The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1872-03-21
Bridge Meeting.

Pursuant to a call by the Chairman Of the
Special Commissioners, meeting was held
at the Town Hall on Saturday, the 9th inst,
MIR, James NJ. Davis was called to the chair,
and H. Baum appointed secretary. Co.. W.
NJ. Shannon explained the object OF the
meeting as follows:
Mr.. CAairman-It devolves upon me, as
chairman of the special commission on the
Waterce Bridge, to explain to the citizens
here assembled, the purposes and objects Of
this meeting. This shall briefly do; leav-
ing to my colleagues Of the commission the
pleasant duty of reporting to you, the gratify-
ing success they have met in their mission
to Charleston, and to the South Carolina
Rail Road Company, in behalf Of this en-
terprize- success none the less gratifying,
that the South Carolina Railroad Company,
in their free, prompt, and efficient aid to us,
are intelligentiy pursuing the line OF their
interest.
The object for the call for this meeting,
then. was:-Eirst: 10 disarm the preju-
dice which exists in the two upper townships
of the county, against the scheme of taxa
ton laid down in the act Of ths Legislature,
for the construction Of this free bridge-of
course, Sir, use the word prejudice, accord.
ing to its true etymology, and net with the
purpose Of intiulating any narrow, perverted
or selfish view-I mean, Sir; that pre-
;udonnem has been formed which will not
bear the test Of examination. l have con-
yersed with several friends from these town.
ships, and fud they are mis- informed; they
have not read the act. They supposed that
these two townships furthest removed from
the site of the bridge, were to be equally
taxed with the adjacent townships. This is
not so. Those townships may be taxed one
mill on every dollar of the assessed value of
their property, while the lower townships
arc taxed two mills upon the dollar. The
lower townships are more Immediately and
directly interested in the bridge, and their
tax is to be double that Of the remote town
ships.
Again, DeKalb and Wateree townships
own more than two-thirds of the property OF
the county, and their taxes constitute more
than two-thirds Of the entire taxes OF the
county Therefore, the rate of taxation be-
ing one-half, the upper townships will be
called upon to contribute only one-sixth Of
the cost of construction Of the bridge.
Is not this reasonable, just and equitable!
1t so happens, that nearly al! the large brids-
es on the highways in this county. kept up
at public expense, are in those upper town
ships. So far as | can at this moment recall
them, there are, believe, one across Beaver
creek. two across Grannys Quarter, two
acro-s Sanders creek, four across Big Lynch
e's creek and FIVE across Little Lynche'
creek; all kept up and long have been kept up,
by taxes Of which DeKalb and Wateree town.
ships pay now two-thirds, and before the
emancipation of slavery, paid still larger
proportion. Of course, this is to us no sub
iect of complaint. Government requires
public duties ofits citizens, and gives them
public rights. They must come to the coun-
ty-town to pay taxes, to serve as jurors and
witnesses, &C.; they have the right to come
to the election precincts to cast their ballots,
to annroach the Halls Of Justice to claim the
protection of the law and assert their rights.
They cannot perform these duties and en- en-
ioy these rights, unless the streams across
the public highways are bridged where nee
essary. And the reciprocal interests OF the
rural population and the County Town, re-
quire access to market The construction
Of fall those bridges, then, was so patiently
public charge, that we have never heard
any objection to taxation for these purposes.
Now DeKalb and Waterec townships, which
nav more than two-thirds Of the taxes, being
in more level country, have not so many
creeks, and they are for the same reason gen.
orally fordable. Now DeKalb ans Wateree
townships, and the town of Camden, want
the bridge across the Wateree at Camden
reconstructed The people of those town.
ships want it to facilitate the performance
oftheir public iuties-thc enjoyment OF their
public rights-they wish it further to give
them ready access to their market town
while the market town appreciates the i'm
portance of giving to its customers that ac-
cess.
What claim have they that this bridge be
built at the public charge The answer is
patent. The same that builds the bridges