The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-03-17
The Amended Charter.

Mr.. EDITOR We are no little sur
prised that a citizen of your town should
oppose the new charter. Opposition
from those opposing your prosperity,
opposition from a narrow and contract
ed soul, seeking to destroy You, that
other towns of less pretentions might be
resusitated, was to be looked for, how
ever pitiful such q spirit may be. But
for any one, whose interests lie in the old
town, whose homes, whose business,
whose associations are identified with
Clifton Forge, opposing this measure
passes our understanding. We are
forced to believe their opposition rests
upon their failure to measure its worth,
investigate its features, or have had
their minds poisoned by misrepresenta~
tions on the part of those, who profess
friendship, for the influence it begets,
enabling them thereby to destroy your
success, that they may fatten off of your
misfortunes.
WHAT DOES THE TOWN GAIN BY IT'S
ADOPTION
First of all, in the language of Mr.. In
gals, President of the G. & O. r. r., you
establish beyond cavil, that the G. & O.
r. r. intends to foster the old town.
Second. You get an elegant depot
corporations employees.
Third. You secure the headquarters
| of the railroad officials within your cor
porate limits.
Fourth. You insure the expenditure
of $23. eco in improvements this year,
/ shus giving employment to a large num-
| Der of hands and mechanics; $4,000 OF
which is furnished by the G. & 0. r, 4.
to improve and enhance your property.
Fifth. You secure good streets and
sewerage, removing a condition OF
affairs. which, but for the intercesson
of kind providence, ere now would
have produced a terrible scourge that
YOU would not have recovered from for
years. Il refer to the lamentable sani-
tary conditions of your city,
WHAT DOES SUCH PRIVILEGES. IMPROVE
MENTs, ESTABLISHING YOUR CITY AS
THE vERITABLE "ALTOONA OF THF
SOUTH COST THE CITIZENS OF OLE
4 CLIFTON FORGE?
There are 1875 lots within the 1aeat
boundary, averaging Shopper lot. Taxes
per year $1,S75. Twenty years, the time
the bonds run, $4,000; improved prop
erty qaoao on this, $4,000; tax ner year
800, twenty years, $4,000; railroad tax
on Il miles, $4,000; improved property
$4,000 Total, $4,000 Tax for twenty
years, 5000. Grand total, $57,50O In
terest on this for half the twenty years
$34, 500 Grand total, $4,000 Bonded
debt, $4,000; interest for twenty years
$4,000. Grand total, $4,000.
So at the end of twenty years the
taxes from the new boundary will hav;
paid the entire bonded debt, the pro
ceeds of which erects the new depot ant
Y. M. G. A., paves your street and put
fifty-nine thousand dollars in your cit
treasury. Is there one so blind, SO mar
row and contracted in his visions, VIII,
would not jump at such bushes
proposition if offered him personally
If good thing for an individual, VIII,
should not the city have the advantage
of it's benefits.
TO SUM THE WHOLE MATTER UP.
The old town, it's citizens and tax
payers, get a first class depot, a magnifi
cent Y. NJ. G. A., Ga great blessing for on
railroad citizens) They closely all
t themselves with thee. & 0. officials, &c
. their streets paved, and their pavement
laid, their sewerage perfected, the sani
tary conditions all that could be desired
: the city, placed on a solid, substantial
, and practical business basis, a veritabl
building boom, without costing then
one cent, and HftV>nlne Thousand dollar
| placed in their treasury at the end G
: twenty years
Could the most skeptical ask more 0
present better scheme to insure sue
cess to Clifton Forge, than the adoption
of this amended charter and carrying i
5 into effect. We think not, and do no
believe that the citizens of our thrivin;
industrial city can or will see it in an!
other light, and that those who from
Misrepresentation, lack Of proper in
vestigation, who have honestly doubtef
the advisability of its adoption, will, err
the day of election, SO inform themselves
and thus help make this great move IN
animous, through the fundamentally o
2 which one and all must be mutual.
S benefited, and the defeat of which, ma,