Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-01-22
CHANGING THE NAME

CHANGING THE NAME
Reference has been made to the fact
that this agitation for the change of
the name Of the town Of Yorkville TO
York, Is no new thing, but that 1t
commenced many years ago, and the
files of The Enquirer have been ex-
amined for additional facts.
1t appears that the matter was
threshed out in the fall Of 1897, some
eighteen years ago. The town was
then operating under a charter that
limited the power Of the town council
to levy tax Of not exceeding mills
on the dollar. The incumbent council
had spent It's revenues, borrowed $3.50,
and although 1t had gone the limit Of
it's borrowing capacity. wanted some
more money. The general assembly
had recently passed what was known
as the general incorporation" act,
This act was intended to relieve the
general assembly from the detail of
granting special charters. 1t provided
that all incorporated towns from 1000
to 5000 inhabitants should go under
this general act at the expiration of
their existing charters, and that towns
which so desired, might surrender
their existing charters and go under
the general incorporation act on q
vote Of the people. The charter Of the
town Of Yorkville had three years
more to run. The general incorpora-
ton act authorized levy up to 10
mills on the dollar, and that increased
levy was the principal attraction to
the town council as 1t then stood.
This paragraph from The Enquirer
Of September 16, 1897, gives a compre-
hensive understanding Of the attitude
of the council to the existing situa-
tion:
"Intendant Lowry wants the new
charter so the town can borrow be-
tween $4,000 and $4,000, payable In
$500 installments. Attorney Brice says
positively that the new charter will
not admit Of such transaction. Ward
en- Moore wants the new charter to
secure the payment OF the $3.50 al
ready borrowed. The new charter
cannot possibly go into effect until
after the taxes pledged to secure this
sum have been collected, and II the
note referred to Is not paid out Of the
approaching tax collections, 1t cannot
be held to be a lien on any future col
lections; nor can the obligation be le-
gally transferred to a future council.
However, Messrs. w. r. Carroll, 3.
M. McNeel and @. H. OLeary have
agreed to take up the note upon
adequate security, which agreement
should relieve all future anxiety on
the part of Warden Moore. Warden
Parish wants the new charter In or
der to raise $4,000 under the only
method by which the new charter Will
allow it to be raised-an increase In
the tax levy. Intendant Lowry and
Wardens Moore and McElwee "a ma
jority Of the council as now constitut- :
ed or q tie in q new council PROVIDED
all these gentlemen are reelected and
all the other members are with Ward
en- Parish), have publicly promised
that they will not increase the levy over
2 mills. and so Warden Parish's reason
for wanting the new charter goes
glimmering. Warden Propst not hav-
ing seen any reason why the present
charter should be surrendered, has not
attempted to make one. and, conse-
ouently does not now labor under any
special embarrassment in regard to
the matter"
There were several public meetings
about this time and much talk In
which leading citizens" expressed
themselves as saying that the claim
that the tax levy Of the town would
ever amount to 10 mills on the dollar
was all "popy- y-cock."
The question Of changing the name
of the town from Yorkville to York,
came up at the same time. 1t was
mentioned a time or two in public
meetings; but was not talked much,
the principal discussions being in the
newspapers and on the streets; but
feeling grew very warm. Finally, the
election came on and the story Of that
election was recorded in The Enquirer
of September IS, 1897, and is as fol-
lows:
"The Town Election"
Of surrendering the present charter OF
the town of Yorkville and changing
the name Of the town from Yorkville
to York, took place yesterday, pur-
suant to the published order Of the
town council and passed off quietly.
The days campaign was opened by
the progressive element, with a card
in their newspaper making some per
sonal illusions to the opposition. This
card, however, was at once recognlz-
ed as plainly illustrating the old stop
thief story, and had no weight what
ever with the opposition.
"Quite a number Of the largest tax
PAYERS and most intelligent and pro-
gressive business men OF Yorkville,
had taken it upon themselves during
several days previous to the election.
to present the dangers that would
probably avail in the event an ire
sponsible town council should be en-
trusted with the powers conferred by
the general incorporation act, and. as
the result, when the day Of the cleo
ton arrived, the progressive element
had pretty generally taken to the
woods
IN all only 141 votes were register
ed. OF these some 10 or IL had either
died or left town. and Of the balance,
a large number became so thoroughly
convinced that the probable new char
ter wJuld not be adopted, that they
did not take the trouble to vote. The
total number Of votes cast was SO. or
these "a voted for the probable new
charter and "A against. On the ques-
ton of changing the name Of the
town. 26 voted yes and 10 voted
mo-"
Three years later as the old charter
was about to expire, and the town
would soon be left without corporate
powers, and there was nothing else to
do, an election was held on the ques-
ton Of accepting incorporation on the
general act, and the proposition car
ried unanimously. The subject OF
changing the name Of the town, how
ever. was not again mentioned at that
time.
LOCAL LAcONICS
Rock Hill Firm Bankrupt.