Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-05-02
For the Yorkvllle Enquirer.
THE YORK COUNTY BONDS AGAIN.

THE YORK COUNTY BONDS AGAIN.
During the past few months, I have read
the opinions of number of persons upon the
subject of this subscription, and the main
objection with all those in opposition to it, is
that the people were not permitted to vote
upon it /; and that, consequently, the subscrip.
ton by the County Commissioners was lille.
gal, the bonds void and the tax levied to pay
the interest on them nullity. 1t is con.
ceded that had popular vote been taken,
and the measure been approved by a MAORI
ty of the voters of the county, these objec'
tions would all fall to the ground, and every.
thing would have been right and proper.
Perhaps cannot see things like other peo.
pie; but I must confess that I cannot see, in
this argument, the Importance that has been
given to it. If the County Commissioners
had left the matter to vote, and it had been
adopted by class of iliterate and irrespon'
sible voters, who imagined that they were not
interested in taxation, I can see but little
cause for consolation in such a result.
should have been no better satisfied than for
the County Commissioners to have voted the
subscription direct The Commissioners would
have fixed the purpose and the amount Of the
subscription in both cases. In the former
case, an irresponsible vote would likely have
ratified their arbitrary action. There might
have been less complaint made about the
bonds, after such vote, but do not see that
the taxes would have been any the less in
consequence.
My objections to the subscription, Mr.. Ed.
itor, are not of that sort. A vote of respon.
sible taxpayers and property owners alone,
would, in my view, have met the objection
fully. Under the Constitution of this State,
the vote could not have been confined to tax.
payers and property holders. All, or none,
must have voted. I would neither let the
Legislature tax me for objects of internal i'm
provement, nor delegate the power to Com
missioners or irresponsible voters, if l could
have my own way about it. But l do not
expect to have my own way in such matters.
I have been paying taxes every year, these
forty odd years, and do not remember that
l have ever paid dollar of taxes that 1
voted, either to put on, or to keep of, my
property. The Legislature has never consult
ed me upon the matter of taxation, whether
for building a canal, State House, turn
pike, public road, Court House, Jail, or any
ether matter of either general or local con.
Germ. Taxes for each and all of these OBJ
ieots have been imposed by the Legislature
upon counties, time and again, and suppose
it will continue to be done as long as we re-
main State. If all taxes were left to the
people to fix upon their property, it would
no doubt satisfy grumblers for time, at
least, until the absurdity of the plan became
as manifest in practice as it now is in theory.
do not think l would wish to live long un.
der government that existed upon so inse.
cure foundation as the capricious action of
the taxpayers in voting to tax their property
to support its measures.
As to the legality of these bonds, I leave
the question to the lawyers and the courts.
1t is not for me to argue or decide, were l
competent to do 80. But l have some &C.
quaintance with the course Of legislation in