The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-06-23

Charles D. Smith, J. L. Knight,
A. q. PincEney, &c. Ragsdale,
w. a. Pepper, J. II. Donald,
Committee
Second Address of the Committee to
the Voters in the Proposed New
Williamson County.
There has appeared in the public prints
a substance Of a letter fro Messrs. Bon
ham q Watkins, who are the attorneys
for the promoters Of the new County of
Williamson, giving their opinion that in
case the new County of Williamson is
established the townships formerly be.
longing to Anderson County cannot be
compelled to pay taxes for six years
longer to build a Court House and Jail
at Anderson. This Committee hos re-
ceived the very opposite advice from
Messrs. Haynesworth IL Parker, lawyers
in Greenville, and from Col. Jas. l.. Orr,
the former Solicitor of this Circuit, and
regarded as an able lawyer. This is q
question of law and an Interpretation Of
the Constitution Of the State which will
have to be finally settled by the Courts
of the State. But the townships Of An
derson County seeding to form Will
liatnston County will undoubtedly be
called on to paw this tax to the Anderson
County officials, and upon their refusal
to do so suit will unquostionaly DO enter
ed against each and all of them. 1t may
be- said that this is not a County matter
and therefore the new County of Will
liamston will not have to pay to defend
these suits, but unquastionably the land
owners, and property holders and tax
payers in Williamson County will have
to defend those suits individually, and
il forming Williamson County you are
buying q lawsuit and will certainly have
this expense to meet. We believe the
tax will be collected, and will have to be
paid for six years to pay for the building
of the Court House and Jail in Anderson
County.
We arc informed that the citizens of
Williamson have put up q bond for
S23, 900. 90 to secure the sum Of Sl5,000.00
towards building the Court House and
Jail at Williamson. In the first place,
SIS OOO.O 90 will not be a sufficient sum to
build q Court House and Jail, and if they
are erected for that cost, it will only be a
few years before they will be torn down
and suitable buildings erected at the ex-
pense of the County. Without question
ing the financial responsibility of tho
parties signing that bond, it is we'll to
bear in mind that Greenwood City filed a
bond signed by its citizens, who were
amply able to pay it, as a guarantee that
Greenwood City would to the extent Of
$25, 900. 90 pay for the building of a Court
House and Jail in Greenwood. This
bond was exhibited in the Legislature
and used as an argument for the passage
of q law authorizing the formation Of
Greenwood County. However the re-
suit is that Greenwood County has been
formed and Greenwood City is prevented
BIZ the Courts from issuing her bonds for
$25, 900. 90, aud the County of Greenwood
will have to pay for the Court House and
Jail. We feel positive that this will be
the result in Williamson County, and
that the taxpayers Of Williamson Coun-
ty may as we'll recognizes the fact that if
Williamson County is formed they will
have to pay for the County Court House
and Jail, as we'll as for the Court House
and Jail in Anderson.
1t has been stated by the promoters of
The Williamson County scheme that
Greenwood County had arranged for ST..
10000 to transcribe the records from the
old Counties to Greenwood. This state
mentis entirely incorrect, as no provision
was made in the Act establishing the
County of Greenwood for transcribing
the records, and consequently no ar
rapgements have yet been made to ac-
complish that end. This will have to
be done by subsequent legislation and it is
safe to say will cost ten or twenty thous-
and dollars.
In Anderson and Greenville' Counties
there are title grants and records running
back to 1870. 1t is estimated that it will
take one man six years to transcribe
these titles from n County alone. This
does not include Probate Judge DEGREES,
mortgages and other records. This will
have to be done. Who will pay for it?
1t will cost ten to twenty thousand dol
County will have to foot the bill.
The cost Of the Court House and Jail
and the cost Of transcribing the records
are only two items of the expense in the
formation of a new County. County ex-
penses are more than double State
taxes, and forming three Counties
out Of the same territory that now sup
ports two would add forever, year after
year, one-third more taxes to the tax
payers of WILLIAMSON. This additional
tax will not be paid in any n year, but
this cost of living will be a heritage we
will leave our children.
We urge all voters not to DO deceived
by the promises and rosy pictures of the
future prosperity of Williamson as held
out by the residents, of that town. Our
taxes are now high enough, and we urge
all legal voters to DO out early and vote
NO against Williamson County. While
we have every prospect Of defeating this
County scheme it is important to have
every voter go out and vote. It will not
be safe to think everybody is going to
vote against the County and you stay at
home and not take the trouble to vote. It
is q most important election. and we urge
every voter to see that he deposits q NO
ballot on the Goth of June. The polls
open at s o'clock a. M, and close at /
o'clock p. m. Thomas j. Martin,
Chairman.
In your edition Of the 18th inst.;you
published o letter from Mr.. j Matt Coo
ley, of WILLIAMSON, stating that he was
willing and ready to let the citizens of
Williamson have $50, 900 90 on the pa
per they now have in hand, and in a
statement made by the citizens of Will
liamston Of date Juno 18th, 1897, and
signed by Mr.. +. Nj. Lander, Secretary,
occurs the following, owe suppose these
doubling Thomases will even doubt this,
and doubt MI. Cooley's ability to handle
this sum, but those who know him in
banking circles know he can do it.
These doubters of the faith or ability Of
Williamson to carry out her promises
in this matter need doubt no longer. We
have met them on every hand, and will
state further that the amount reported as