The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1904-08-24
Free Bridge.
To the Editor of the Dispatch:

that you have the light alone, and
if you will allow me space I will try
to help you little if car; for I be-
lieve it is but just and right to have
one or more free bridges across
Saluda river in our county.
I also wish to state that I am not
candidate, and have never been one,
nor do I, at present, contemplate
being one; neither do I make Lex.
ington G. 81. my market.
But, as On humble citizen and tax
payer of the grand old county OF
Lexington, let me give few reasons
why our people should vote this tax
to build a free bridge across Saluda
river.
As is we'll known many of our citi-
zens live in what is called the Dutch
Fork of our county, and if by reason
of swollen river or broken or leak
ing flats they cannot cross Saluda
river they must necessarily incur the
extra expense of travelling by rail if
they should be summoned as juror
or witness in a trial to be held at the
court house. But some say: 1--WE
need more than one free bridge" Yes
We do, wo need three, and we will
have them sooner or later. But let
US build one first at central location
where it will benefit the greatest
number of people, and then We can
build the others one at a time.
But we hear the question:: ''Why
tax people who never cross Saluda
river!" Why do We tax people to
build bridges over local streams, who
never do, and perhaps never will
have occasion to cross such streams ?
Surely the people who would refuse
to vote this tax for such q reason are
either very selfish or sadly lacking in
public spirit. Here we are living in
the Twentieth Century using the
same means of crossing river, which
We are necessarily compelled to cross,
which our forefathers used when
they first came to this country. Are
We too poor to build this bridge?
No, our county claims to be free of
debt. Then why not have a free
bridge? Simply because our citizens
are, and have been, afraid OF 'too
much taxes" Ii one mill levy for
three years will build this bridge,
which is go necessary for the con-
venience Of the travelling public and
for the saving of unnecessary expen-
ses to our citizens and county off.
cials in the transaction of business
relating to the county, are We not
standing in our own light when we
refuse to vote such tax? This tax
is not like railroad bonds. It will
be paid at the end CT three years
without interest thereon, and we will
have public convenience of which
We will all be proud.
The building Ct this bridge would
enhance the value of our property.
The more convepiences We have the
more valuable our property becomes.
The public convepiences of city
make the difference in value of like
property in the county.
Again the building of this bridge
would bring our people as citizens
nearer together, which is certainly
very desirable. As it is, with Salu6a
river running between the upper and
lower portions Of our county with
nothing but ferries to cross or, our
people on the borders of the two
sides of the river DO seem like strapg.
ers to each other.
Last, but not least, we are paying
much higher tax for the ferriage ct
Jurors and witnesses alone, to say
nothing of business and pleasure
trips across the river, than were We
to have several free bridges.
Then let every citizen look at this
matter in the right light, and cast
his vote in favor of the free bridge
II We vote it down now it will be q