The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-11-13
Mr.. HENDERSON'S PLAN.
THE CONVENTION REJECTS HIS PRO.
POSED ORDINANCE.
Mr.. Connor, of orangeburg, Submits An
other Measure to Put Counties on a Cash
Basis.

| hr' Sohhor, oI oranSeDurg, submits An
other Measure to Put Counties on a Cash
Basis.
COLUMBIA, Nov. Especial: When
the convention was through with the
suffrage article. it resumed the con.
sideration of MIR. D. S. Hendersons
ordinance to authorize the issue of
State bonds to enable the counties Of
the State to do business on cash ba-
sis.
The convention had passed a great
er part of the section, and the consid-
Grafton began on Section 5, on which
Mr.. Henderson offered the following
amendment: Provided, that the Gen
eral Assembly may authorize the con-
tracing authorities of any county to
contract deots by unanimous vote to
meet extraordinary emergencies. " The
original section reads:
Section 5. That on and after the
time when the State Treasurer shall
have paid into the respective county
treasures the proceeds of the bonds as
provided for aforesaid, all contracting
officials of their respective counties,
whether for ordinary county expenses
or for school purposes, shall be held
responsible for all contracts entered
into by them over and above the cash
they have to their credit to meet the
same, and their official bonds are here
by declared bound for the same.
Mr.. Johnstone thought the section
was going too far. The intention
seemed to be to put permanent prin-
ciple in an ordinance. However cor
rect it may be in principle it was
wrong to put such an idea in an ordi.
nance.
Mr.. Sheppard said the more he
looked atand considered the ordinance
the less favorably was he impressed
with it. There is much danger in the
whole scheme, it is cumbersome and
unnecessary. He moved to indefinite
ly postpone the whole matter.
| Mr.. Henderson, of Aiken, said that
after amending the ordinance it was
proposed to kill it. It was crying
evil that the counties were not allowed
to conduct their business on cash
basis. There was great evil that it
was intended to remedy. The plan is
as simple as it can be made. If this is
not simple then let something better
be proposed, 1t was better to issue
bonds than to have the counties load
ed down with debt. It is notorious
fact that the counties have to borrow
money at and per cent, and per-
haps more. This ordinance applies to
this special evil, and if the principle is
correct it can be put in the constitu-
ton. The idea is to put permanent
check on county officers. The:mode OF
remedy is simple, but he was ready to
accept anything better.
Mr.. jeremiah Smith, of Horny, OBJ
jected to the ordinance because he re-
garded it as unsound business policy.
| MR.. CONNOR'S PLAN.
MIR. Connor was opposed to the or.
dinance and favored raising the mon.
ey by special levy, and offered the fol-
lowing as substitute:
'That the General Assembly shall
provide for an annual tax levy not to
exceed one-half of one mill in each
county not now on a cash basis. The
proceeds of all such levies shall be
used as sinking fund for each and
every county in which it is levied and
collected, and invested as the General
Assembly shall direct until an amount
sufficient shall have been collected to
put such counties on a cash basis,
then such annual levies shall cease"
He went on to say that in Orange
burg the schools had been gotten on a
cash basis in this manner. His idea
was to make it mandatory.
Mr.. Gage, of Chester, was satisfied
that the whole principle of both ordi-
nances was wrong. It was purely a
matter for the counties to settle. The
remedy must come from the people
themselves and unless the people at
home have the ability and courage to
manage their own affairs we can't do
so at this end of the line.
Mr.. Johnstone said that those who
took the new bonds would take them
on the understanding that the existing
conditions as to issuing new bonds
would be carried out. It would, he
thought, be bad faith to issue new
bonds in face of the understanding
with those who now hold the present
bonds.
Senator Tillman said the evils of the
present system ought to be apparent
to everyone. The teachers and jury
men as well as the counties were being
forced to lose money by this arrange
ment. Some men, he thought, were
shying from bugaboos that did not
exist. It could be fixed that the State
should never assume the indebtedness.
The convention can do what it pleases.
We are the people. The counties can
not borrow at less than Z or 8 per
cent.
There was then a running debate
between Senator Tillman, Mr.. John
stone, Mr.. Talbert and Mr.. Geo. D.
Tillman.
DR.. Smith, of Barnwell, said that in
his county they were paying from 8 to
16 per cent. on county paper.
Mr.. D. s. Henderson: 'The ordi-
nance does not ask the State to pay
any county debt. 1t simply asks for
the loan of credit to get money cheap
| ly. For ten years members have been
trying to get the Legislature to pro-
vide for special levy for sinking
fund to get the counties out of debt,
put it was always an appeal in vain.
1t is urged that if we lend credit now
it will be beginning bad precedent.
The State brought about this condi-