Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1869-02-26
Editorial Correspondence.
The Legislature.
COLUMBIA, S. C.. Feb. Goth lS(

i"'o PiouS icSaiu U Ihc oiu uu"Sc 'llaShu
slowly" It's daily sessions vary in length
from two to five hours, the latter rarely Il: p
peniug unless cases Of fillibustcring. 1t has
now been in regular session sixty days, and
has accomplished but a small part Of the
work contemplated. The cost Of the two
sessions will probably be on the shady side of
three hundred and City thousand dollars,
against thirty thousand our usual expenditure
(bcforc the war; for law making. What is
that to Il great and wealthy State like Soutl,
Carolina, whose sand hills produce goober
pcasc, and hilsides g yallcr nubbins" in pro
potion; Have her people any right to com
plain; Have not the Buds of the State nd
vanccd steadily in value, while the Bills Re.
ceivablc are now bringing ninety cents on tho
dollar. Is not this an evidence Of prosperity 2
Who can doubt but reconstruction, though a
costly business is the hen that lays the golden
egg! Their arguments, designed to prove
our present happy and prosperous condition,
arc as fallacious as the opinions propagatcd
by tho carly political economist, that the i'm:
position Of heavy taxes would promote wealth,
by stimulating the citizen, in order to live
aud meet his taxes, to put forth every effort
to crcate products; while on the contrary ex-
p~crieucc proves, that nothing SO much Grip
Piles and paralyzcs the productive industry of
the people as burdens over taxes. Public
credit is based firstly, upon the idea Of the
permancncy of the Government, next upon
it's pu,ctuality in meeting its obligations /;
and lastly upon its population ano inherent
sources of wealth, as compared with its an
nual expenditures. IF thon we had a frugal
government, is it not probable, nay even GER
tain, that our bonds ond bills would rate still
higher in the market !? Or does a reckless
ks&eTtravagancc, a waste Of the public money
M4Ahhancc public credit? With thrcc-fourths
DIT our property swept away by a revolution,
leaving us cntangled with public and private
obligations, with twofold greater Legislative
expenses, with three hundred paid officials
not known to our days of prosperity, and
with IN increased salary voted to every officer
existing before the war, and who can rcasona.
bly, say that public credit is strengthened ?
Who can deny, but there are natural causes
for its wanc? Still the Legislature sits roll
ing up tho vast mass Of debt, by laws crca.
ting new fields of expense Our course now
resembles that of a prodigal, who possessed
in his inauguration inexhaustiblc wealth,
s%cattcrs unremittingly, until the day of account.
ing finds him a bankrupt. If the more intel,
ligcnt would but estimate the amount neces-
saty to meet tho expenses resulting from OK
isting legislation, they would surely say, hold
enough. But this is not probable from the
expensive school system, attempted to be in.
ausuratcd by the Bill now under considcra.
ton, to provide a system of public schools for
the state. There is some hope Of defeating
this Bill in the House.
The leading measures before the House
during this week was the considerations the
Bill to re.enact and validate the Act of 1866,
giving additional aid to the G. e. 9. r. r.,
company with the accompanying veto of the
Governor. 1t was taken upon Wednesday,
and the reading of the Veto Message called
for. Whom tho reading clerk reached the
clause. +" II it is understood by corporations
or individuals that all that is necessary to Sc
cure the success of their schemes is to pres
ent n Bill to tho Legislature, embracing what
ever provisions they may deem most condu
Give to their interest, and by assiduous lobby
ing and other questionable means forco il
through, tho State Capitol will be constantly
> infested with the paid agents and advocates o
+ every conceivable project by which spccula
tors may hope to obtain %control. of the pco
plo's money" he was stopped by DcLarge
Q who contendcd that it contained an indircc
, charge on the part Of the Governor, of dis
!. honesty in the Legislature and unworthy t,
be heard by tho house. On motion Of Smit,
Of Spartanburg, tho farther reading Of tn,
i, Message was dispensed with.
President Hammott's able reply to the Vet,
0 Message is in print and worthy tho pcrusa
Of every one. The question, "shall tho Bill
pass, the Governors Veto to tho contrary
Notwithstanding being put to tho House
passed by q vote of 81 to II and the Act
f was announced to be law fron the Speaker
desk. The Bill to validate the election fo
the Municipal Officers of Charleston, passc