The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1904-08-19
A NEW COURT HOUSE.

lHE LINES mas been very pronounc-
ed in it's opposition to the voting by the
people Of Union county tax upon
themselves for the purpose Of build
ing a new court house. On Monday
last we took occasion to question a
number Of representative farmers as
to their views and the sentiment of |
the people in their section of the |
county, and without exception we
found not a man wh9fayored castipg
his ballot in favor OF tax for. HE
erection Of new court house.
All with whom we have talked
without knowing our sentiments,
have agreed with us that Union has
the best court house in the State ex-
cept those which were built about
the same time or even a little later,
as in those days substantial work was
done and the best material; but
aside from the workmanship and ma
terial used, the present structure is
sufficiently large to accommodate all
who have business there, we have no
inclination to encourage idlers or
loafers by enlarged Accommodations in
the temple Of justice for this class.
We have been in several of the So
called modern court houses, and fail
ed to observe the advantage these
buildings are claimed to have over
our court house. We admit that the
outside presents to some a more at
tractive and imposing appearance,
and if the modern court house be
built for show, these new structures
have it on the Union county court
house, to that extent and that alone.
The only inconvenience Of which
any just and reasonable complaint
can now be made with reference to
| the court house is the use during a
term of court of the clerks office by
the grand jury. A grand jury room
could be arranged for without incur
ring any very great cost. The in
deb5edne ess Of the county at this time
is not less than seventy-five thousand
and dollars. Before the disastrous
floods of last year which swept away
so many costly bridges, the indebted
ness for ordinary county purposes
was something over fifteen thousand
dollars; the estimated loss by the de-
struction Of the bridges was about
twelve thousand, this amount was
borrowed which added to the fifteen
thsepsand dollars lars. Of debt already ow-
purposes twenty-seven thousand dol
lars, this of course does not include
the bonded debt of the county.
Now in the face of these facts are
the people of Union county prepared
and willing to increase this debt
twenty or thirty thousand dollars
more for something, for which there
is at this time absolutely no necessi-
ty; but for false pride and spirit of
foolish ambition to do what other
counties have done at possible sac
rifice of other material interests? No,
we have better opinion of our level
headed farmers and entire voting pop
ulation of this county.
One very prominent and successful
farmer Of Pinckney township said he
had been looking for man in his
neighborhood who was willing to vote
yes on this question, but had failed
to find him. THE TIMES has alreany
expressed the opinion that this uues.
tion of voting tax to build a new
court house ought not to be voted on
at the primary election, but at the
general election, and no one who did
not pay tax on at least one hundred
dollars on real or personal property
should be allowed to vote.
Union county has already had a
rather serious experience when it
voted to issue bonds in the sum of
one hundred and fifty thousand dol
lars in aid of railroad that was
built from Spartanburg to Asheville,
North Carolina. This was carried by
the vote of the non tax payer, this
debt is still unpaid. The original
bonds matured in 1895 at which time
there had only been bonds to the
amount Of $26,5O0 retired, leaving
$123 500 of bonds unon which