Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-07-07

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county bridge. For instance, Catawba
township will he benefited more than
Fort Mill township. Why? Catawba
township has 6,OOO people, while Fort
Mill township has only 1000, and will,
therefore, get just three times as much
benefit. Ebenezer will also be benefited,
and so will Bethel. Therefore, 1 say that
this is not a Fort Mill enterprise. Mr..
Ardrey went on to recite the fact that
while the board had been building bridges
all over the county, this was the first pc
tition that Fort Mill township had ever
rendered. If you did not consult the peo-
pie in the other bridges, why should you
consult them in this? If you grant this
petition, you will establish bad prece-
dent that will give you trouble. For
after this, how will you be able to build
any bridge without first submitting the
matter to the people? While there is life,
of course, there is hope, and if you SUBJ
NIT this matter to the people, 1 will not
give up all hope. At the same time, how
ever, feel that it will practically kill the
enterprise. 1 do hope, therefore, that
you will decideto build the bridge.
Mr.. C. T. Crook, upon the call of one
of the commissioners, said that he did not
think he could add anything to what Mr..
Ardrey had already said. If you 60
back upon this thing now, you will admit
that you decided to build the bridge with
out knowing what you were doing, and
cannot sec how you will get along here
n nl0nla
every question that comes before you.
Commissioner Stanton was next called
upon. 81 have nothing to say further
than that am ready to express my views
in my vote," he replied.
Commissioner White said that the pc
titions had come up from the people, and
that they were entitled to the same con-
sideration that had been accorded to the
the othsr petitions. After so expressing
himself, he offered the following, with a
few words of explanation to each para
graph:
Whereas, the reconsideration of part
of the action taken at q recent meeting by
the board in reference to the location OF a
bridge across Catawba river, is virtually
reconsidering the whole bridge question,
back to the presentation of the petition,
signed by citizens of Fort Mill township,
asking for an appropriation of an amount
not exceeding $1,000 (nine thousand dol
lars), for the location of bridge across
Catawba river, at or near Harris's ferry ;
and.
whereas, a second petition, signed by
citizens Of Fort Mill township asking, for
reasons mentioned, that the location of a
bridge be located at Neely's ferry instead ;
Whereas, a good deal of feeling and
difference of opinion has developed
among the citizens in Fort Mill township
in regard to the location Of said bridge ;
and. =,
whereas, petitions from citizens and
taxpayers from different parts of the
county asking that the building of said
bridge be referred to the qualified voters
of the county, at the primary election to
be held on the 3lst day Of August next,
to decide the matter; and, =.
| Whereas, there being more or less
question as to whether the board OF coun-
ty commissioners are justified in the ex-
pending Of so large all amount OF money
on what appears to be an extraordinary
county expense, without the authority of
the legislature, duly assembled, so to do.
Therefore, be it
Resolved, That we, the board of com
missioners of York county, in meeting
assembled. this 5th day. OF July, 1897, 90
hereby agree to submit the question OF
building of said bridge, to be voted on by
the qualified voters of said county, on the
3lst day of August, 1897.
Those voting yes, vote bridge.
Those voting no, vote no bridge.
Commissioner Whites paper was sec.
onded by Commissioner Miller, after
which Commissioner White proceeded
with his remarks. He said there should
be some limit to the amount that might
be expended by the board. He remem-
bered that upon one occasion, the county
commissioners had taken upon them.
selves to vote $15O,OOO for the purpose of
building a railroad, and the matter had
stirred the county from one end to the
other. Here, some time ago, when the
courthouse was burned, the county COM
missioners had found it necessary to 60 to
the legisla ture to get authority to borrow
500 to rebuild it. Then again, at an
other time, the board had refused to ap-
propriate the small sum of $4OO for an or
dinary county purpose until after it had
gone to the legislature about it. Then he
went on to speak of the labor of the COM
mittee which located the bridge, and re-
viewed the action of the board up to the
present time. The fact that the people Of
Fort Mill were so split up about the loca-
ton of the bridge showed that they could
not be very anxious for it. Then he went
on to say that inasmuch as the original
petition asked for So, 900 for the purpose of
building bridge at or near Harris's fer
nv, the reconsideration carried the mat
ter back to the original paper before it
had been acted upon at all. He went on
to say that he had been influenced in his
original vote to certain extent by the
opinion Of others as to whether the
bo ard had the power to make an expen-
diture. He went on to say, with all due
Difference, that the opinions Of lawyers
their stock In trade-may be more or less
elastic, and he had reasoned the matter
out to the point where he was very doubt
full as to the right of the board to make
such large expenditure until the people
have had their say.
In reply to Commissioner White, Com
missioner Brice said that there was no
doubt Of the right of the county to re-
build the court house. 1t was an ordinary
county purpose, and the ordinary county
funds could have been used. 1t was de-
sirable, however, to borrow money, and
for that reason it was necessary to 60 to
the legislature. AS to the Rock Hill
guardhouse matter, it was really a matter
of doubt as to whether it was an ordinary
county purpose, and for that reason it
was deemed advisable to 60 to the legis-
lature. Such local matters as these were
entirely within the discretion of our men,
bers in the legislature. All they had to do
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