Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-04-12


not like it and tell them to help them
selves. AS it is now, the principal ar
sument is: 1T certainly looks like we
ought to be entitled to that much"
The original resolution provided that
each member of the council should be
entitled to receive the minimum of
light and water free of charge. This
also turned out to be kind Of joker
AS the people VINO pay increased in
numbers, the question of meters to
measure their water and light con-
sumption became an important item.
There was no money in having meters
on people who did not pay, and there
fore the meters were taken off the priv
ileged ones and put on the people who
were not privileged. The removal of
the meters, Of course, removed the
minimum, and now, of course, the priv
ileged ones have free water and free
light without limit.
/ have been told that there are GER
tain members of the council who have
never availed themselves of the privil-
eges under discussion. Who they are,
| do not know, as l have made no par
ticular inquiry into the matter; but as
l understand it, they take the position
that the whole thing is wrong in princi-
pie and that they are unwilling to be
parties to it. Others say that free
lights and free water to the persons in
dicated, is the law, and as they are
law-abiding citizens there is no other
way for it, than that they should obey
the law. This, of course, Is commend
able. 1t is always agreeable to obey
a law that confers special privileges on
us.
AS to what the people of Yorkville
think about all this business, l don't
know. If they approve Of this free wa
ter and free light matter, then it is
enough said. They are paying the
bills and it is nobody else's concern.
But If they do not like this arrange
ment, 1t is up to them to put stop to
It, They can do it, If they want to;
but one thing they will have 20 do, be-
fore they can do anything else, is to
get registered. The only voters who
have any say-so in the affairs of the
town, are the registered voters. If
there are only a dozen registered vo-
ters, then they are it" If there is no.
body registered except those who have
been in the habit of running the town
as though they owned it, then these
will have their way. If, however, 9TH
ers who would like to see a little
will just turn out and register, they
also may have say-so. 1t is only the
voter who is registered to vote in the
municipal election that counts. 9th
ers who may be entitled to register and
who fail to get the certificates for
which they are eligible, do not have
much voice in what is being done.
know that to many people this is
all Dutch; but to others it is not
Dutch. Among those folks who are
constantly belittling the Importance of
controlling the government of this town
OF Yorkville, are some to whom this
very thing is as the breath to their
nostrils. They watch every develop
ment touching the subject from one
years end to the other. They espe-
cially watch the progress Of registra-
tion and the bringing out of candidates
from the various wards. They use
their influence to keep certain candi-
dates that are not In toucn with them
out Of the running. They approach
voter in the town, find how he stands,
and use such means as are in their
power to work him one way or anoth-
er, If necessary. The politics Of York.
but the individual who thinks that no
attention Is being paid, and that things
are going in the direction they are
without any effort from anybody are,
well-very innocent.
Now, If it be the sentiment Of the
people Of Yorkville to put a stop to
this privilege business, there are two
ways to go about it, If not three. In
thing is lawful. But surely no one Is
innocent enough to think that the mere
fact that it Is not lawful is sufficient
to put a stop to it. Men who assume
unlawful privileges do not generally do
it with the idea Of giving those priv
ileges up at the bare suggestion that
the law Is being violated. The rule is
to hold on to things of this kind until
the law is not only invoked, but carried
through all its stages, and in this case,
If the law is really being violated, the
people who are violating it are safe, for
the reason that they have the presump-
ton of law in their favor, and there is
mot enough in it" for any outsider to
incur the expense necessary to see that
the law is vndicated as it should be.
Another way to straightcn things
out, is to go into the election behind
candidates pledged to repeal the al
legged free water and free light ordi-
nance. This can be done; but it is
difficult The election is by wards,
and it may be that some Of these cam
didates might have control of their
wards regardless. There might have
already been a private count Of noses,
and IL is possible that some Of the
wards are so constituted that they do
not object to this graft. 1t is possible
also that out of the six wards, there
may be as many as three of these. In
that event the mayor will have the de-
Gliding vote. and whichever way he
goes, will carry. 1t will not be easy
sailing to correct an abuse like this in
an ordinary election.
But there is very satisfactory way
to straighten things out, If a majority
of the qualified voters desire to have
them Strengthened out, and that is by
changing the town charter. This can
be done on a petition of a majority of
the freehOlders of the town, or two
thirds of the freehOlders, l don't ex.
actly remember which, backed by
majority of the registered voters at the