The Weekly Tallahasseean., 1900-09-06
Changing the Capital Site.

IL iS hoC the peopie-DartOW courier
Informant.
Changing the Capital Site.
Tie most vital question now be-
fore the people of Florida for. discus
sion is that Of Capital removal. AL
ready there is noticeable tendency
to decide. this question without CIV
ing the matter due thought and con-
s1deratiOn. We have read the argu-
ments of Jacksonville and St. Au-
gustine ON removal, and that of Tai
lahaSsee against. 1t is needless to
say that there are goods points III al
three of them, but the more the sub
ject is studied from all points the
harder it is to decide the question.
In brief it is about like this: Do
the taxpayers of Florida want to
change their Capital site to the ex-
tent of going into debt say million
dollars, pay interest on bonds to the
extent of, perhaps, another million
dollars?
A great many who would favor
the removal of the Capital to a more
central location would object seri-
ously to saddling a debt of this size
upon the State; but perhaps they
might be inclined to vote for change
of site whenever such an offer as st.
Augustine is made to offset some OF
the expense. The Ancient City offers
site and $25O,O0O, more than double
the combined offers of all other
cities which are candidates. The
offer of St. Augustine is magnani.
nous, as her cash donation would
cover 25 per cent. of the cost of a
credi,able Capitol building.
But on this donation business we
find that the State Constitution does
not permit a city or county to issue
bonds for such a purpose. How
then, can a candidate for Capital re.
moval offer such a sum and guaran.
tee its payment provided it secures
the Site) unless the money is eithel
subscribed, or a special amendment
10 the Constitution is made to allow
such city or county to bond itself fol
this purpose2
If the latter course is necessary
such amendment would be voted OF
by the people at the same time they
voted for the amendment to remove
the Capital, and, under a decision O.
the Supreme Court, both would, i
adopted, become effective the same
day, hence the location of the Capita
would be decided, before the question
of bonds or no bonds could be sub
mitted to the people of such county
or city.
Another election in that county OF
city would have to be held to decide
upon the issue of bonds or not, anC
is it reasonable to suppose that after
the location of the Capital has beer
decided in favor. of such city, that the
people of the county or city would vote
to bond themselves to aid in putting
upa Capital building which would be.
long to the whole State, and which
they would naturally conclude should
be paid for by all the people? 1t is
quite probable they would not
|TitusVille Star.
Ambitious Jacksonville.
And Jacksonville wants to be the
Capital of the State! Modestly de-
sires the people to tax themselves te
the tune of one million dollars tC
build her a State House and several
hundred thousand dollars besides fol
other adjuncts, contingencies, etc
Verify Jacksonville is a modest maid.
en-, coy, shy, piquant and ambitious
And yet Jacksonville has bonded
and judgment debt of S1,270,000.OO,
besides a floating debt, the amount
of which cannot be obtained. Her
city tax is Is 2-10 mills, more than
three times the entire State tax for
all purposes, including the State
school tax, pension tax, and board OF
health tax. In addition to this, Du-
val county has a bonded debt of
$500, 100000 which is also lien on the
property of the citizens of Jackson
ville.-Ex.
with such influences prevailing at
the Capital, how long before the
State would be in the same happy
condition? Such management OF
their own affairs is not very encour-
aging, or should not be, to the citi-
zens of the State, to make such an
extravagant and reckless city the
State Capital. Beware of Jackson
vile! And beware of her advocates.
Holmes County Advertiser.
AS Unnecessary as Unjust.
The boiling political issue in this
State is : that of Capital removal
The New Era is for Tallahassee, moi
only because it is sister town with
whose citizens our OWE have always
associated pleasantly, but because, in
addition, we consider the present
Canital sufficient for all the needs OF