The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1910-04-13
"citizen" Favo1s Annexation
70 Richland.

10 tN0 EQlUOE VI 4ue OlsPoISu.
In view of the fact that a great deal
has been said in your paper in opposi:-
ton to the proposed annexation Of
this portion of Lexington county to
Richland county. it is deemed advi sa-
BILE, by the writer, to place before
your readers some of the reasons why
annexation has almost unanimous
support in the territory affected. ..
Although there are other important
and beneficial results to be obtained
from annexation to Richland county,
which I will mention later, the great
est factor in the present agitation is
the effort and the hope of patient
and oppressed community to rid them
selves of burdensome~ toll bridge,
which is utterly Inconsistent with,
and opposed to every conception Of
progress and prosperity. Toll bridges
are subjects Of ancient history and
this community is 20 be con- mended
if the citizenship will wake up to a
strong and successful effort to cast off
the yoke. And the public could, per-
haps, be more tolerant of toll bridge,
if, in return for continual strain Of
compouring into it's coffera, there
could be adequate accommodation for
pedestrians who now are forced to
walk in the trail of wagons, lodging
sometimes from one side to another
to avoid cattle and vehicles, some
times walking the beam in the centre
to let wagons pass, and after sundown
taking on the additional danger of
blundering along across the bridge in
the dark. Public utilities arc usually
compelled to treat the public with
due consideration. The railroads
must furnish proper accommodations
for the travelling public at reasonable
rates and also to provide reasonable
safeguards against injury to the per-
son or property of those making use
of them. So, Mr.. Editor, there can
be no surprise that the people should
become restless. Lexington county
has been doing nothing to remedy
these evils; Richland has. Conse-.
quently the people have come to re-
alizs that their interests are more
closely identified with Richland. 1t
is convenient: it is their market; and
they are holding out, helping hand
and it Is unnecessary to. say that sen.
timent which attaches .one to his
county is, in this instance, being rap
idly eliminated. OF course if we are
annexed to Richland county we will
be required to help to free the bridge,
and that is exactly what we want to
do. We know that the bridge must
be paid for and we are anxious to
help. According to the figures given
out by Richland's auditor, a levy OF
q of mill on Columbia township
would be more than sufficient to take
care of bond issue of SIS, 900 and re-
tire the bonds in 20 years. Columbia
township, however, is reluctant to as
sumo the entire burden and we think
they are right. Ii we annex to Rich
land we can have the privilege of
helping and then Columbia township
will be willing to join in the under
taking. Our territory added Will
make a sufficient assessment Of prop
erty 10 reduce the bridge tax to less
than one-half mill. Aud just here /
will mention that Ricbland's levy is
10M mills; Lexirgton's is IA, q dit
ference Of 3515 mills in favor Of Rich
land. Therefore, we could annex to
Richland. pay bridge tax OF 4 mill,
ana still pay 3 mills less tax than we
now pay to Lexington county. Fur
thermore, we would get good high
ways whereas they are now neglected.
Someone may say that RichlaDd may
raise her levy, but it is sufficient 20
say in reply to that that it is certainly
as likely that Lexington will raise her
levy and it is no argument to deal in
suppositions Besides Richland could
impose an additional levy Of 81 mills
and still not exceed Lexington's pres
ent levy, as already shown.
1t has been suggested that the ar
nexatioG would cause q dispensary to
be locate ed in Brookland, but that is
dealing in matters entirely too re-
mote. And, the wishes of the ma jor-
ity would probably be respected any
way. I might mention that Brook
lands vote would drive the dispensa-
ry from Richland county. Even if u
dispehsary should be placed in Brook
worse, and it is probable that the leg
isiature will, in the near future, eliInl-
nate the wbiskey traffic entirely.
III this section there are more than
three thousand people contributing
their share Of the taxes to maintain
free bridges and highways oyer the
entire county, and are to pay an adai-
tioual = mill to build free bridge
over Saluda river, yet the only bridge
they have occasion to cross is a toll
bridge. Now if the other portion OF
Lexington county was ASKED to pay
onc-haIf mill to free the Colum bia
bridge it ould cause riots. Then is
it any mystery, Mr.. Editor, that sen-
timent for the ''dear old state Of Lex
ington' should be on the decline?
Stree all Of the inhabitent5 of this
territory are frequently going to Co.
lumbia OH various matters OF business
it would be great convenience to be
able, at the same time, to attend to
matters incident to the county gov
ernment. Mere convenience, Eowev-
er, would not be sufficient reason to
leave the county OF Lexington il cv-
erything else We're equal.
Now, perhaps. without annexation
Columbia would some day free the
bridge. but il would certainly be ask
ing more than should be expected to
ask Columbia to foot the bill and the