Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1869-03-19
The following letter was received
10 late for publication last week:
FOR THE ABBEvIkLE PRESS.
COLUMBIA EETTER.A II .
-coIuM1srA, Sc, March or@s.

coIoanbDsrA, M Sc, March March 0, isbs.
Dees Leo s-Perhapsnitzm may not be.
considered out Of place to offer you u
few dottings from the Stats Capitol.
particularly. at this time, when thsro
is here y full blown Legislature, repre- 81 =,
senting the transition stage, between
constitutional gosernnrent and popular
or people dcspotism Or, perhaps more
properly, a dcspotism uf idsal;ty. And
while this principle, which, has already
inaugurated its work of destruction,
threatens to become common and
widespread in its charactor, and bear
everything TO-, tho ground that. at
tcmpts to stand in its way, it is.sad,
indeed, to think that among tho largo.
number Of journals in the State, SO
few attempt, on high moral and politi-
cal ground, to. shape, public opinion on
subjects of legislation, and thus aid
those who would, if, possible, steer tho
ship of State safely through tho
breakers with which she issurroundcd.
Many of them have ceased even to
sound @note of warming to tho people,
while the power is adjusting ITSELF
anaconda like, about tho vitals of
government preparatory to jugulation.
1t is not merely tho liberties of the
people that are now threatened, for
those have been long in jeopardy, and
arc now at least suspended but the
material prosperity Of the country is
now receiving such q blow as it cannot
soon recover from. Tho Legislature
remaining in session half the time,
and taxing the people more to meet
that expense alone than was formerly
raised by taxation for the entire ex-
pcnses of the State. Besides, there
arc three times as many sa1aried
officers to pay as formerly; and. all
this is only an item, rs it were, Of tho
evils into which the State will be pre-
cipitated by hasty, unwise andreckless
Legislation.
Judging from What has a1readybcen
done, Legislative action already taken
will make tho State debt, in. round
numbers, thirteen millon. lellars) mud:
the declaration of prominent mem
Der of the dominant party as to what.
will be done before adjournment, the
close of the present session. Of. tho
Legislature will show the States in
dcbtcdness to beabout twenty millions
Of dollars and to. meet tho accruing
interest, which must be provided for
By taxation, according to the Constitu.
| ton, it will. require one million four
hundred thousand dollars = for the
State debt alone, lcounted at seven
per cent, though somo bonds are ut
six) and which wilt be about one pcr
cent on the assessed property OF the
State, as it is not likely that the assess!
lncnt wifi foot up much, if any, moro
than one hundred and forty millions.
This item alone am 1ounts to four times
as much MS State taxes formerly, and
nearly twice as much Ms the Haggre-
gated expenses Of the State Govcrm.;
ment ut the same time; and ;yet'we
find that we have only begun to- estfl'
mate the probable EXPENSES shats&M
d have to be met. The .:eurfeh ssf sHz
penses will, no doubt; he another milf
ion, four: hundred thousand's dollars,
besides county, township and school
district taxes. The two fornner taken
together County and township will
no doubt make an amount cduala laaothe
sum NECESSARY fors State expenses
Tho tax that will E be- assessed for
school purposes, tits not possible now
to consider, as the two Houses have,
thus far, failed to agree On q pIan:;'' a.
bill was sent to the Holsg h6rn the
Senate, which, if it;had become d law,
would have taxed the property Of the
State moro than all the; abovc hafned'
items together. But the House, after
much discussion, 1sacdeedea insrsdas-
ing the tax imposing feataSe about
five hundred perscent7; after which, lii
was again referred 10 u aSommsttse. t. q
To pay pay the interest psf en railroad
I:bonds,, which, according 10 pro-
.granlme are to- be, issnea, VIII require;
Ia tax of about 'thfrty per CENT q of one
a., ~. !, ~. SAf1 Il