Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1900-10-24
A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.

At tho approaching general election
the voters of tho entire State will be
called upon to grant permission to the
cities of Columbia, Rock Hill, Charles
ton, Georgetown aud Florence to
increase their bonded indebtedness
far in excess of tho constitutional
limit of eight per cont of the taxa
bic property of said municipalities,
respectively, for the purpose of erecting
wator-works plants, sewerage systems,
gas and electric light plants. The pro
posed amendment is as follows:
add to the end of Section I, Article
VIII, this proviso: provided, That the
limitation imposed by this Section and
tion shall not apply to bonded indebted
ness incurred by the cities Of Columbia,
Rock lIill Charleston and Florence,
whore the proceeds Of said bonds are
applied solely for the purchase, cstab-
lishmcnt, maintenance or increase of
watcr-works plants, sewerage systems;
and by tho city Of Georgetown, when tho
proceeds of said bonds are applied solely
for the purchase, establishment, main
tenancc of water works plant, sewer
ago system, gas and electric light
plants, where tho entire revenue
arising from the operation of such
plants or systems shall be devoted
solely and exclusively to the maintcn-
anco and operation of tho same, and
where tho question of incurring such in
dcbtcdncSs is submitted to the freehold
ers and qualified voters Of such munich
pality, as provided in tho Constitution,
upon the question Of other bonded in
dcbtcdness.'
In circular letter addressed to the
press Of the State the city council of
Columbia say:
"rhis proposed amendment to the Con-
stitution is of vital Importance to the
city of Columbia, whose population
comes from almost every county in the
State. Growing with Il rapidity that is
without parallel in the statistics of the
State, her tccming streets and busy marts
are tho wonder and admiration of all.
The State at large shares with her citi,
Zcns in the pride cngcndcrcd by the
growth and promise of the capital of
South Carolina. There arc but two
things vtally essential to the encourage
mcnt aud fostering of this wonderful
growth-a sewerage system and Il water
works plant, which togcthcr, it is csti-
mated will cost our munici NAlity IL half
million dollars.
TO raise that sum, so ne, ,sary to the
wcll-bcing OF all the pcopYN, we must
appeal to the intelligent vO .crS of this
entire State to vote solidly for this pro
posed amendment, for the reason that
Columbia is already cncumbcrcd with Il
debt far i'll excess of the constitutional
debt-limit Hence, upon failure to carry
the proposed amendment at the poll, our
only recourse to preserve and foster the
magnificent onward march of our city
Will be to place these systems in the
hands of private parties, and that course
is condemned by every economic author
ity, based upon the closest study Of re-
suits.
"Rcmcmbcr that not only does the
Legislature meet here annually, but that
the Hospital for the Insane is here, be-
sides the State penitentiary, us well as
other State Institutions all of which will
be directly benefited by these proposed
improvements
Should this proposed amendment be
adopted, it would then be left to the
option of the "frccholdcrs and qualified
voters" OF each of the five cities named
to say for themselves, in an election held
for that purpose, whether bonds should
be issued for water, sewerage and lights.
The city councils Of Columbia and
Charleston have Officially approved the
amendment, and earnestly urge the
voters Of the State to vote in the ailirma-
two wohovo rot .oor o ,,,o,.
from, tho ci,y council. nf pocL II;,, ia,
once and Coorontoxn I'M, !, NAV, 10 ,ro
sup,od thov ~, !, roy, of =
A. a oonoro, ,u1o ,,o 40 cr,oo1 80
thc LARGE increase Of tho hondrd indcht.
odnoss of runicin,,itios Int ,ho,.o
ho ooc,sio,,l oyonn,;,,,, n ,l;,,o !,
:, 49,.
ScclhS 'hal Ihe present cohuiilon ol lhc
city of Columbia furnishes one Of those
exceptions. and if the frccholdcrs and
,uolifod o,octors :, uot oit,, ,,, -
:" '''''V '''' ""''' ~
Vole tll'S hcaVy TAX upon themselves, as
they intimate, for the benefit of the pco.
plc of the whole State as well rs them.
.olvo. ,o .o ,lo u,,l,o,. ,,,a,.
'., w '',pp''o WV ".'''' po"p'o
Shonld NOT opJcct 10 receiving the bless
ings, and at the same time grant their
brethren in thc Cauitol civ thc so,isfoc.
~; e ;
~" " 'Ni'' ''o'o'''S '''"V ~ - more
blessed to glvo than to receive. Another
reason and il cogcnt one, is the fact that
thc state institutions arc ,ocotcd in
r,,,,l;, ,,1 ,I,o; ,;,, I;; .
would be much improved by purc wotc,