Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1871-04-06


i take the responsibility, not mo.
u Similar power has always been
exercised by the people. 1t may
d be, as ii has been in some rare in
9 stances, abused; but shall we on
= that account take It away or with.
p hold il? The abuse is not the gen.
eral rule, hut the exception, and
rare exception at that to the rule.
The people decide at the ballot box
who shall ill all offices Of TRUST and
; profit, from the highest to the low
est, and bare majority controls /;
the minority must submit. They
decide whether they will tax them
selves to build a court house, mfr
mary, and otlierr public buildings,
and construct important and valu-
able public Improvements; a bare
majority controls and the minority
must yield. And ! appeal to every
member upon this floor if it has
not been practiced here as q favor
ite principle, amounting almost to
q hobby, that every local bill seek
ing to impose a taxi must contain
a provision that before the tax can
be raised, the prOpriety Of doing so
must first be sIfbmitted to a vote Of
the people, and If it receives a ma
iority Though it may be but one)
in its favor, the tax may be impOs-
ed And why all this Why leave
the people to decide all thcs mat
ters and impose all these taxes on
themselves, and that too by ma
| ljority vote, and cry outagalnst this
bill and say the people cannot be
trusted to act under it, especially
rhen by its proUisions no tar can
be leU led or collected under tt until
twO thirds Of the electors r0te ia
facor ofthe same3
What witchcraft, what conjura-
/ alton or what mighty magic is there
i'll this bill that will steal away the
senses of the people, or craze or
infatuate them ?
With all due respect to the gen.
tleman, the hue and erie raised a.
gainst it ought not to alarm, and if
am not much mistaken, will not
alarm any considerate man. 1t is
a false clamor to say that by pass
ing this bill we vote to saddle q
tax upon the people. l am as much
in favor of light taxes as the gentle
man, or any msmbeT Of the House;
AMI do not know that my co. has,
or that lave any interest, present
OF prospective, in the bill but be-
lieve in the rights of the people to
govern themselves, and determine
for themselves, what Improvements
anil internal regulations they will
have, and how much they will tax
themselves therefor. / am not at
all apprehensiye that the people in
any locality in this State will i'm
pose upon themselves unnecessary
burdens under this bill;
particularly since the amendment
has been made toitrequiring a vote
of two thirds of the people to i'm
pose the tax. With this amend
ment Incorporated into the bill, It
is more carefully guarded against
an improper use of its taxing pow
er than any that has been before
us this session.
do not apprehend that any ex-
tended lines of rail re ID would ev-
er be constructed under the bill, il
it should become a law. But can
readily understand how such law
would be valuable to the people in
many localities, in filling up impor-
tant links of road, making connec-
tions with@lines of road already
constructed, and in doing much to-
wards the development and i'm
provemcnt of the country, and 1
do not feel at liberty to stand in
the way Of the accomplishment of
such results.
Mr.. Fitch How does the gen.
tleman from Fayette propose to
run the roas, free or for pay?
| Mr.. Williams: l do not, know
that l shall have anything to say or
do in running the roads if this bill
should tecome a law. But / will
say to the gentleman that if /
should have any control over such
roads, | would undoubtedly oppose
granting any free passes 10 meln-
bers of the General Assembly, and
especially to my friend Mr.. Fitch)
from Ashtabula.
1t is fact we are all familiar
with, that a geological survey Of
the State is now in progress, by
means of which valuable mines,
coal fields and building materials
are being discovered and brought
to light. Itis a notorious fact that
the richest mineral aud coal regions
of the State are those having the
least rail road facilities. In all
probability the people of those sec
lions might find it profitable and
advantageous TO proceed under
such a law, and construct such rail
roads as should open up the coal
and minerals Of those sections to
market, and thereby add much not
only to their own wealth, conven-
ience and welfare, but also add
much to the general prosperity Of
the State.
Let us not be guided by any short
sighted policy, or be frightened by
any vague misgivings or distorted
fancies; but keeping in view the
wants Of the peop,e, and the well
rora of tha Ctota fostar ond o,,oo,,r