Newport weekly independent., 1903-04-03
AGAINST
 FULLER AMENDMENT.
Letter Of Governor Davis To House Sustaining His Veto Of Proposed Constitutional Amendment
 Authorizing Cities To
 Issue Bonds.

Little Rock, Ark, March 25, 1903. To the Speaker of the House of Rep
 resentatives:
 MT. Speaker-I herewith return house joint resolution No. 12, au act to amend article 16, section l, of the constitution of the state. 1 cannot give my approval to this resolution. First, because the proposed amend ment professes to allow cities of the first and second classes to issue inter est bearing bonds for the making of future improvements, whereas ln fact it allows every city and town in the state to issue such interest bear ing evidences of indebtedness in pay ment> of all outstanding debts due at the adoption of this proposed amend ment, and is thus disguised scheme to advance the welfare of that benev- olent class known as script brokers. This is purpose evidently not de- signed by those who voted for this measure, as it could never have been intended that the present floating outstanding scrip of these towns and cities could be funded into interest bearing bonds and thus be made a perpetual charge on the people, as in nearly every county there is a scrip burdened community. The scrip al most invariably is issued at a discount and with the expectation by the hold CTS that it should be received in pay ment of current taxes.
 On the main proposition designed to be covered by the adoption of this amendment, namely, the right to is sue interest bearing evidences of in debtedness for future improvement, announce my opposition, for the req son that I am not in favor of going back to the old carpet bag scheme of burdening the tax payers and munic- ipal corporations with unlimited in- debtedness, even though it should be done under the pretense that the public welfare is to be advanced.
 Taxation in Arkansas is high enough now and shall not be increased by my consent. This proposed amend ment is objectionable, also, because it does not contain safeguards and limi- tations necessary to protect the tax payers. It is not required that the right to vote on the imposition of these taxes shall be confined in whole or in part to persons who are expect ed to share the burdens thereby cre- ated. Then the amount authorized is absolutely unlimited, whereas even under the carpet-bag constitution of 1868 there was limitation to the ef- feet that no debts should be created which should require for it's discharge more than two per cent annual taxes, including those levied for all purpos- es. This amendment provides for an unlimited bonded indebtedness and by implication carries with it power to impose taxes sufficient to cover any indebtedness thus created which will be enforced by mandamus pro- ceedings in the federal court, as is done every day.
 I think l may safely say that the legislature of the reconstruction per- iod may be searched in vain. to find an instance where a liability could be created by a jumped-up special elec- tion, where only a majority of those voting should be sufficient to estab- fish the liability. Even those who believe that cities should have the power to issue interest bearing evil dences of indebtedness to supply needed public improvements, will not indorse the loose and dangerous pro- visions of this proposed amendment
 For these reasons I cannot give my consent and approval thereto. Re- spectfully, Jeff Davis,
 Governor.