Jefferson jimplecute. (Jefferson, Tex.) 1907-1926, 1913-07-10
AGAINST BONDING
''''''''' ''"'I AMENDMENT.
ADDRESS TO The Citizens OF TEXAS
In Opposition to Amendment Of the
Constitution Under Senate Reso-
luton No. Is to Sections ~
and 81, to be Voted
AGAINST AND DEFEATED JULY 18TH


Committee, organized to defeat
the adoption of the amendment
as above, desire to call the atten-
ten of the people to the danger
Gus character of this proposition
in order that they may study and
defeat it, as should be done.
The wise, time-honored policy
OF our government has always
been to limit the taxing power.
Under this amendment all limits
or restrictions as to amounts or
rates of interest of bonds that
may be issued for certain purpo-
SEES are absolutely removed. Tax
es must be levied to pay these
unlimited issues of bonds and
interest, therefore, the taxing
power would be given the Legis
lature without any restrictions
whatever; one million, a hundred
millions of dollars or any other
amount would be legal We
would be loaded with taxes, TO
pay interest, our children and
their children would be burden
ed with perpetual debt. not in
payment for things needed, but
for a never ceasing perpetual
drain to foreign bond. holders for
interest and principal on bonds,
this, like vampire, would suck
the financial blood from our
State as long as time goes on.
Texas now owes bonded
debt of nearly four millions dol
lars left over by the j. f.. Davis
regime. The toilers of our State
have paid in taxes on this debt
an interest bill of more than
seven millions dollars. We still
owe the principal sum of about
four millions of dollars. Our
great State in not bankrupt,
poverty stricken, nor are taxes
SO high that any one would be
justified to pawn our posterity
in perpetuity as would be done
by these bond issues, should the
people through inadvertence or
lack of interest fail TO go to the
polls and defeat this amendment,
as they should and will do, if
they realize the impending dan
ger as we do, and hope they will
The amendment as submitted
is vicious in that the language of
it is ambiguous and uncertain Of
construction. It's very advo-
Gates who are spending money
to secure its adoption differ as to
the meaning of it's various sec.
tons which are susceptible of
various interpretations.
We have enough vague uncer-
tain statutes for The Court to
Decide" without placing in the
source of law any such medley
of uncertainties as is contained
in this abortion OF an attempt to
give birth to revolutionary sec
ton in our organic law, which
would work a reversal of our
wisest policy by taking all limits
or restrictions from the power
TO tax us, and thus reverse our
time-honored, wise policy to pro
tect the people against proiligate
vast and taxes.
Space will not permit discus
sion, but reading of the Thing
will demonstrate the following
points to be true:
|. State officials could incur
current debts up to half mil.
lion dollars without authority
from the Legislature.
Bonds without limit could be
issued for, The State University,
including power to duplicate the
Bryan n. x NJ. College at Austin
.. Bonds without limit for
State institutions.
1. Bonds without limit for
the penitentiary.
), Local bonds for public i'm.
~ u "a - W kiA'- AbA vi AAt'
value of all property by a bare
majority of one more than half
the voters.
q. Bonds for Improvement of
rivers, levces, etc, to one-halt
the value of property by bare
majority vote.
Z. Ambiguity, general uncer-
tainty Of meaning and disrepen-
cy between the body of the amend
meut and the ballot.
:. Submission at a special
election when little discussion or
interest J. taken.
We have NO selfish interest
We feel 10 our duty a. citizens 20
do our part 20 assist iu prevent
ing "a lar reaching disaster Ne
urge every voter "a attend the
polls aud vote against the amend
mput
Signed
.......