Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1921-07-13
Why We Do
Not Need An
Auditorium
By Sydney Clare

supporter, | know where | was
wrong, the idea fifty years ago
was that a woman's place was
between the kitchen and the bed
room, | know how true this
was; in those days we got along
pretty well with them, but today
they are our political enemies de-
termlned on our ruin, they agree
on one thing, they are solicitous
tor the welfare of their children
at the expense OF the property
owner. Of course they don't
know anything about finances but
l am sure most of their husbands
will have told them that the coun-
try IS bled dry, of course | mean
financially For all that they
want an auditorium for Just the
same reason they wanted the Ii
brary. The high standard that we
hoped the women would hold in
matters politically mas been swept
away at the outset by these wo-
men humbling themselves to the
negro women, and by a promise
OF $4,000 of the bonds have in
induced number of them to reg
lister and promise to vote for
bonds, by this act politics are be-
ing corrupted and a reckoning
day is coming.
People who own no property
IN the corporation have no moral
right to vote in bond election,
which is in reality mortgage of
lprlvate property.
A city is corporation the same
as a cotton mill or bank, and in
voting to mortgage this property
the owners of the city, no matter
where they live, should have of
votes equal to the amount of tax
es he pays on real estate, or equal
to the assessed value of his hold
ings, that is, the property owner
ipaying $500, in taxes. should have
double the number of votes a
property owner who pays 500
IN taxes, although it is a fact
that | built the second house in
the present city limits, before the
tcreation of Fitzgerald and now
own about thirty acres of the
c1ty'S surface, [ am not allowed
to vote for or against the mort
gaging of my own interest yet
on the other hand some negro
woman only located here for a
short while, without a dollar in
VISITED in the city, is allowed to
vote and mortgage my property.
Under their legal rights women
are demanding every available
political office from President to
Sheriff, but they don't want to
pay pole or street tax. Of course
the gallant South will never make
its women work on the streets.
still if they continue to be obsti-
nate we must make them and
clean the windows of the Auditor
ium.
After they have all finished
their little article on "Why We
Need An Auditorium" l will in
vlte them to write an essay on
whether or not the Library is of
sufficient value to the city to war
rant its monthly expense.
l can understand why women
in town who own nothing but
big family, compelling property
owners to build schools, but 1
can't understand the wives of
some business men wanting to
increase the burden of their own
husbands, as hard pressed as |
know some of them to be. The
reason that progress has stopped
in town is absolutely due to high
taxes.
| advocate a meeting of the wo-
men voters to discuss the neces-
slty OF building an auditorium
and to discuss the finances of
their husbands, 1 really believe
they will have mercy.
| will give an example to illus
trate what | really wish to con-
vey to these white and colored
voters. Some time ago mer,
chant of East Central Avenue
wished to sell his building and
business. A prospective purchas-
err was secured and every detail
settled til it came to taxes, after
seeing the burden he would have
to assume, this man dismissed the
idea of purchasing at once. He
said if the city wiIIfully taxed the
real estate as shown, the merch
ants stock as shown by the tax
receipt and in addition to this an
unconstitutional occupation tax,
he would not fisk this town.
Now, ladies if you want to kill
the town, boost the taxes, and in
1881 we will have town as pros
porous as Abbeville.