The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-04-18
THE C., c. G. & c. R. R.
THE TAX PAYERS TO BE CALLED UPON
AGAIN.
Will we Vote Away Our Property
Uuder Il Defective Law ?.--WiII the
Railroad Authorities Grant q Rea-
SOnablc Request?
SOnable REQ

Will we Vote Away Our Property
Uuder Il Defective Law ?--.Wall the
Railroad Authorities Grant q Rea-
SOnable Request:
Rv reference to report of the recent meet
ing in Greenvillc ofthe officers ofthc company
il will be seen that the question or Young Il
tax TO this road, will be submitted to the peo-
pie of the townships in Abbeville county
along the line.
AS we understand, the proposition Is to pay
in five annual instalmentS. beginning Gtcr
The road is finished through the respective
toWnships ana 1Tho be ,eteS wees NAV hold as to
the advisability Of voting aid to rai!roads,
none can fail to see 0t q glance thaI lhls Is
the least Objectionable plan: 5, t.
The interest alone on twenty y.;tna year %on''' 10
Another matter. BY voting the tax direct 10
the railroad, the railroad would get every
dollar dol ESQ SO paid. Not so If bonds are voted; -,
If we Issue bonds they must pe solu orc ,noG eos
whatever they will bring, possibly for less
than their face value, say: SO to W cents on
Another matter. BY paying off the dept N IN Z,
five years, this generation VIII not hi!iio U
down to our successors q mortgage oii VIZ
ancestral homes.
BY voting the tax direct, there is certainly
less risk of having some artful spcculalor u
"get away" with us. ~ - e,,,o,,o,, ~
their obligation to issue the bonds ALREADY
yoted-wiii find this tax much less burden
some than the debt which now nangs oHeI
them. The people Of Troy have eyerytning
to gain-and nothing to loseIprovldeG tney
are relieved of the debt which now hangs
Another matter. The officers of the road bay
ing failed to comply with President Hngood :
promise to file with the CLERK OF Inc GouLii ich
would bind the Railroad Company 10 acceRt
the bonds of Abbeville village on the conGi'
tions named-one Of which was that the SUD,
scrpton should be null and void, If the road .ti
was moi completed TO Abbeville by January
/, lSSS-it is, TO say the least question as 10 10
whether the people of Abbevillc village are
now relieved OF that obligation.
It takes two parties 10 MAKE ,rI,o, The
The people petitioned 10 vote td1 hnCter Me
la,D but affixed certain conditions, n0t dalnoI,
ICED 5y Ia,U. AS far as we know, tho Iot., i
never consented to these condltl0ms anu "te w
ballots ,Vere cast according TO tau. Inc roau, 81
TO speak, merely folded its arms, ana ailoweu
the voting 10 60 on--not consentln0 10 Ine
Conditions" which were added without var
rant of law, and without signing any ag,e5'
ment:whcrcby the railroad should DC oounu' n,I
OF course whatever was more than the INV,
must be contract between the voters anu
the railroad, and if the railroad ever put tne
scratch of pen to paper, asreel ns 10 Tue PIo'
position Of the voters, we are not aWare vi 'n0
fact. ,s o,,a
other thriving towns have sprung up at cross
roads and in open cotton fields, through the
instrumentality OF railroads, and we see no az,
reason why the Cumberland Gap wouLq no. ~
greatly benefit the country through which IL
It has bccn suggested that an effort be
made TO pass law, granting 10 tne town1
ships voting the tax return IN Oh voiers of the
township shall be reimbursed, for their out
This seems to us to be a reasonable PROPOSE;
,ul,
not object-if our own members favor the law.
IL would be purely local matter I'D "hlcn
the rest of the State are not lnteresteu. ~ -
the people were called upon to vote TAX 70
build q railroad under any such law, we Go
rot see how any one could object, and we do
not believe there is town or township any
where which would not be willing 10 advance
the money to build any needed rallroaa, II
the people were made secure IN botn parllcu,,
lars. viz: the security that the money VIII
not he demanded before the road Is finished
and that the tax on the railroad VIII pe re-
turned to the township until the townsnip IS
fully reimbursed. Win the peopie , .,uo De-.
I,e,. will favor Il tax for the Cumberland zap
road believing such an investment 10 De pas-
ed on equity, on good business prlnciPles, d
sound financial policy, ana tno ptSv totyns te ns
we'll as for the development OF the resources .,ts
of the country at large. The managers o! CllG
road are beginning to operate on pTactlGa'
business principles, and. WIN proper per cgd Of
the line to the other will unite as one man y
and give all the aid in their power to the ell
terprise. .,o ~
the town Of Troy have already voted or
themselves tax Of five per cent. and also IN
recognition Of the law torbidding the levy OF
II debt OF more than eight per cont. on any
in the State for Such purposes, we
do not see how the railroad can ask lnalan
Hill township for more than three per cent,
and in asking that the road would DC asking
the town of Troy to vote on herself three per
,.ent, additional-Inaking eight per cent on
the town and only three per GHnt; on wo do do
not see that Indian Hill township Is ready W
vote on the question.
As the railroad authorities seem desirous OF
getting at a more feasible plan OF ouiiaing
The railroad, we suggest that tho existing
bungling Legislation, and tho tax Already
voted under il, be wiped out, and that the
railroad start as the lawyers say, rde novo.
Let the people Of the town m OF IIOy % Pe nc Iu,
town Of AbbeviIle have their obilgaGon, or
their lack of obligation, properly dehned'
Then enact q law authorizing the SUBMISSION
of the question of taxation, with SAVING
due and payable until the road is built, and
then that when built the tax on the road,
which would otherwise so to the county,
should be returned to the township Where IL
levied to build the road. With these condi-
tions properly guarded, we believe the Cum,
berland Gap road would receive all tne anu
and encouragement which 1t Is possible Tor
the people to gye. o,..
lead us to the opinion that as against the
Taxpayers have no chance IN court
except in the safeguard which tho law
throws around them. me railroaas can EN- EN-,
duty it is to look after their Interests, and the
peoples interests are neglected, thus giving
the railroads every technical advantage.
Give us q safe law and the people Will vote
the tax, No doubt about that. 1t would be
suicidal in any community to refuse their
endorsement to any scheme so important
and so useful as that Of building q railroad
Give the people the proper sGlegudr4 IN me
thorized promises IN the air, and they Will
pledge their solid dollars, for railroad: II
the railroad authorities mean what they
promise, their promises ana tieir PlcuSeS
should be placed on the statute book, and
until such assurance of good faith Is given by
the railroad, the people can form their own
conclusions as to what they should 40. =,
The people have walled for the coming OF
the railroad for many long years and now 1t
will take only short delay TO get the Legls-
Iature to enact the proper laws for their safe
ty, when the people Will do their whole duty:
With the proper safeguards the people VIII
pledge their money, but without IL. We tnimk ns
race their farms and pledge their property.
Give the people just and reasonable law,
and they will give their money. But without
n reasonable safeguard for the people, the
Press and Banner will stand now and forever,
and vigorously against what ii
deems an unwise taxation. The law rs II
now stands does not present one iota OF pro-
tectlon for the taxpayer. Nor has 1t even
the pretense OF giving protection. The law II
seemsIo ms is entirely in the interest OF the
Read ii. If you please.
Let the Doctors Answer for Them.
selves.
TowNvILLE, S. c., April 3, 1855.
Mr.. Hugh Wilson, AJberille, S. C:
DEAR SIR:-Will you plense give me the