tion of the grandfathor of Col. Thomas > Woodward, of Falrfleld. Ho could cite cases in EdgeQold that never went to trial because of tho delays of gotting to tho court and tho annoyances and loss of going to court. In all the old Stuten the Idea Is for a farmer to look around his farm in the morning and then go to tho court house and attend to business and return home boforo night. That, ho thought, looked like civilization. The troublo in going to and returning from court he thought had much to do with the reck loss spirit of many in Edgotield county. He wanted to know if thero was ob jection to small counties, why not elect the whole ticket of Senators or mem bers on one general ticket. If you wunt good representative Kovernmont you I wunt the peoplo to Know each other. I It is so easy for a demagogue or i? ras \cnl to pass among a large constituency, tout in small communities a ropresonta I t i vii cannot suit under fulso colors and I they hesitate to defy public opinion at Ihome. New England, he thought, had "tho best system of governmont in this country and he attributed this to their small districts aud the close and inti mate association of the law-makers with their constituencies Their town ship government, ho held, has done much to make thoir government so acceptable. Then he took up the judicial phase of the question and wanted to know whether It was wise or expedient to make a wituess go for miles from homo, neglect his business to go to court and wait for weeks on a particular case. . No other State, he urged, required mon \ ?b go so far and at such expense to at tend court. Ho suid ho boro Charles ton no prejudice, but was free to admit that when he was young ho was preju diced against that old city because of nor responsibility for tho parish sys tem, which he helped to dofoat. When South Carolina was originally settled the peoplo went to the coast, and they secured the facilities of the .State and thoy grudgingly surrendered ianything to tho up-country. Down to J*tffB(close of the civil war Charleston nad\tou Senators out of forty-six, and six low counties had twenty-six. Thoro wero forty-live Senators until 1854 and 1855, when one additional Senator was given Anderson and Piokens, making forty-six, and at that time six counties In the low-country had twenty-throe Senators and the rest of the State twen ty-thru;-. Sonators. He said it was sur prising to see how grudgingly Charles ton gave Andorson and Pondleton their xtra Senators. It seemed, he urged, Ike poetic justice that Charleston ould foel some of the oppression she posed on tho rest of the State for two nturles. This was all when the up cluntry had four times the white pop u|*tioii of tho low-country, and paid myre than twice the taxes of the lower miles. * je then went on to say that not a county that had had its territory redu ced to make other counties was sorry for it. He thought tho meanest thing he over saw done in an election was that tue newest counties voted against the amendment to give smaller 'areas for new counties, Andorson and Piokens and other countlo*. Some safeguards may be throw a around the creation of new counties in the minority report. The report 1b not complete and fatally defective. What 1 it the use to have any limit a* to how 1 near a county line should run to a ; county seat that had battled for creu i tion, voted ugainut the amendment, I and why he never understood. Georgia I had ono hundred and thirty-seven : counties and not a single county was j willing to surrender its county board. This was an area of 423 square miles. In Tonnossee the- area was 427, and the new constitution provldod for an area of only 285 square miles. Virginia had its area at 385 squaro miles and no county there wanted to be consolidated with another, or at) is vulgarly said they hold on to it " liko death does to a nigger." It was simply letting peo ple govern themselves to let them have such counties as they wanted. Ho did not understand why the people should not be given a chance to govern them selves. Any people who ant to take upon themsolves the oxp^nso and re sponsibility of countyhood should be allowed so to do. Greenvillo was not ovortive miles from the county line and was satisfactorily located. Dar lington and Florence, two of the must prosperous and successful olties in the I Fee-Dee, were within ten miles of each other and did not suffer for it. Col. Tillman made it plain that the prejudice he may have entertained against Charleston for its large Sena torial delegation in his younger days and its policy on this matter had died completely away. It is stated that in the committee room he advocated leav ing tho two Senators to Charleston. He wanted to say with what force ho could that the convention ought to provide for a little more home rule and personal liberty. What he had said of Charleston had not been said in any spirit of triumph. Since the do ing awav with the parish system he had no ill will towards Charleston, and, he added, he was the only mem ber of the committee who advocated Charleston's having two Senators, because|it had the population and the wealth, twice as much as almost any county, with ono or two exceptions. Spartanburg, he prophesied, would have three Senators, for there will be a county seat at Uaffney and another at Woodruff, notwithstanding tho rav ings of the Headlight and the vested interests of Spartanburg. , He wont on to say that all large counties would In time be divided. For at least two hundred years Charleston exercised a domineering tyranny over the balance of the State. Sho has gotten more justice than she porhaps deserves, bnt there is no need for revenge. It was not wise or proper, and he wanted to know whethor the old policy of the low-country was to be repeated. He hope not. Yet these large counties were combining their interests. Colleton Is sure to have one or two countios carved out of It. Hock Hill is sure to have a court house by the eternal law of things, which is always right. Tho majority report proposes that there shall be a separ ate election had in every county pro posed to be dismembered and that there shall bo a concurrence in all re spects. For God's sako let us not put collars around the people's nocks or chains around them. Ho saw no need for a multitude of restraints on tho new counties. As to the number of Senators alarming anyone, that was a bugaboo, as there could bo Senatorial districts, and one Senator could repre sont several counties and give home rule to the people. He contended that small counties would reduce county expenses. The county court house and jail could be built out of land sold out of property subscribed for a county soat. Then many commercial centres would be glad to pay for the building. Tho buildings would cost the county nothing, even where there is no nour ishing city with several thousand pop ulation. The expense for the court house and jail, say for Saluda would be $20,000, would be more than saved In five years in the saving of mileage and the saving of time for witnesses. The oxponses of a troop of witnesses, leav ing out the citizeus' interests, would all count up. All tho owners of real estate, the merchants and others at the old county seats think they have a right' to levy tribute on their fellow citizens who live twenty or tin. *.y miles away. He said he had nothing to charge against the lawyers, for ho was once a one-horse lawyer, bat he must they are say lazy. The lawyors were inclined to make the clients come to thorn. The way to brighton the wits of the lawyer was to mako him ride to thecllonts. He wont on to say ho wanted to see this State like others, and keep up with tho march of civilization. Every court house, he urged, was a cen tro of education. The young men would attond court and profit by tho example they saw. When mon lived far from the county seat they loathed to go to a distant court house. Ho said this custom of having to go bo far from home often led to trouble. Every new county court house established in tho dark corners or sloepy hollows of the State would do as much for those communities es any college. Yea, more. Tho people will flock there. Lands will go up. It with polish man ners and will somewhat civilize tho peo ple. Ho did not hositate to say there wore many communities which wore halfcivilizod. and all becauseof tho laok of facilities for propor cultivation. He said a mombor of the convention wrote him a note saying ho never saw his court houso until ho wont thoro as a juror. So much for the school house featuro. So much for the judicial sys tem and so much for tile vested right. I do not want to excite prejudice. I did not come hero for that purpose, but merely to appeal to tho convention to do justico to tro long-suffering peo ple and give thom.facillt ies for carry iug on a civilized government. He wanted tho South to give the satno chance as had been given the Western States. Ho bald he had been a groat Aravoler on horseback, and especially in Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, and there aro a groat many Carolinians thero. He spoke with many of them as to why they loft their State. Upon his honor he would say that over one half of them told him they loft so as to be able to live near a court house He did hope that the only restriction should be that there shall be a sepa rate election in eaoh county to be dis membered. The people are not fools, and then tho Loglslaturo is a chock. Wisdom, prudence and common sonse will not die with us. Mr. McGowan. of Abbeville, said ho was a great admirer of the last speak er, but he could not agree with him after a conscientious study of the facts. While he may look at tho matter from a personal standpoint, he did not think he could fall to see the real facts. He was looking at tho facts as near as he could. Mr. Tillman said he did not earnest ly favor MoCormiok County, but he lived in that territory and would vote for it. i Mr. MJbGowan thought he could look at this [matter as disinterestedly as Mr. Tillman. It wan wrong to charge the Abfovllle delegates with sinister motives! No ono. who oamo from so proud p county could help having I some feeling about the matter of the threatened emasculation of old Abbe i ville. It was unfair to form so many now counties and thon stop. Mr. Talbert wanted to know whother I over two new counties of the six pro i posed could be taken from Abbeville. I Mr. McGowan said it was proposed not to limit the area and no one could tell where the matter would end. If the area is at a high figure, of course, the six proposed counties cannot be form ed. Every man is Interested in bis county and every man has the right to speak for his county. The people have had their say and thoy do not waut a hundred one-horse counties, and they would do tho same today. The small counties of Georgia have done her more harm than good and the State would have prospered ton fold without 137 counties. He had inquired into the matter, and unless men born in Abbeville County and now living in tho State of Georgia do not know what they are talking of, then there is nothing in the argument. Tho talk of expense not being greater is bosh. Florence paid a municipal tax, he learned, of twenty-five mills. He has been in tho small counties along tho Savannah, and of all the one-horse shebangs ho ever saw they woro the worst. Ho had some business ovor in one of theso counties. He could not find the sheriff and ovory ofllco was locked up and it was one-horse in every respect. He read a letter from Major Win, T. Gary of Georgia formerly of this State, to whom he had written for the facts. Major Gary wrote that ho appreciated that counties could bo coo largo, but a greater danger was in the having too small counties. The small counties have been of no benefit to Goorgia. There aro forty-four Senators appor tioned among 137 countios and they ( rotate the Senator among the counties. This brought about log-rolling. The counties, ho wrote, held about the same relative position as townships. Thore is but small pay and that does not command good men, and he knew of a sheriff who could not write his name. If small counties are a bless ing, ho wanted to know why Goorgia called a convontion mainly to stop the county ovil. He also had letters from Mr. Boykin Wright aud Major Ham mond. Major Hammond wrote that he was a member of tho convontion of 1885 and gave his impression. Mr. Talbert asked whether all who wrote were not living at county seats. Mr. McGowan construed this as meaning that these men would write what they did not believe because they happened to live at court houses. Mr. Taibert said ho impugned no motives, but if MeGowan insisted he would Bay theso men had boon in lluenced by living at court houses. Mr. McGowan went on to say that Mr. George D. Tlllmau had boon wed ded to this new county plan so long that he is probably surprised at the feeling here. In Kentucky thoy have pauper counties. They are so small and poor that the State haw to pay the county expenses. There the area was 328 miles. He had gone off on township self-govornmont. It is local self-gov ernment gone mad. Georgia has not had tho tremendous ineubus of negro majorities. She would have pros pored as well with counties three times as large. There is no longer any further agitation of this question in Georgia. This intolerable nuisance has been stopped for that State. This ten mile is just. The smallest county advocated Is a 400 square mile county The theory is to put the court house in the centre and it was not fair to run a now county up to more thau ten miles of the old court house. In the follow ing States the ten-mile limit has been adopted : Arkansas, Kansas, Illinois, Missouri, 1'ensylvania and Texas. The insinuation has been made that we are fighting Greenwood County. I am not fighting Greenwood. She can be come a county seat with the ton-mile limit, but I do want the ten-mile limit to protect my ancient county seat, Ab beville. TUB TON MILK LIMIT. Tho Debate on the New County Question Waxed Warm?Hot Words Between Delegate Gary and Sena tor Tillraan. The discussion of the new county quostion in the constitutional conven tion waxed fierce and furious as tho days went on, and on Wednesday night there was a sparring match between Senator Tillman and Mr. Frank B. Gary, of Abbeville County, which ex ceeded anything in that line since the session began. Mr. Gary said he wanted to talk about Edgefiold's fairness. Edgefield had required that the court house of Saluda was not only to be in the geo graphical center, but also that the lino should not run within ten miles of Edgefiold. We are taunted with mak ing unholy alliances. Who set us the example V Benjamin R. Tillman, of Edgefiold. He won't deny that in forming Saluda he held conferences with the Mart Gary count/ peoplo and the lines of Saluda were made to suit that county. Senator Tillman wanted to amend the seoond section this morn ing because it didn't suit tho Green wood County people. It is time for Abbeville to act or|bo wiped from tho may. Edgefiold boasts of her generos ity. After Edgefield was dismembered she has almost as many square1 imiles asoAbboville now. Mr, G. I). Tillman wantod to inter rupt several times, when Mr. Gary said a shrewd lawyer always wantod to interrupt when the argument went against him. Mr. Tillman: " Why, I never claimed to bo more than a one-horse lawyer." (Laughter.) Ho went on to say that they proposed to form two moro counties out of Edgofield. Mr. Klugh held that when countios woro formed 100 years ago, It was the custom to get the geographical center as the county seat. That has been the custom ever since. The ten mile limit is tho logical outcome of t#o conven tion's action making now countios 400 square miles. If you go nearer than ten miles you throw tno county soat out of the geographical center. M*r. Shcppard in replying to Mr. Gary, called his attention to the fact that he voted ovory tlmo in favor of those measures that would protect old counties. As a matter of fact Saluda County runs less than eight miles of Edgofield court houso. A majority of the court houses in South Carolina aro less thau ten miles of the county lines. Senator Tillman here took tho floor and said he did not suppose that any one who know him would say that he was not a hard hitter, but whou fairly hit he did not complain. Yesterday, without measuring hiB words and more by a slip of tho tonguo than any thing else, he had referred to tho unholy alliance of the old county and new county forcos, andihad termed it a "damnable alliance." He apologized for what he had said. Ho did not in tend when he reforrod to the damn able alliance to cast any reflections upon any of the members, but It was rather a joke at the peculiar align ment of those who had voted against his amendment limiting the number of counties to sixty-two, and it reminded ) him of the unholy alliance of tho bar j keepers and the anti-dispensary peo Klu in the fight. Now, howovor, when e had been struck by one whom he considered his friend, and an imputa tion of dishonesty had boon made and he has boon charged with an untruth, he said he felt impelled to resent it. Mr. Gary had said he had gouo into a conspiracy or combination, and he askod Mr. Gary what the word was. Mr. Gary arose and said that ho did not remember the exact .voi d. Mr. Tillman said that as ho remom bered it he had been charged with going into some conspiracy or combina tion between thoiadvocatos of tho Mart Gary and Saluda County so as to secure tho two counties through tho Conven tion. Mr. Gary arose and said that what ho did say was, "That Mr. Tillman, ai one of tho representatives and special champions of the Mart Gary County, had conferred with tho advo cates of Groonwood County and had agreed to select out what should go to Greenwood and what to Mart Gary County, and that if what was charged was not true that tho gentleman hud hi ?en most zealous." Mr. Tillman said ho camo from tho county where tho poople who were in torosted in theso counties lived ; that he looked upon them as a part of his constituency and thoy looked upon him as their representative. Thoy had consulted him us their representa tive as to their best interests, and as a public servant ho had advised them as bo believed it to be his duty as to the interests in best forwarding their now counties. Tho people, ho be hoved, needed the countlos, and con sequently he assisted them at their request. He said that it was woll known that for tho last forty years efforts had been made to divide Edge field County, and tbo groat trouble had come from tho opposition of cer tain townships wanting to go with certain towns. Two of tho uppor townships wanted to go to Ninety Six or that section, and tho two on ho lowor part of tho county wanted to with Batesburg. He said that it was realizod that unless there was some understanding fts to tho torrltory It would bo out of tho question to carry out tho desires of those peoplo. Ho wanted to know whether there was any conspiracy or combination in try ing to assiot these peoplo in getting what thoy wanted. No delegations were involved and no underhand work was done. Mr. Gary wanted to know whether Abboville and Bai uwoll and Hoaufort and Orangeburg and the other coun ties that had voted with Abbeville had gone into a conspiracy or comhiua tlon. Mr. Tillman said that he did not so charge. Mr. Gary said : " You wore denounc ing our voting together and termed it a damnable alliance." Mr. Tillman wont on to say that Mr. Gary and his friends in conjunction with his brother and others had taken a certain line that soomed peculiar under tho circumstances, and before he concluded with this idea Mr. Tal bert arose and suggested that those boys were out of order and that the Convention ought to go along with its work. Senator Tillman replied very vigor ously that ho had a right to calk and that he would talk on, that he did not propose to havo his honesty and his honor ami his integrity impugned with out replying. Thon he wont on to say that it was especially hard that a friend should pitch rocks straight into his teoth and wanted to know whether ho had not a right to reply to any im putations against him. lie said that he admired tho light tho Abbeville delegation had made and had so stated. Ho wont on to a^k why it had been intimated he had acted dishonorably. He said he did not want to havo any personal difficulty or engender any hard feelings, but he could not sit In his place und hear any insinuations against him, when ho had tried to con duct this debate on a high plane aud act honorably, fairly and honestly. Mr. Gary said ho objected to being told that ho had entered into a ''damna ble alliance." Mr. Tlllman said ho withdrew tho statement and apologized for its use. Mr. Gary said lie did not hoar it. Mr. Tillman said he did apologize to tho convention and referred to Mr. Jones, who raised tho point of order. Mr. Gary said that it was sufficient to boar it now. Mr. Tillman in concluding said lie had boon consulted by friends and. gave advico as to how best to act. Mr. Gary replied by saying that Mr. Tillman had just admitted he went into an alliance certainly as bad as ours, if there was any. He said it would bo very woll to pass ovor tho rest of what was said, but when Mr. Tillman said ho was replying to an attack from a friend and "'an untruth " he had gone too far. Such demanded his attention. It was unparliamentary und uncalled for, for what he had said was admitted. Whon men charge another with an un truth in a parliamentary body it is tho concern of tho body and that precludes its being relented outside, but he wanted to state that if the gentleman had used that language towards him on the outside of the convention he would have resented it as gentlemen usually did. Mr. Tillman was in his chair looking around. Mr. Gary took a seat on the aisle, not far from Senator Tillman, and the tempest seemed to he at an end. THK TOWNSHIP SYSTEM. The New Kiifflnud Plan of Local Government? 6x?OonRreMman Tin man Wallis tO lsn,",i all it Oil South Carolina. The constitutional convention had under consideration tho following section rotating to county govern ments: " Each of the sevoral town ships of this State, with names and boundaries as now established by law, I shall constitute a body politic, but this shall not prevent tho legislature from organizing other townships." Mr. Johustono said he proposed to offer an amendment that the legisla ture shall not be allowed to form now townships nor change the boundaries of those now existing. Mr. G. L). Tillman spoko in favor of township govornments as they are established in Now England und some othor States. Tho Radical constitution has dono two things that wore tho greatest blessings to tho State. In the first plaeo it planted the socds of popular eduCatlOU. The Democrats adopted It roluctantly but now It has secured tho friondshlp of our people. But thore is another. Tho township govornmont Is abettor provision even than that for free schools. If he could bo tho moans of inducing the convontion to plant tho acorn, so to speak, of town ship government or even to nuture tho plant of tho Ropublloans so that It could come to full fruition he would want no better monument to his memory. He believed in the sover eignty of the individual, the kingship of each eltizon as it were, and that could not be so affeotualiy obtained an ' I In township governments. In Con necticut the townships havo an area of i thirty-six square miles. That is a ? little State in itself?a sovereignty itself. Each has a legislature, a judi ciary, a treasurer and a constable of its own. Each township elects three, live or seven men called select-men or supervisors. Wo proposed to call them "directors" rather than com missioners, because that name bus a bad reputation, for through county commissioners more robbery of the people occurred than anywhere olso. It is proposed thut these directors should have control ol the roads, fer ries and bridges, public schools, ap point managers of election and register voters of the township. Wo have township commissioners now, but they are appointed by the Governor at the suggestion of the Senator and he ventured to suy that half of the people didn't know who the commissioners are. In New England thoy know who the best men are for overseers, who the best teachers are and so on and they appoint them and as a consequence the whtflo people aro so benefited that* they are the most progressive people in political and industrial affairs in tho world. Mr. Ira B. Jonss asked Mr. Tillman to explain the corporative oxpense and how his plan would work in sparsely settled agricultural districts. ' Mr. Tillman said when he was a hoy going to school ho attended a town i ship meeting near Boston. The peo ple all attended and took tho greatest interest in everything and wan ted to know how all the money was spent. They got pay, but it wasn't much. There wore no leaks thoro. There's no chance for stealing because every body was interested and looked after the finances. When Ohi?) was first admitted thoro was a groat tight whether to adopt townships or county governments and tho township won by one voto and the fieople of Ohio attribute their wonder ul progress and prosperity to this fact ks much us to anything else. The Republicans in this State adopt ed tho township government in 1808 but had to repeal it the next year because there were no townships laid off. Hut later township linen were laid off. He thought it would be cheaper government and more oHleiont govern ment. It would prevent embezzle ment. As to sparse population he said that throughout the North there aro many counties no more thickly settled than wo aro. It would cost no more to keep up roads and bridges with a spare population than with a dense one. In our system our school commis sioners go about and appoint their friends and partisans as members of the school boards and they in turn elect their relatives or friends teachers and tho people have uothing to do with it. Is it right that tho Gover nor appoint partisan county managers for our elections who in turn appoint their partisans at the precincts'{ That isn't Democratic, isn't self gov ernment. He said that at present wo have township commissioners, but that is u top heavy scheme and is wrong, be cause the people ought to move and take action to select its township rulers. That's Democracy as definod by Jefferson. Our present system is but carrying out the monopolistic system now so prevalent in tho South. The otlicers are appointed, not elected by the people. The scheme us the committee outlines it is to allow each township to be a little sovoreignty of itsolf. There is a saving clause allowing counties like Beaufort, for in stance, to be excepted und continue the county government scheme, which he claimed was a failure. The foun tain head of authority started ut the cupital, went to the county seats and then to tho people, it should be just the reverse. It is p. ~>posed to mako the Legislature recognize the present township boundaries and to require them to boar tho necessary oxponso of a county and State government such as court houses, bridges, prisons, etc. We don't propose to abolish county governments or keep tho townships from bearing the proper portion of the expenses of that and the State government. It .will bo in tho town ship and attend to tho strict local mat ters in their own way. Ho knows of no method of obtain ing whito supremacy in tho State by fair and honest means than from the migratory habits of the negro. By loculiziug the election districts und requiring to live in the Stute two yeurs and tho election district one year, ho believed this migratory habit would disfrauchi.se u large majority of them, while the white men as a rule uro joined to the soil, but the bulk of negroes uro ulways hunting places where thoy needn't to work at ail und they WOUld be disfranchised. He believed by his subdivision one-third of t he negro voto in South Carolina would bo doue uway with. Other wise ho saw no way how it could be honestly done, unless women who owned property were allowed to vote. Tho most important duty it is pro posed to give these directors is the muking out tho registration list of voters. Tboy would know who should not bo allowed to vote. Compare that system with one man system?-suy for a county like Edgefleld. Our plan doesn't contemplate uny interference witli municipal govern ments. It is our only object to concon i tr?te tho enorgles und intellect of the backwoods people, so to speak ; to en able the scattered country pooplo to hold their own with the town. It de centralizes tho government. No one man power there. Mr. Tillman had spoken for about an hour and everybody listened with great interest. In concluding he said: " In a fow years at tho farthost I will have disappeared from tho stage of action. Before 1 go, before I quit public lifo, 1 would like to do some thing thut would benefit our grund old mother Stute for ugos to come und if possible preserve my name from oblivion, if I know I had to be called In the next ton minutes to glvo an ac count before thogroatlGod, who created us all, if I was permitted to say what I boliovod would do tho most for out State, with my expiring breath I would advise you to establish tovnshlp gov ernments In tho State. If I but plant the seed I shall want no bettor epitaph on my tomb: 'Hero lies one who helped to establish townsulp govern ment in South Carolina.' I know no dozen things that will do so much for tho State or do so much to mako this convention immortal in tho annals of this State." Mr. Stanyarno Wilson said that the close attention glvon to Mr. Tillman showed tho approoiatlon of tho argu ment, but as much as he would like to make contribution to his monument as he desired It, ho oould not agreo with his Ideas. We could not doal with theories but conditions in South Caro lina. Loche was a philosopher and economist and wrote a book which he thought would settle most of tho per plexing questions of tho day, but his i ideas were dreams. 11 Mr. lillman's plan is totally unfit I for conditions Id South Carolina, not withstanding ho builds well. He ; poiutti us to New England und the West. But is' there no difference bo j twoon New England and South Cure I Una? With a dense white population, immense capital, numerous towus, how ! can we in South Carolina follow their 1 lead V" Mr. Derham usked whether the township system was not adopted in those States when thoy wore sparsely settled. Mr. Wilson said he didn't know, but our population is different. Our pop ulation has a negro majority. Our conditions aro different and require different troatment and need the pro tection of tho govoreuient of the State.. You can't apply tho system here, bo cause we have no homogeneous popu lation. Take Beaufort and portions of i Colleton what would be the result of this system ? It is hardly necessary to say. it is patent to all. Mr. Tillman interrupting said ho ex pressly said that the freehold votors should elect the directors. Wo also say that any county which wished could be excepted from tho system. This was dono to meet the conditions in the lower counties. Mr. Wilson wont on to argue that tho lack of wealth, population and homogeneity in South Carolina us com pared with New England was sufficient to kill Mr. Tillman's plan. None of those States had ever had a population like ours. Money has.Ilowu Into those States for the past forty or fifty years while South Carolina has had to de pend upon her natural resources more than anything else and she can't be compared to them. Practically Mr. Tillman's plan is to abolish present county linos and estab lish HOG or more principalities. How about the debt ? How can these town ships be so intimately connected as to pay a debt contracted by the wholo county ? How about assessments t It will be impossible for the county to have u general ussessmeut und pre serve the county autonomy. As to munugors of election he pro poses to give three in each township to appoint mauagers. Thoy will be no more angelic than those appointed by the Governor. Nothing will bo easier than for them to uppoint mana gers who will return them to otlice. There are just us many evils in con nection with one system as the other. The present ewunty government ho contended came us near giving South Carolina township government as her condition demanded. Ho defended the appointment of the three commission ers on the ground that in the lower counties, especially, it would be im possible for the right sort of men to be selected. These commissioners' duties are just what Mr Tillman wants except as to the appointment of elec tion munugors und he saw no reason in the world why this power should be given them. As to our school system it was in about as good condition now us could be wanted. Tho objections to electing the commissioners apply to the plan of of electing the school trustees. He took another view of the argu ment and held that these provisions had no business hoie, hocause If it was not expressly prohibited the Legisla ture in its power could establish the system if it wanted or the people demanded. Mr. Parrott. Was the present sys tem of the county government author ized by a constitutional amendment?" Mi*. Wiloon said not but thut the hands of the Legislature were simply untied. Ho argued thut Mr. Tillman's plan was an uncertain thing in the South, it hud never been tried and let. us not make uny such serious experiments, Louve it till to tlie Legislature to take care of the rights of tho people. He moved to lay the section on t he table. Mr. Otts olit red the following as a substitute: " Each of the townships of the Stato with names und boundaries us now or hereuftor established by the General Assembly shall be a body politic and corporate und the Genoral Assembly shall provide a uniform systom of local government for tho same, and requiro each township to contribute its propor tional part of the proper expenses of an efficient county and State govern ment." Mr. Otts in explaining his substitute said wo simply proposed to carry out Democratic government as endorsed by Jefferson. Ho granted that condi tions in Now Kurland were different, but the system bus been tried in new Stutos in the West and was found to work all right, it is nothing now. Mr. Wilson begs tho question when he states thut we are trying to make u county out of every township. Suppose some township wants to have u special school levy that would not do for the whole county, why can't it be allowed to do so V Ho held that the racial conditions had much changed and he believed thoro would bo a greater one by Janu ary, 180(1. As a matter of fact the ne groes now controlled no county in the State suvejoue. It is a notorious I act thut tho old county commissioner system was a failure, and while the present is an improvement it comes fur from meeting the expectations of its friends. It is hard to place the rcsponsibilty for anything. The commissioners and the supervisors ulwuys put the blume on euch other when anything goes wrong. As to tho debt there will bo do trouble about that, because it is proposed to lix it so thut the townships as a whole shall be responsible for general county expenses such us debt, poor houses, etc. Mr. I bust expressed surprise ut Mr. Wilson being so earnest against town ship governments. Only the other day he was just as earnestly advoca ting the compelling of the incorpora tion of factory towns. Mr. Barton offered the following substitute; " Euch of the sevcial townships of this State with names und boundaries as now ustabliscd by law, shall consti tute a body politic, but this shall not prevent the General Assembly from organizing other towuships or chang ing the boundaries of those already es tablished and the General Assembly may provide such systom of township govornmont as they shall think proper." Mr. Buist suid this had some good features but ho preferred Mr. Ott's amend mott. Mr. Cooper stated that in the town ship In which ho lived In Colleton County there wore two negro freehold ers to one white. Mt. Buist said it was so provided that such counties can bo excepted from the oporatlon of the law. Mr. Parrott took the position that the present systom of county govorn mont gave tho Stato exactly what officers tho supporters of tho township system wanted. Mr. Burns announced that he was for tho amendment. He said the old Stato government founded on slavory could not bo used for a free govern ment. Wo aro trying now to main tain a systom of half slavery. It can't > bo done. Instead of piling conditions on negroes which Involve free white - men, no favored throwing open the gate aud allow immigration agents to i 1 tako negroes away and leave room for I white laboring men to come In and find local government* in which they I could have part and in which they } could feel themselves free American : Citizen?. Mr. Bowman bald ho could enact nothing to give the people local self government better than this scheme. When directors are elected In town ships each officer is under the eye and supervision of the people directly. It will bo un education to the young peo ple* It will be an object lesson to them in iho art of government. As to the question of expense, if the people are convinced that expenses aro reduced by this system they will favor It, be cause their children will be better ed ucated aud reads will bo better. After the suffrage plan is adopted thoro will be very little danger from the nogro. In the e los inj; discussion on the township, Canary Miller asked for fivo minutes time and it was given him. Ho ?mid ! "Mr. President : 1 am in favor of tho passage of the township govorn niont clause, bocauso the State needs it. The small divisions, tho govern ment of communities with small con stituencies, will prevent our white people from remaining isolatod, and away off in tho backwoods. Township meetings will bring thorn together, will cause them to run against each other. They will be educated by com ing in contact with each other. On account of this isolated life, they have remained a lawless people, having little regard for law aud order, and at all times ready to tako the laws in their own hands. Give them tho township government of New England und you give them new school houses in which they will be taught the lesson of law and order, tho lesson of for oearance, the losson of a government, for all with special privileges to none. I repel tho insinuation, yea, the direct charge, that the negro is in the way aud prevents the establishment of this kind of government, for ho is tho law-abiding olement in the community; he is the only olement thut forbears and stands every kind of oppression, and it is not for him that 1 ask it, it in not for him that 1 demand that you should puss it, but it is in tho name of the white man that I vote for it und demand that you support it, for it is the white man who will not oboy tho luw, but ofttimes tukes tho law into his own hands. But wherever the white man disregards the luw, refuses to live under und by the luw, wherever the white mun violates the law, right there in that community, by his side, we tind the negro doing the same. The negro does not need this now government of small communities as the school in which to be taught luw and order, for lie has been trained to obey and respect law, but the white man needs this new evolution, and to better his condition. 1 bog you to vote for the measure, it is because J want to see an clovutcd, law-abiding, re specting white citizenship that 1 usk you to pass this law. It is not true that the negro is in your way. Ho knows law?that is, ho knows how to respect and obey it and he will readily tit himself to the new condition im posed under and by this proposed change. " I have always labored by my vote and act during the past twenty years of my life to make laws that will cause the State to blossom and bear fruit of . peace, happiness and prosperity to both races." Mr. Haynsworth, of Greenville, made < u spirited reply to the colored states man, as follows: "Mr. President: Before speaking to the question, I desire to notice the remarks of the gontloman from Beau tort. Ile charges the white people of tho State with lawlessness and dis order. 1 deny the charge and 1 would ask what race it is that tills our jails and penitentiaries, burdens our crimi- 1 nal courts with their trials'.' He charges that the white people of tho State are giveu to lynching, but 1 would usk, who lirst taught our peo ple this practice of lynching ? Thoro is a crime, Mr. President,-in the pres ence of which the blood of the white mun grows hot. It was this crime that first gave occasion to this practice, and at the doors of the race to which the gentleman belongs lies this crime. I would not speak of the Offenses of the black man, but would rather throw over them tho veil of charity, but the gentleman has torn away this veil. The white man it is true, is not free from his offenses, but it ill becomes tho negro race to charge him with tho violations of the criminal law." Senator Tillraan, rising to a question of privilege, said that he-had rccalllcd the fact that he hud signed the bill preventing immigration agents from coming into the State to induce ne groes to leave and he desired now to apologize to the people of South Caro lina for doing so. (Laughter). There were 327 hills for him to sign and as is always the case with Governors, when a bill- was presented to him in which he was not especially interested he signed it. Mr. VV. I). Evans also rose to a ques tion of privilege. He had introduced the bill, and he desired to apologize too for doing so. (Laughter). The amendment offered by Mr. Bar ton, of Greenville, was adopted after the following was added : " And may make special provisions for municipal governments and for the protection of chartered rights for inunicpalities." Mr. Wells, of Greenville, offered an amendment as section 12, providing that the several counties shall be bodies politic ; that boundaries shall remain tho same as now except Edge tield, which has been changed by the formation of Suludu, the boundaries of which are stated in a constitutional enactment. This amendment was also adopted. COUNTY OOVKKNMKNTS. The Final Outcome of the Great De bate In (he Convent ion. The following is the atriclo on coun ty governments as adopted by the con stitutional convention after four or five days of animated aud exhaustive dis cussion. Section I, Tho Genoral Assembly may, from time to time, establish now counties in the following manner: I Whenever one-third of the qualitiod VOt&l'O within tho area of oach section of an old county proposed be be cut off into a new county shall petition the governor for the creation of a new county, setting forth the boundaries and showing compliance with the re qulromontsof this article, the governor shall order an election within a rea sonable time thereafter by tho qualified ' voters within tho proposed area, in ' which election they shall vote '?yes" or " no" upon the question of creating said new county, and at tho samo elec tion tho question of a name and county seat for such county shall l>e submitted . to tho electors. j Sec 2. If two-thirds of the qualified ; electors voting at such election shall i vote "yes" upon such question, then j tho General Aesembly at the next ses sion shall establish such new county : provided, no section of a county pro posed to be dismombored shal. bo thus I * ' ; out oll without consent by u two-thirds voto of those voting in such seetion und no county shall be formed without complying with all the conditions iui poscd in this article. An election upon tho question of forming the sanV> pro I posed new county shall not behold oftoucr than once in four years. Sec. ."I. No new county hereafter formed shall contain los* than one hundred und twenty-fourth purt of tho whole number of the inhabitants of the State, nor shall it have less assessed taxable property than one and one-half millions of dollars us shown by the lust tax return, nor shall it contain loss than four hundred sun are miles. Sec. 4. No old county shall be re duced to less area than live hundred square miles, to less assessed taxable property than two million dollars, nor to .1 umaller population than fifteen thousand inhabitants. Sec. 5. In the formation of new coun ties no old county shall be cut within eight miles of its county seat. Sec. li. All now counties hereafter formed shall hear a just appointment of the valid indebtedness of tho old county or counties from which they have been formed. Sec. 7. The General Assembly shall have tho power to alter county linos at any time; provided, that before any existing county line is altered tho ques tion shah be lirst submitted to the qualified voters of the territory pro posed to bo taken from one county and given to another and shall have re ceived two-thirds of the votes cast: provided, further, that the change shall not reduce the county from which the territory is taken below the limits pre scribed in sections U und 1 of this arti cle ; provided, that the proper propor tions of the existing county indebted ness of the section so transferred shall bo assumed by the county to which the territory is so transferred. Sec. 8. No county seat shall be re moved except by a vote of two-thirds of the qualified electors of said county in an election held for that purpose, but such election shall not bo hold-in, any county oftoner than once iu live years. Sec. !). That euch county shall eon tute an election district. J Sec. 10 The genoraL u,MumtH>ly may provide for the consolidation of two or more existing counties if a majority of the qualified doctors of such counties, voting at an election held for that pur pose, shall vote separately tberofor, out such election shall not be held Oftoner than once in four years in the same counties. Sec. 11. Pitch of the several own ships of this State with names ami boundaries as now established by law, shall constitute a body politic and corporate but this shall not prevent the general assembly from organizing other townships or changing the boun daries of thOSO already established, and the general assembly may provide such system of township government as they shall think proper in any and all the counties, and mas make special provision for municipal government and for the protection of chartered rights and powers of municipalities. Sec. 12. Until changed by l he general assembly as allowed by this Constitu tion, the boundaries of tho several counties shall remain as they are now established, except that the boun daries of the county ot Iv.lgclield shall undergo such changes as are made necessary by the formation of a now county from a portion of I'.dgeliehl, to be known as Saluda. the boundaries of which are set forth in a constitutional ordinance. ?The Watchman, of Hosten, says the notion " that Sunday laws uro of Puritan origin betrays a disposition to make a point rather than acoui'ltti historical know ledge. Tho Huguenots from I'YancO enacted them in South Carolina,iand the (Javaliers from the Court of Charles I in V irginia. The very first statute passed by the.t'avnli crs of Virginia provided lhat he who did not attend church on Sunday should pay a tine of two pounds of to bacco. This was the lirst law over en acted in the United States, and was passed in 11> 17, three years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth. It would be no discredit to tho Puritans if we could trace our Sunday legisla tion to them, hut they are. not entitled to that honor.' ?The most interesting bicycle event of recent make Is tho motor cycle. If this proves .successful, il will, practi cally speaking, be one of the most re markable vehicles for travel that ha yet been known in this or in any other country. i e pneumatic tires are very much larger than those Ol any other bicycle, the Idea being to furnish a cushion that will not be aff60ted by any unovcnncss, even large ones iu the road over which the rider travels. Attached to the rear wheel is a mechanism which develops the power to send the wheel /orwurd by means of a small, two-cyb/ftdor naptha engine of about two horse power, which weighs twelve pounds. This bicycle, it is said, will go at the rate of twenty-live to thirty mile.-an hour. ? biX-Congrossman Hen Cable, <>f Illinois, says the Washington Post, has a little daughter who has the making of a gl'Ollt financier in her. One day'hot* father called her to him. " My dear,1' said he." a man this morn ing offered puna this room full of gold if he would sell little brother. Now. that means gold enough to liil this room from wall to wall ami from lloor to COllillg. If I SOll little brother for that sum, I shall he able to buy every thing iu the World you want. Shall I sell him"." " No, papa,"answered the little girl, promptly: and then before her delighted father could embrace her for expressing so much unselfish uffoction, she went on. " Kcop him till he's bigger. He'll he worth more then." The world's record lor railroad speed over u groat distance has been broken to-day by a special train on the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad, which rar. from Tenth t et, Chicago, to llufl'alo Crook, lluf falo, a distance of 510.1 mile;, in l 'S I minutes and 7 seconds, an average speed of (iil.UO milos an hour. This time includes stops. Kxcluslvo of BtOpS, the run was made in 170 min utes and 10 seconds, an average peed of 114.08 miles an hour. ?There are at, the present time - ,il electric railways In tho United states, operating more than 11,000 miles of track, with 2,300 cars and representing) a capital investment of W<M).0<M),(M)<). An idea of the rapidity and magnitude of the extension of this system of trac tion may be formed when the fact is noted that. In 1887, tho oloctrio roads in the United States t)U 111 bo rood only thirteen, with about 100 car- iu opera toin. Johnson's Magnetic Oil is the great est internal remedy for cramps, colic and all internal aches and pains for man or boast. Large lottles, 2t> and 50 cts.