Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-02-12
"a Snlit In the DeIeaation."


There seems to be some opposition to
some sections of the law among the
York delegation, consequently the way
matters stand at present, as we under
stand it, there is a split in the delega-
ton. There are two parts of the law
that some Of the York delegation pro-
pose to change, viz: the two main
thoroughfares and the township COM
missioners. During the campaign last
summer, Senator Stewart advocated
both of these provisions and by the
people, the majority at least, electing
him to serve as their representative in
the senate shows plainly that the ma
jority of the voters in the county were
in favor of Mr.. Stewards road ideas.
AS every reader Of the Herald knows
the road question was the burning issue
in the campaign and after speaking In
every crook and corner in the county,
advocating the two main thoroughfares
and the township supervisor provls-
ions, and promising the people that ne
would, If possible, carry out his Ideas,
Mr.. Stewart has enSeavored to do so.
But today he is handicapped by split
in the York delegation which, we be-
lieve should not be the case.
The majority of the people have
wanted the two thoroughfares and the
township supervisor plan or they would
not have elected Mr.. Stewart to repre-
sent them. They undoubtedly were
not satisfied with the present road law
or DR.. Saye in all probability would
have been reelected.
To the Herald, the township super
visor plan Is what York county needs
today. Every reader Of these lines
knows that the present system OF build
l.. I4s, =
ting this to be true what should be
done? A change is necessary to ac-
,omnlish anv great amount OF good.
Would the township supervisor plan
accomplish what Is needed? Would the
roads in each township not be worked
under the Stewart law? Would not
the township supervisors, all OF them,
have to perform their duties, or forfeit
their bond, which they are compelled
to give as a pledge that they will per-
form their duties well? Are the roads
in each township in York county work.
ed as they should be under the old law!
These are few Of the many ques-
tions that could be asked. 1t is use.
less for us to answer them, and we VIII
leave it to the reading public to decide.
We hope the York delegation will
come together on this question for 1t
is a most important one to the whole
county. Differences Of course, Will
arise out of almost any question but
differences Of this kind are easily over
come If brotherly love and harmony
exist between men. Let the York del
egation get together again and try TO
reach some agreement before the ROAD
law Is knocked out Of existence, Tor
from what we can learn that is what
Is about to occur.
The Fort Mill Times has expressed
itself as being in favor Of the Stewart
road law, the Rock Hill Herald Is IN
favor of it. So far we have found four
men who were opposed to parts OF IT,
their objections arising from the two
main thoroughfares. We read in the
Fort Mill Times Thursday where a Mr..
Bales objected to 1t upon the ground
that taxes were too high. The senti-
ment Of the people we believe Is for
a change in the law. The Stewart law
changes the law materially and we be-
lieve it would mean blessing to York
county, II enacted, in the shape or
good roads. We would like to hear
what The Yorkville Enquirer has to
say on the proposed road law.-Rock
Hill Herald.
Although we have reproduced the
bill that Mr. Stewart has introduced In
the senate as a substitute for the Saye
road law, and we are reproducing to-
day the measure that the house would
substitute for Mr.. Stewards bill as 1t
passed the senate, we are not so seri-
ously alarmed for the welfare Of the
roads, as our contemporary, the Her
aid, seems to be.
The Herald seems to forget that we
already have in the Saye law the most
effective road law that has yet been en-
acted for this county, and should there
be no new legislation at this session,
the Saye law will still be with us.
awaiting the trial to which 1t is prop
erly entitled. The Herald can hardly
mean what it says when it states, that
the present system of building roads
has been a failure" The old system
was a failure to be sure, but the pres
ent system" has not yet been tried.
There has been nothing done except to
collect taxes preparatory to a trial.
AS we understand it, the vital issue
of last summer was not the proposition
for the building of two main thorough
fares east and west, and the creation
of township supervisor. Most Of the
capital that was made was derived
from appeals against the mill prop
erty tax and SO capitation tax, and
while we regretted very much to see
this kind of campaigning, we are very
glad to know that neither of the con-
tending elements over the proposed
substitute law is trying to do away
with these taxes.
Although there is something to be
said on both sides Of the subject, the
amendment raising the road age to
81 years meets our approval; but we
would rather not see the work or pay
alternative. We fear that this will have
tendency to take us back to the "old
system" to which our contemporary
evidently intended to refer, and under
which so many people neither worked
nor paid. The theory of work or pay
is all right; but past experience has
operation. But if the work or pay"
system is to be adopted instead Of the
proposed peremptory capitation tax,
then we think the road age may very
properly be reduced to IS years.
We do not see anything bad wrong
with Mr.. Stewards proposition to build
two main thoroughfares north and
south, and east and west. Of course,
the first thing it would mean would
be the construction of a road from
Rock Hill to Yorkville, and from York
vile to Hickory Grove, and if the plan
were persisted in, it would mean a
road from the North Carolina line,
through Clover, Yorkville, Guthries-
vile and McConnellsville to Chester.
This would logically be followed by
roads from the northeast to the south
west, and from the northwest to the
southeast. Such a plan would natur-
ally antagonize many interests that
would not be Immediately benefited;
but if there is to be a we'll defined cam
paign of road improvement along in