WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1901.
The Sumter Watchman was roundec
ia 1850 aod the True Southron in 1866.
The Watchman and Southron now has
the combined circulation and influence
of both of the old papers, and is mani
estly th-3 best advertising medium in
Slimier
We publish today two articles on the
new county question, one in opposi?
tion and one in advocacy of the estab?
lishment of Lee county. The debate
being opened, we hope to have a full
and instructive discussion of the new
county issue in our columns between
now and the Lee county election.
Brantley and Lever finished neck
and neck in the Congressional primary
and will make an even start in the
second race. May the best man win.
The physicians who attended the
President did all in their power to save
his life and any criticisms derogatory
to them will be captious and unwar?
ranted.
The death of President McKinley,
coming so quickly after the public had
been given the most positive assurance
by the distinguished surgeons who
were attending him that he was out of
danger and would recover, was a great
shock to the people of the United
States. The first horror and grief pro?
duced by the shooting of the President
had passed, and hope and a feeling of
thankfulness that his life would ;be
spared had become widespread. His
death causes nothing but sadness and
the people of the United States mourn
as one man the loss of a patriotic citi?
zen, a distinguished statesman and
a good man. Neither politics nor sec?
tional feeling has any place in the sen?
timent of grief that pervades the coun?
try today, but North, South, East and
West are united in laying the same
tribute at the bier of the country's
Chief Magistrate. And for the sorely
bereaved wife there is the sincerest
and most heartfelt sympathy.
THAT BERKELEY ASSESSMENT.
An Explanation by Mr, Brantley.
I learn with surprise that Mr. Lever
and his friends are still endeavoring
to use against me in the campaign for
Congress a distorted version of the
Berkeley county assessment incident.
As my statement of this matter
seems not to have been entirely under?
stood in the district, I wish to re-state
^emphatically that I have never paid or
offered to pay the Berkeley county as?
sessment. When first notified by the
County committee, I wrote Mr." Wig?
gins, secretary of the committee, that
I was willing to pay if necessary, but
suggested that the assessment was ex?
cessive and that it should be more
equitable to divide among the candi?
dates the expeness of the election and
I would be willing to pay my share.
This letter was written before the
agreement was reached by the candi?
dates that no assessment would be
paid. Subsequently I refused to pay
any part of the assessment. On the
7th, day of September I received a
telegram notifying me of the issuance
of Major Howell's circular based on
the card of Mr. Harmon in The Echo
and Press. My opponent Mr. A. FTank
Lever was in my office in Orangeburg
on that day, and I discussed tue mat?
ter fully with him, making to him sub?
stantially the same statement and ex
plantation of the matter as in this
card. Mr. Lever said he was satisfied
with my denial and would correct the
story whereever he heard it in his
county. Major Howell based his ac?
tion on a published statement, at that
time undenied, and which had it been
true would have just i Sed his course.
In continuing the story Mr. Lever had
no such excuse. I have today for?
warded a copy of this card to Mr.
Lever in order that he may have full
opportunity to reply thereto before the
primary if he cares to do so. I am
inclined to think however, that the
matter will end here. If Mr. Lever
has forgotten his conversation with
me, and is now unsatisfied with my
emphatic statement, the following cor?
respondence will show how the matter
stands and will set it at rest.
Yours Respectfully,
Thos. F. Brantley.
Orangeburg, S. C., Sept. 16, 190?.
Orangeburg. S .C.. Sept. ll.
Mr. J. M. Harmon, Summerville,
;S. C.
.'.Dear Sir: I notice that you had an
rstrtiele iii The Echo and Press, rela
- ti ve to the Berkeley assessment,
stating that I Lad sent L-heck for $40.
I trust that you will do nie the justice
to investigate this matter, and correct
the mistake as I have not paid the
assessment, as stated in the article
referred to. Very respectfully,
'Thos. F. Brantlev.
'Summerville. S. C.. Sept. 12, 1901.
Hon. Thos. F. Brantley, Orangeburg,
S. C.
Dear Sir: I have your letter of the
11th inst., relative "to the article pub- j
lished in the Echo and Press and sign- :
ed bv me in which you state that ;
there'isa mistake as to the correctness ;
of the statement as to sending a check ;
for $40. I have inquired into the mat?
ter, and 1 find upon investigation, that
there was a misunderstanding between
the secretary Mr. C. M. Wiggins and;
mvself in a conversation relative to j
assessments and that you did not send ]
check as I had thought, and further ,
that you have not paid anything to
wards assessments in this county. 1 j
am sorry this mistake occurred and 1
take pleasure in correcting same and
give vou permission to use this^ letter
in any way you deem proper, in jus?
tice to yourself.
Verv respectfnilly.
J, M. Harmon.
FIGURES TELL THE STORY.
?2I3 Is Lever's Great Majority in His
Own County Over All Competitors
Brantley's Suaprisingly Small
Vote in His County. Only
Majority 240 !
The Lexington Dispatch, published
today, prints editorially the follow?
ing: :
The race for Congress has narrowed
down to two men-Lever and Brant?
ley-Judge Buchanan, Smith and
Howell, all patriotic and able^ men
having failed to get in thejsecond race,
and the fight is now between two
young men who are ambitious and
bright. Let as look at them from a
comparative point of view. In point
of intelligence Lever is in every re?
spect equal if not the superior of
Brantley; in point of education
Lever's equals Brantley's if it does
not surpass it : in point of studious?
ness and attentiveness to politics and
in point of knowledge of the great is?
sues Lever does not have a superior in
the District; in point of age there is
practically no difference : in point of
legislative experience Lever's equals
Brantley's; in point of Congressional
experience, the very work to be done,
Lever has five years while Brantley
has none at all. This is important to
the District-experience in the work
is what the people are wanting and
can get by voting for Lever. His close
affiliation with Dr. Stokes for five
years ; the fact that for five months he
had entire charge of nearly all the
Congressional work, and practically
all of it for eighteen - months-his
knowledge of that work which was left
unfinished in the departments the fact
that he was relied upon to do all the
departmental work, puts him in a
position to know more about the work
left undone than Mr. Brantley can pos?
sibly know, for this reason the people
will support him ; in point of popular?
ity at home where men are known,
Lever is by far the more popular man
as is shown by the majority each re?
ceived in his home county. Take
Lever's county and his majority reach?
es 1,213, while Mr. Brantley's major?
ity in his own county is only 240,
these are figures which will put people
to thinking. The question naturally
arises ''Why is Brantley so very weak
in his "own county. ' '
Orangeburg has had the place for
eighteen years, and it does seem the
time has come when there should be a
change and some other county given a
chance.
Lexington has never had it, and we
feel confident that Lever will win, his
own county will give him at least
2000 majority in the next election.
He has never done any mud slinging,
has made a straight, honorable race
upon his own merits and not upon the
demerts of his opponents. His record
is clean, his ability unquestioned and
his devotion to the people undoubted.
Let every man turn out on the 24th,
and roll up an overwhelming majority
for Lever.
Weekly Crop Bulletin.
Columbia, S. C., Sept. 17.-The
week ending Sa. m., Monday, Sep?
tember 16th, averaged nearly five de?
grees per day warmer than usual, and
had a maxiumm temperature of 96 de?
grees at Blackville on the 13th, and a
minimum of 59 degrees at Greenville
on the 9th. There was more than the
usual amount of bright sanshine, and
only in the extreme western portions
did cloudiness prevail to any consid?
erable extent. The winds were gener?
ally southwesternly, and dried the sur?
face of the soil to quite a depth.
Well distributed showers occurred in
the extreme western and northwestern
counties on the 13th, and light, very
scattered showers in the south central
counties, but there was an entire ab?
sence of rain over the greater portion
of the State until the evening of the
15th, when showers occurred over the
southern counties.
The dry weather was favorable for
haying, harvesting rice, and^for pick?
ing cotton, but was injurious on tur?
nips, young cotton, fall truck, and
gardens, and all other growing crops.
Cotton opened fast, except along the
northern border counties, and some
opened prematurely owing to rust that
has increased rapidly. The hot weath?
er induced shedding, and stopped
growth of young cotton. The crop is
reported in a less favorable condition
than it was a few weeks ago, and is
not as heavily fruited as it promised
to be. Boll worms have appeared in
many sections and have caused much
injury. Sea island cotton has im?
proved during the week. Picking has
made fair progress, although little has
as yet been ginned.
Early corn is being gathered, and
as predicted the yields are poor: late
corn is somewhat better. Much fodder
was saved in excellent condition dur?
ing the week. Rice harvest made rapid
progress under nearly ideal weather
conditions, and is nearly finished for
March and April seedings. The crop
is good where not injured by birds,
that were unusually numerous in the
Georgetown district. Large quantities
of early cow peas were made into hay,
but the later plantings need rain.
Army worms are disappearing, but
they destroyed nearly the entire hay
crop in a few counties: elsewhere the
hay crop is unnsually heavy one. Fall
truck crops need rain, and in the
Charleston district the drought is be?
coming serious and menacing, al?
though the actual damage already
done is insignificant.
Tboea famous little oiii?, i/eWiu s Lntle
E rly iv'?er8 compel your ?iver ?od nowels
o au their <ioiv, tbos gi?iog jou pure, rieb
:>loo? tu ri-c T'Tii' yo<;r fxid.. Are t-*sj to
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m Risers CURE FOR
CONSUMPTION
IN ADVOCACY OF LEE COUNTY.
Why They Wish to Set Up Housekeeping
for Themselves.
Bishopville, S. C., Sept. 14, 1901.
Mr. Editor: As yon have offered the
use of your paper for the expression of
opinions and facts, concerning the
formation of Lee county, I will thank
you to publish, the following::
The people of Sumter county have
kindly honored me by electing: me to
represent them in the Legislature, for
which I sincerely thank them. I was
born and raised in old Sumter county,
have lived from 22 to 25 miles from
the county seat for 60 years, and
would naturally feel near to the people,
of the entire county. I have raised a
family of 6 children, and they have
all married and gone from me. I have
experienced much and many changes,
and feel it is my duty to speak con?
cerning the formation of Lee county.
We need it ; we want it : we ought to
have it. We have borne our portion of
all the debts of old Sumter, in every
way, at great disadvantage to us, by
being so far from the county seat, and
now feel that by forming Lee county
we can obviate that trouble by bring?
ing the people nearer to the county
seat.
The public roads that lead into
Sumter are extremely heavy and hard
to travel, while the public roads that
will be in Lee, are fine and of easy
travel throughout its entire borders',
and no doubt with a properly organ?
ized road government could" be in a
very few years made an ornament as
to good roads in this State writh little
or no expense to its citizens.
The lands of Lee county are fine,
and in perhaps two or three years after
the formation of Lee county the taxes
can be so materially reduced as to
amount almost to no tax at all, from
the fact that the expense of all new and
small counties are so much smaller
after the organization of the county.
With proper care by its voters, officers
can be selected who will economize in
the county governments and it can be
more easily done by the people being
brought so much nearer to each other.
Let's refer to the Statutes a little,
in 1897 the ordinary taxes for Sumter
county was 3 mills and Spartanburg
3 mills; while that of Saluda anew
county two years old is 2?2 mills. In
1898, Beaufort is 5 mills and Barn?
well 3 mills: while that of Bamberg a
county in the same locality of State
two years old is 3 mills; again, in
1899' Sumter 3, and Spartanburg 3
mills, with Saluda 4 vears old onlv
23< mills.
It is no use to quote further to show
that it does not increase taxes to form
new and smaller counties; and if any?
body is in doubt, let them go to the
statutes and read, and be con?
vinced. We know there is attachment
by many to the old mother county of
Sumter, and no doubt close and dear
attachment; but remember, my
friends, that man liveth not for him?
self alone. Just think what a legacy
you will hand down to your generation
yet unborn, by the formation of Lee
county, and you will not hesitate any
longer.
Now, why should the citizens of the
city of Sumter raise opposition to our
forming Lee conuty? We leave them
their pretty city, with the court house
and all of the county offices. We car?
ry with us our part of the indebted?
ness of the county of Sumter. We do
not change any of the public roads
leading into Sumter. We do not
change the residence of anybody. We
only ask to be allowed to set up a gov?
ernment for our betterment and for
the betterment of government in. gen?
eral. We don't propose to injure the
town trade, banking, law business
or to interfere with them in any of
the avocations of life. We do not
intend to do anything that is against
the law in the formation of Lee coun?
ty. But we do feel like you should,
as one of the family, say to us, "go
thy way and good will is our wish to
your success. ' ' And we hope in the
near future we will be more closely
connected with you by having the
Seaboard Air Line R. R., building a
branch direct from McBee via Bish?
opville to Sumter. So kind friends
turn out on the day of election and
vote legitimatelv for Lee countv.
D. E. Durant.
Argument Against Lee County.
Sumter. S. C., Sept. 13, 1901.
Editor Watchman and Southron:
Sir: During the past week I have
been searching for knowledge among
the Lee county adherents, as to the
benefits that would accrue to me, pos?
sessing a place and a voting precinct
within eight miles of Bishopville, by
the formation of a new county.
. One adherent said, "the value of my
land would be increased."
On that theory, the lands of Oswe
go, (eight miles from Sumter) should
be more valuable than mine as Oswe
go has been that distance from the
county seat for many years. But any
wide-awake farmer knows that the
comparative value would depend on
the fertility of the soil, 2nd, on its
railroad facilities, and 3d, on the near?
ness to the largest market.
Another Lee county man said, "if
the majority of your neigh 1K>rs want
it, you ought to vote with them."
That's a good ring rule," but it's
hardly an argument in this twentieth
century development of brain matter.
Besides, my neighbors have yet to de?
monstrate at the polls that they want
Lee county. Still another argument
was "if you don't have Lee county,
some little X Crossroads will start up
as a county seat and that will be worse
than Bishopville."
It seems very plain to me that we
have the same lawful measures in
forcH to prevent X Crossroads from be?
coming our county seat. The voice of
two thirds of our people would be
heard so quickly, that there would not
be the least indistinctness.
Personally I hope that Bishopville
may grow and prosper and overflow
with milk and honey or any juice it
prefers.
But I cannot see why I should pay
increased taxes (perhaps ?10 to 820
increase] without benefit to m?\ at the
present time. We cannot take into
consideration the wild surmisings
ns to what Bishopville will become.
Solid substantial growth of towns
takes a long time. Boom towns
speedily collapse.
I have talked with no man who did
not agree that taxes would be increas?
ed. Practically the same officers and
salaries, with lesser number to pay
them, and as one gentleman pointed
out the bridges of two thirdsj'of Sum
ter county, would have to be kept up
by the new county, a considerable
added expense.
Would it not be wise to count the
cost? Leave old Sumter, known all over
the United States, so favorably, to
form a new struggling county! Voter,
what do you gain by it?
Walter Cheyne, M. D.
THE CONGRESSIONAL MASS MEETING.
Messrs. Brantley and Lever Speak in
Opera House.
The Congressional candidates,
Messrs. Thomas F. Brantley. of
Orangeburg, and A. F. Lever, of Lex
intgon, had another opportunity last
night to address the voters of this city
and present their claims.
The mass meeting was held in the
Opera House and some two hundred or
more people were present. Senator
Richard I. Manning presided and in?
troduced the speakers.
Mr. Lever who spoke first discussed
national issues in a general way, out?
lining his position sufficiently to show
that he is in full accord with the
Democratic platform and a firm advo?
cate of the fundamental principles of
democracy.
He analyzed the vote cast in the
first primary for the purpose of show?
ing that the people who knew him
best-the people of his native county
-had given him the heartiest support
and had cast proportionally the largest
vote received in his own county by
any one of the candidates. He also
spoke of his qualifications for the office
and asked for the support of the peo?
ple of Sumter county on his merits.
Mr. Brantley made a forcible speech
on national issues, taking up each of
the live issues of the day in turn and
discussed them from the point of view
of a Democrat who stands squarely
upon the Kansas City platform.
He took up the Berkeley county
assessment matter and gave an ex?
planation of the whole affair. As his
cards in reference to this matter have
been published in this paper, it is not
necessary to restate in this connec?
tion. Mr. Brantley's explanation
since- his published cards cover the
matter fully.
Mr. Lever, at the conclusion of Mr.
Brantley's speech asked for a few
minutes time to make a statement in
reference to the Berkeley matter. He
related the circumstances under which
the agreement not to pay the Berkeley
assessment was made by the five candi?
dates, stating what occurred in this
conference which was held in Lees?
ville. He said that he received the let?
ter from the Secretary of the Berkeley
county executive committee while in
Leesville to attend the campaign meet?
ing and went at once to the hotel,
where the four other candidates were
stopping, and read them the letter
conveying the information that the
Berkeley county executive committee
had levied an assessment of $40 upon
each candidate. He asked the others
what they proposed to do about it.
After some discussion it was agreed
that they would not pay the assess?
ment because it was excessive and be?
cause the State Executive Committee
had forbidden the levying of assess?
ments by counties. It was also agreed
that if any notice at all was taken of
the letter from the Berkeley county
committee they would write simply
refusing to pay the assessment. To
this all 'agreed without dissent, and
it was thought that the matter was
settled.
Mr. Brantley here interrupted to
say that he told them he had already
written to the Berkeley committee say"
ing that he would pay the assessment
if the others did.
Mr. Lever replied that he had no
recollection of this statement having
been made by Mr. Brantley, and if
he had made it at Leesville he,
(Lever) had not heard it. He was
also informed that neither Mr. Smith
nor Mr. Howell had any recollection
of such statement having been made
by Mr. Brantley,.
Mr. Lever concluded his remarks
abruptly, saying that this statement by
Mr. Brantley put a new face on the
matter and he had no more to say.
The meeting was quite enthusiastic
at times and both candidates were
liberally applauded.
Mr. Lever made quite a hit when he
began his speech by addressing him?
self to "Fellow Citizens of Sumter
and Orangeburg," referring to the
presence of a number of Mr. Brant?
ley's Orangeburg friends who were
present, having come over to attend
the meeting.
The mass meeting was worked up by
Mr. Brantley's friends, but it did Mr.
Lever fully as much good as it did Mr.
Brantley and he appeared to have as
many friends in the audience as Mr.
Brantley.
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