The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-10-29

without notice Of those facts ab"'"
recited. and which would 90 to I'M
peach the validity of the said bonds.
Crhis too in face of the fact that the
records in the office Of the county
commissioners for the various counties
which records are public records and
notice TO the world, disclose, all OF the
facts which would 20 to impeach the
validity Of the said bOndS.) Since
then the matter has been in litiga-
ton. until finally judgments have been
obtained against several OF these
townships upon coupons representing
d part only OF the accrued Interest,
and mandates have been issued by the
United States court authorizing d
levy and collection Of a tax to meet
the judgments already obtained. and
suits are still pending against some oi
the townships: and inasmuch as the
first iDStalment CT the principal or the
said bonds falls due this year other
suits will surely follow. since 1t ap-
pears that these bonds. Or 1T least q
large portion Of them (Lhe exact
amount we do not know have found
their way into the hands Of nOn-reSi-
dents who can sue in the United
States court and thus evadc the deci-
SionS Of the State court.
The debt against Dunklin and Oak
Lawn townships, in Greenville County,
alone amounts in principal and ac-
crued interest to something like thirty
Thousand dollars each. The principal
of bonds on behalf OF COkeSbury,
Ninety-SiX and Cooper townships
amount to s4S,S The other town.
ships are similarly affected. You can
imagine what an enormous tax VIII
be required to pay this debt and the
number OF homes that will have to be
sold in order to meet this unjust tax.
if some means of escape cannot be
devised. it hangs over the property
of the said townships rs black cloud,
striking terror to the hearts OF our
citizenship. shutting out all rays 0f
hope for the future. Unless relief IS
had this debt will practically destroy
the value ot our property. since no
one would care 10 purchase property.
or move into a township with such an
enormous debt hanging over 1t. We
are advised that the supreme court OF
OF the United States itself has decided
that in cases like this. where the
charters of the municipal corpora
tionS are repealed, and their corporate
agents removed, there would be no
longer in existence anyone upon whom
the Federal courts could lay their
hands in order to enforce the ccllec-
tion of the tax provided for by the
Act, and that the said court is limit
ed in its Jurisdiction to enforcing the
machinery provided for by the Act
authorizing the levy Of the tax; that
it cannot itself levy the tax, nor can
it place the said townships in he
hands Of a receiver, and that in such
cases the creditors are without remedy
except to apply to the Legislature for
relief.
If this constitutional amendment.
therefore, is voted, the townships hav-
ing no longer any legal existence
would have no corporate agent upon
whom the Federal courts could lay
their hands for the purpose of compel
ing the levy of the tax, and we would
thereby be relieved from the payment
Of this unjust, illegal and inQuitouS
tax which we are called upou to pay,
and for which there is on considcra-
tion either legal or moral.
We, therefore, ask our fellow citizens
to stand by the decision Of the State
court. If a citizen Of South Carolina
held any Of these bonds he could not
recover. Under the decision of the
Federal courts nonresident purchaS-
er for valuable consideration and with
out notice can recover, thereby un-
justly discriminating against the
citizens of our own State if the said
debt is a just one and should De paid.
We most earnestly ask our fellow
citizens to be sure to vote the printed
tickets. which will be furnished the
managers at the next general election,
Constitutional Amendment Of Sec
tion II of Article VII OF the Consti-
tuition, relating to Counties and
County Government, Yes" and also
use their influence at the polls to see
that others vote the same way. DO
unto others as YOU would have others
do unto you under similar circum-
stances is all that we ask:
Dunklin-C. D. Smith, L. 7. H.
Daniel Jesse L. French.
Oak Lawn-Dr. V. d. Hopkins, W.
A. McKelvey, Geo. W. Sullivan.
Sullivan-Wm. D. Sullivan, R. W.
Nichols, John W. BeekS.
Cokesbury-Wm. J. Moore, 7. J.
Els, w. H. Moore.
Ninety-Six-M. H. Coleman, }. ?.
Philips. G. H. Taylor
Cooper. II. Books, r. W. Town
send.
Pine Grove and HUiet-J. E. Brun-