Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-08
Mfr. Calvin's Improvement Bills.

Mr.. CaiVin's Improvement blilS'
Hon. Martin V. Calyin's bills to amend
the constitution so as to permit towns
and counties to tax themselves to aid
works of internal improvement are beng
very generally commented on by the press
of the State. The general impression
appears to be that they are good measures
and should receive the approval of the
Legislature. But are they good measures
that is, are they measures from which
the people may reasonably expect more
benefit than harm?
The general desire Is, of course, to see
the State grow in wealth and population,
and its great resources developed. The
bills OF Mr.. Calvin open the way for
owns and ountles to assist in bui lding
railroads. 1t is doubtful il Mr.. Calvin
or anyone else has any other kind of in
ternal improvements in view. Railroads
are powerful factors in the development
OF States, and many towns and counties,
on account of the benefits received from
them, can we'll afford to make large con-
tributions TO aid in building them, but
experience does not prove that the
majority of the towns and counties which
tax themselves to help build them get the
worth of their money.
Along the line of every railroad of i'm
portance few towns are made more
prosperous by the road. Those most ben
Gifted are the terminal ones. The most
of the towns, however, gain nothing but
the convenience of a railroad, and the
heavy burden of debt which they impose
upon themselves much more than over
balances that. Their debts, making high
taxes necessary, prevent improvements
and drives population away from them.
1t is true that, according to Mr.. Calvin's
bills, the people of towns and counties are
to decide for themselves whether or not
they will tax themselves to build rail-
roads, but is 1t not fact that they are
often led to do what they ought not to do
by extravagant representations When
heavy taxes press upon them it is too late
to repent of their folly. All over the
country it is possible to find counties and
towns struggling under burdens which
are the result OF the policy which Mr..
Calvin proposes to inaugurate.
AS general thing projected railroads
that will be built at all will be built with
out the aid of counties and towns. Ifthey
promise to be good investments private
parties Will put their money into them.
The expectation which towns and cOun
ties entertain of getting the money back
which they subscribe is seldom realized.
Ways are found to get their stock with
out compromising them for it..
The provisions of the constitution
against which Mr.. Calvin's bills are
directed were placed there for a good
purpose, and the Legislature ought to
consider the matter we'll before opening
the way for their removal. The argument
that there were many very bad men in
the State when the present constitution
was framed, against whom it was neces-
sary to guard, and that they are about all
gone now, may do to present TO COM
munity of Acadian simplicity, but can
| hardly have much force with worldly-wIse
people. Even now the Legislature is
investigating the question whether a rail-
road company did not obtain from the
last Legislature a gift of 100000 against
the very provision of the constitution
which Mr.. Calvin proposes to have modi-
| fed.