The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1868-06-03
Speech of Hon. James Beck.

The remonstrance of the Central Ex-
ecutive Committee of South Carolina,
against the reception of the Constitution,
recently adopted in this State, was pre-
sented in the House of Representatives by
Hon. James g. Beck, of Kentucky. The
following is an extract from his speech on
that occasion:
"Take the case of South Carolina for
example, and [ can only state few prom
inent points. Of tho men composing that
Constitutional Convention, 70 were ne
groes, and about so white men. Of the
men composing the present Legislature of
that State, seventy-one are colored and
ffty-four white One itom of taxation
alone in that State, the taxation for tho
support of free schools, amounts to ST.
00O,00O. 1t is provided that the white
race shall never have any public school
exclusively for themselves that the white
and the black children, malo and female,
shall be playmates and school-mates to-
gcther; that if the white citizens do not
send their boys and their girls to the
schools attended by the negroes, they
shall suffer such penalties as a negro
Legislature may see fit to impose. Who
are the men thus imposing shese condi-
tions upon the people of that State? AS
l have already said, they have no interest
in the affairs of the State, no interest in
property, no interest in its taxation, and
compose no part of its intelligence,
wealth, or respectability. While they are
spending millions of the property of other
people, they do not themselves bear one
dollar of the burden. l hold in my hand
and propose to read an ABSTRACT to which,
1 trust, members will give their attention,
and then let them say whether these are
men fit to make Constitutions for, or I'M
pose laws upon people.
The following statement exhibits an
analysis of the taxes paid by the mem
bers of the Convention and of the Legis-
lature recently elected in South Carolina,
according to the tax returns in the Comp
troller's office:
The total amount paid by members of
the Legislature, S700.63; OF this amount,
six members pay s39l62; leaving bal
anco paid by all other members, s309.01.
Executions were issued for S140.16 of this
balance; whether or not paid, is not as
certained. The total amount paid by the
members OF the Constitutional Convon-
ton, SS79.54; of this amount, one men,
Der Ga conservative Dcmocrat) pays $685.
So; and three members pay S2l0.50-
s7I9.35; balance paid by all other mem-
bcrs, sl60.19. Executions for SLID of
this balance; whether or not paid, not as
certained.
have the full lists of the members Of
both these bodies, giving their names, the
Districts they represent, their color, and
the taxes assessed to each, which | in
tended to publish with my remarks, but
they would occupy too much space. l
will retain them at my desk, where they
can be examined by any member who de-
sres 10 do SO. Fifty-six ofthe negro dele
gates Of tho Convention arc not even on
the assessors books. With three or four
exceptions, the other only pay poll tax,
and in few instances tax on dog-vcry
likely sheep killer-and the white dele
gates are in tho same condition. Twenty
three of their number were unknown even
to tho assessor. Poll tax is not charged
against them, and most of the others pay
mere nominal tax and the same may be
said in regard to the State Senators and
members OF the Legislature, as the de-
tailed list in my possession shows.
These lists are at the service of members,
so that the accuracy Of the statements l
make may be tested.
What is here shown in reference to
! South Carolina is but sample of ALL l
am informed, by tho best men in Alabama,
that all tho white men in the State who
voted for the Constitution have not prop
erty enough in it to enable them to exc
cute the bond required by law for tho
State Treasurer.
These South Carolina papers were pre-
pared for tho purpose of laying them be-
| fore this House, and to show what man.
ncr of..mcn they were who made this
Constitutions for the people, and to show
how impossible it is for this House, or any
member of it, Republican or Democrat, to
90 before his own constituency and iusti-
fy the imposing upon the people OF South
Carolina such u Constitution as that, thus
forced upon thom by adventurers who
hate them, and by degraded and ignorant
negroes, who know nothing of what they
were doing.
There were very few free negroes in
South Carolina before the war; neary y all
were slaves, rs you know. There is not
one in hundred Of them who can read
or write. and yet, under the Constitution
of South Carolina, they arc not only a
majority of the electors, but they have
elected men of their own race and color
TO fill threc-fourths Of the offices in tho
State. Over seventy of them are in the
State Legislature, and doubtless, the otll-
er State offices are held by them III like
proportion. Intelligence and virtue ere
crushed out by ignorance and vice. he
proud race to which wcall belong, and of
.:.;I;znt;n,n 1rn nra nrOnd iS tinm-