The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1903-03-12
Opposes Graded School Building.

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leetle place eyeEyou seed.
Opposes Graded School Building.
EDITOR THE BAMBERG HERALD:-l am
grateful to you for your prompt response
to my inquiry relative to the financial
condition of the county, town, and school
district. I understand that the county
debt is eight or nine thousand dollars,
approximately. Sorry that the treas
urer could not be seen, so the exact
amount could have been ascertained.
apprehend that when you do get the
correct figures that you will see things in
a very much different light, though hope
not. The debt for the school building,
the old Baptist church, is the only one
against the school district. The court
house debt we know to be ten thousand
dollars still unpaid. The towa is re-
sponsible for the court house debt, as well
as it's proportionate part of the school
house debt, but the whole county Is re-
sponsible for the county debt. make it
plain in order that it may be understood
it. The county debt approximately eight
to nine thousand; the school building six
hundred, and the court house debt ten
thousand; total, $19,50O.
In addition to this Indebtedness we
have in contemplation the building of a
graded school house to cost under the
provisions of the act, ten thousand
dollars. The first three items the tax
PAYERS can stand because they are COM
pelled to do so, but when ana where will
the county debt stop? l confess that |
can see no end to the gradual increase.
So far as the building of the ten thousand
dollar graded school house, | have never
known a more useless expenditure per-
petrated upon a people. The old school
building true may be uncomfortable and
not altogether in appearance what the
people desire, but all the same it is in a
very convenient place for the patrons,
and with a cost of two thousand to
twenty-five hundred dollars, it could be
made an ornament to any town no larger
than the town of Bamberg. Then why
tax the people that already have heavy
burden to carry? 1t must be remembered,
too, that large number of the tax payers
in the district are very poor people. Take
the case of the widow women of the dis
trict; we have no less than twenty to
twenty-five widows, many of whom are
making their living by sewing day and
night and at the same time having but
little in the way of comforts in this life.
They, too, are to be taxed to pay these
debts. | have been taught all my life
that women, especially widow women,
are subjects of sympathy and protection.
But in this day and time of the building
of graded school house their rights are
ignored and they are forced to fall into
line and pay their taxes or lose the little
shanty that covers their head from the
rain and frosts. l am aware, Mr. Editor,
that my opinions in this case are worth
nothing, but it is freedom of speech that
l glory in. T.J. COUNTS.
Bamberg, s. c., March 10, 1903.
I'VE disagree with Col. Counts as re-
CARDS the new graded school building be-
ing useless expenditure. We regard it
the wisest and most useful money our
people have expended in some time for
public Improvements. Towns much
smaller and poorer than Bamberg have
handsome graded school buildings, and
the appearance of the present building is
one of the worst advertisements the town
can have. Strangers who see it will likely
think that if we care no more for our
children than to provide such an un-
and shabby building for them
to be educated in, that we must be very
heartless and unprogressive people. Our
correspondent says that "a large number
of the taxpayers of the district are very
poor people" We fail to see where this
is any argument against increasing taxes.
If large number of taxpayers are every
DOOR," then so much the better for them
in this instance, as they will have so little
taxes to pay. Every man will doubtless
subscribe to the sentiment in regard to
women and widow women, but there is no
provision of law exempting woman's
property from taxation, and there is no
reason why any person owning property
should be relieved from paying taxes.
The principle of taxation is just and
right, inasmuch as it places the burden of
government upon those owning property.
If a Door widow woman is so fortunate
as to own property, then it is nothing
but right and just that taxes Oh it should
be paid. However, there is no use to
argue the question at length; our people
have already voted almost unanimously
on the subject one time, thus showing
that they believed new building to be
necessity, and they will no doubt do so
again. But this matter is one dear to the
heart of the writer. We have labored
long and earnestly for the building, and
we could not resist the pressure of saying
a few words. We like the spirit ex-
hibited by the Colonel in signing his
name to articles instead Of using nom
de plume, and wish that more writers in
the newspapers would do likewise, but
we must believe he is wrong in oppos-
ing the new graded school building
ED. HERALD.
The Delineat0r for April.
The April Delineator presents the usual
up-to-date display of fashions and a
delightful collection of literary features.
In fiction there are two fine short stories:
A Heather Virtue, tale of Virginia in
Colonial days, written by Martha Nc
Culloch- Williams, and illustrated by
George Gibbs; and The Shoot-up at
Laramie Camp, breezy story OF the
A., h;,n. n Smith with nicfuraS