The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-04-01
"KICKER'S" EXAMINATIONS.
Let the Town Council and Little
Folks Run to Cover.

Editor Press and Banner
With your permission, and With the hope
hat 1t may be taken in the same Kinoly
spirit in which it is dictated, desire to make
some com on your criticisms Of my ar.
ticle signed "Kicker." which appeared In last
weeks issue Of the Press and Banner.
In the first place permit me to say that II
anorded me no little relief to find that you
did not agree with me In what l had 70 say
touching the ac,ion OF the City Council ~
the matter of the proposed expenditure OF a
payers money fol the exclusive benefit OF q
lew individuals.
wrote the article In question with some
degree Of trepidation' as l did not know Just
how it might be regarded by our people gen.
orally, but all disvuietude on that score was
instantly dissipated when | discovered that
YOU did not endorse what I had to say; as II
has become som swhat notorious that you In
yariably take the wrong side OF every ques-
tion OF Importance. which you undertake TO
discuss In your paper. concluded from tpat
circumstance, that I was all right, ana would
be sustained by the people OF the city gen
erally, and I am glad TO say that In that par;
ticular l did not reckon without mine host"
as, since the appearance OF that article, l nave
scarcely been able 10 transact my ordinary
business in ny accustomed way. for being
stopped on the streets by my 1rlepos VINO ue
size TO assure me OF their hearty approval OF
what I had TO say IN that communication;
now take mp, seriatim, the several points
which you endeavor to make in your defense
of City Council.
nave made Investments in real estate within
the city limits, and that therefore se3f'
interest,", II nothing else. would prompt them
course they would like to see the city prosper,
but while that Is true, the dominating ele.
ment on the Board OF Councilmen would
like, decidedly, to see those portions OF tne
CITY in which they are more particularly In
terested, prosper just a little more than other
sections.
There are a good many others who have
about all they have invested In the city, who
would also like TO see 1t grow and prosper.
but they want to see II take on a symmetrtoal
growth, and not grow abnormally In. certain
localities to the detriment OF others-in other
words, they don't want to see the work OF m
proving the city confined. largely, to those
sections where members Of Counci and GER
tain others, heppen TO own property, 10 the
utter neglect OF others-especialiy since an
have to contribute their pro rata OF the where.
withal to make said improyements-thelr
motto being equal rights TO all with special
privileges to noue."
should make the proposed improvements
on this street. that "the property-owners on
each side Of the street propose 10 give q GER
tain number Of feet Of land In order 70 widen
more or less value 70 the city"
What unheard-of liberality!
Now wouldn't he be q fool indeed VINO
would not give q few feet Of land In order 10
have widened and improved. largely at the
clty's expense, 8 narrow street along Tue
whole length Of which he owned every loot OF
land2 -
ehere the owners OF the land along the line
of q proposed street, and OF whom q majority
are widows and single ladies , no are largely
dependent on their own exertions for q sup.
port, who offered 10 give, not simply a lew
feet OF land, but all thai might be needed Tor
the purpose. II Council would open ap SAID
street through their land. and which, II 1t had
haon dOna UnpId hQya mazda available Quite
q number of desirable building s-b 1t
was not done, because Council thought they
could not afford It and yet, to have opened
like as much as Council have spent and pro-
poses 10 spend on a little cross-street, which
expenditure will rebound to the benefit Of
no one, save the rich proprtetors OF the real
estate along the line of the same.
You th(n go on to argue that if"Counoil had
attempted to buy the land to widen and I'm
prove this street the cost OF the land would
To those Of US who are acquainted With the
gentlemen who OVID that land, this statement
OF ours appears strictly II Kick
or were given 10 use cuss-word5 he would be
tempted TO say, as an old gentlemen who was
q familiar character around here In ante.
bellum times was wont to say when 9 eelf-
evident propqs,tion. such as this was 9 submit s. b,
OF course they would have asked a goodly
price for 1t If council had proposed to buy II,
but the fact that council DID NOT propose to
guy IL, AQu ludL lu6 OWutI6 Gle plOpOsCu
TO GIVE 1T, is proof conclusive that neither
party regarded the widening and improving
Of that street Of any special advantage to the
city.
Don't you know that If the owners Of the
land on both sides OF that street had believed
that the welfare OF the city required that that
street be widened, that they would never
have agreed TO give the land necessary for
that purpose? They would doubtless have
demanded the fabulous price OF $50 per front
foot, which you suggest as its value.
Another argument which you advance, and
which you seem to think Is q potent reason
why council should make this expenditure OF
the peoples money, Is, that these parties
agree TO lend the money to council with
which to do this work and walt on them until
they are In funds with which TO repay 1t.
This serves but to confirm what l have IN
substance said above, that the owners Of the
property bordering on this street, knew who
were to receive the lions share OF the benefits
TO accrue from that scheme, and 30 to maet
the objection which might be raised by such
of the members Of council as had not yet
been fully "bambooZled and tanned" to wit:
That they were without the necessary funds
with which TO do the work, proposed to lend
them the money.
II council Ia so hard up for money we would
suggest that they confine their operations to
such work as Is absolutely necessary to be
done, until the city exchequer IL replenlshed.
Better defer putting down cement walks on
unfrequented streets until a later day, unless
the parties to be benefited exclusively there
by, are willing 10 offer greater Inducements
than have been offered In the ease under CON-
sideration. .
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