The Weekly Tallahasseean., 1900-09-27

Oullulng ltSeH Is adequate IOr all
county purposes.
Our State Capitol building is in
every way just as we'll suited for the
State purposes as the court house is
for our county uses. Both buildings
are, with repairs mentioned above,
good for at least fifty years yet.
Then, why, should the majority of
taxpayers voluntarily shoulder an
additional burden for the benefit of
some other town in the State, in
which they are in no way particularly
interested? The majority of the
taxpayers in the State would be af-
fected adversely by the removal of
the Capital, because, should the Cap
ital be removed, only one place can
get it. Say, for the sake of argu-
ment that the lucky place be Ocala.
How are the majority Of the counties
in the State to he benefited by this
change to Ocala? Arguments that
have been presented in favor of
Ocala, such as healthfulness, saving
of legislators railroad fees, ETC., have
all been claimed by the other con-
testing points. Then what have
nine-tenths of the taxpayers gained
by the removal of the Capital to
Ocala? Absolutely nothing. But,
on the contrary. they have assumed
an Indebtedness that will take at
least one generation to liquidate.
Now, bring this matter home to
our Marion county people. Suppose
Jacksonville or Gainesville should
outbid Ocala for the Capital site,
then what! Are we, as a people,
benefited in any way?
Even if the place that might get
the Capital would agree to pay the
cost of removal in toto, should we
take the Capital from Tallahassee?
This is nc grudge or spite work.
Should neither of the competing
points agree to assume the total cost
of removal land they will not) then
we tax payers would certainly be out
a good sized amount, that we would
not be, if tie Capital remains where
It's.
Some conservative party who fig.
ured that the removal would cost
only one and one-fourth million dol
lars, says we can pay this amount
very easily in thirty years by collect
ing each year eighty thousand dollars
from the "prosperous" State of Flor;
ida-forty thousand to be paid each
year as interest and forty thousand
to be used as a sinking fund to wipe
out the original Indebtedness. Oul
State now has bonded indebtedness
of not quite one and one-fourth mil
lion. This last year we were able
to pay off State debts to the amount
of about two hundred thousand dol
lars, and our State financiers consider
this quite a. feather in their caps.
Even SuppOSing that we are able tC
keep up this same rate of annual pay
ment of our Indebtedness it will take
us about eight years to be free O.
debts.
When the people of this county
and State vote for the removal Of the
Capital fro Tallahassee they viii
certainly vote for an extra taxation
upon themselves.
They vote for interest bearing
bonds that probably will not be palC
during their lives.
The people of this county a shor
time ago very wisely gave a strong
sentiment against the bonding of the
county for the purpose of building
good roads. In this road matter the
people would be more directly inter
ested, more of a personal matter, a
they and their children would get {
direct and immediate benefit. Yet
knowing these benefits were tangible
they declined to sanction the issuing
of bonds for this purpose. Now, tht
people are asked to come forward mex
November and vote to bond them
selves, to satisfy the false pride o.
some ambitious town.
Do you think the people are going
to be so foolish? Nay, verify; not il
the status Of affairs can be shown tC
them in the proper light.
The press in the Southern anc
Eastern part of the State has beer
thus far misleading in this matter
It is leading the people to believ'
that the Democratic State Conven
ton decided that there must be
change of the State Capital. This il
not the fact. The Convention onl..
made it possible to get the sentiment
of the Democracy of the State in thi
matter by allowing the Democrati
voters to .express themselves mex
Novemberin primary whether or no
they wanted change, and if SO t.
what point. Tallahassee is to b
voted on to retain the Capital as wei