Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1856-08-13
NC. NJ. HAMMOND.
For the Advertiser

Asa Candidate for the Legislature, I do not
claim to be party man. a,n wholly ignorant OF
the platform or arrangements Of either of the par
tics now preparing for a hot contest. Those who
vote for ME must therefore consider me Tree and
indrpendent candidate. feel no hesitation i'll de-
cIaring my honest sentiments, and Will most cheer-
fully answer the call made by many respectable clsl'
zens on the candidates.
have long felt the inconvenience Of residence
so remote from the Court House, and have labored,
in common with many Of my fellow-citizens, to OBJ
tain such division Of the District as would give
us Court House at Aiken.
! am in favor of giving the Election OF Electors
to the people and am also favorable to the election
Of BUCHANAN and BRECKENRIDGE for President and
Vice President of the United Suites.
arn opposed to Poll Tax, unless it be raised
for no other purpose than the education OF the poor
children of the State.
However important it may seem to some people
to agtate the District on the questions now before
the people, deem them at present of minor i'm
porlance, and only calculated to Stir up strife among
u.s. The subject of forming new District out of
the lower end Of Edgcfeld together with the upper
end of Barnwell and Orangeburg, has been agitfted
nearly thirty years, with little or no progress. II
the Parish system Of representation be continued,
fifty or hundred years may elaPse before we see
another election District made in the up-country.
The Senate is now divided "a to a. The low
country will suffer anything rather than break up
that balance of power, which l think wrong and
ant-repubican. would therefore be willing to see
tue whole system Of Parish representation blown up
There are other and fur more important subjects
of general interest that the people OF Edgeheld
might, and think ought, to direct their attention
to. The State Of South Carolina has commenced a
system of wasteful expenditure Of public money,
that ought to alarm every body. Such is the rife
spirit for borrowing money and expending, that
there is scarcely project, however visionary, that
will not find advocates in our Legislature, provided
the means can be obtained by borrowing.
Heretofore the taxes of South Carolina have been
exceedingly light, probably more 80 thun in any
other State in the Union. But any man Of forecast
must see at gance, that the day is not far distant
when it will be increased five fold for interest
alone, without any effort to lay aside, to meet the
PRINCIPAL at maturity When the day comes, and
come it will soon, our children will be burthened
with raising millions to pay for our folly. That awful
day of retribution If il does not drive many out Of
the State, will at least burthen the country with
such taxation as we have never venured on the un.
pleasant task Of figuring up. 1t has become so com
mon now TO issue State Bonds in order to forward
public works. that million Of dollars borrowed
and badly expended. does not attract more a.ten
ton, indeed not half as much, as the expenditure
of ten thousand dollars thirty years ago, wher
the Legislature gave Mrs. Randolph two Thousand
dollars, after which our most talented men through
the State had to take the stump; and old Edgefel'
was among the foremost in heaping censure upoi
her members
T, 1874 the T Ienislai,,pA 1aanad the Snnth- Caro-
lima Canal and Rail Road Company one hundret
thousand dollars for ten years At that time man,
influential members trenbied in their shoes fo
fear OF the consequence, before their constituents
Now, after having exhausted our Treasury, ant
borrowed until our Bonds are no longer current u
par, we can very quietly stand by and see ou
Legislature commence State House which s tc
cost a million and u half, If not two millions of dol
lars every cent OF which has to be borrowed, Will,
hundred or two hundred thousand dollars, judi.
cously expended, would have built a house fine
enough and sufficiently substantial to satisfy any
doodle
But that is not all the Legislature, in utter neg
ect Of the great want Of internal improvements for
inter communication in all parts of our State, with
perfect knowledge that our common roads are the
worst in Chris,iandom-so miserable, that produce
twenty miles in the interior, is further from our
make,s than Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio-witl:
all Of these facts, staring them in the face, and with
out the fear Of consequences before their constitu-
ents we see members Of the Legislature from every
quarter Of the State, rayng around few advocates
gifted with the over Of eluqucnce, to be convinced
that the State oughtto exhaust herself in borcine
tunnels through the mountains. Excited to eSravganl
frenzy, they cxclain, South Carolina is behind the
age, and must do something" And they proceed in
hot haste TO plunge the State into subscriptions for
millions of dollars for works to say the least, which
are not likely ever to yield income, if earnings
enough to keep the work, in repair and such as no
capitalist in the State would venture dollar with
the expectation Of ever getting cent of it back.
The Stltc has subscribed million Of dollars 10
the Rabun Gap Rail Road, and has also loaned her
Bonds bearing per cent interest for million more,
and has no utEer security than the Road thus com.
acnced, utterly worthless unless the State launches
firth millions more for the csmp, ton of the work.
The loan il than the subscription as The Bonds
were made TO bear per cent to suit the parties who
were to receive them. What is to become of US il
Ibis gigantic system Of borrowing be permitted?
The Stale has already commenced TO borrow at I,
how long will it be bcfnrc excuses will be made suf
cicnty strong to induce her to issue at per cent?
And what is tn be the fate Of our children when
these Bonds fall duel II it should happen in
monetary pressure, the State may be placed in
situation where there will be no choice between 10
or Is per cent, or reputation.
1t is my deliberate opinion, that before the Rabun
Gap Road is 30 far completed US to do u.s. or itself
any good, we shall have expended more money on
it, than would build good Rail Road from The sea
board to any important section Of State, besides
good tnrnpikes to almost every mans door and for
what purpose are these ruinous expenditures now
heinz made?