The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1870-07-20
October 81, 1858, 1,ses, ,259. 90.
County TaA for 1869, S601 ,O97.32.

OSeoUer o., 1905, Sl,z63, ,z6S.O9.
County Taa for 1869, 500, ,097.32.
Reflect that this rapid increase
of taxation has been enforced .up.
on q people struggling for the nee
essaries Of ife--with two-thirds of
their property destroyed by war
much Of what was left producing
nothing, and all of the acenmulat.
ed capital of the State DESTROYED
the income Of the people probably
not attaining one.third the amount
of the year 1860. ~ ,.....
Total payments, current ex-
penses, ETC., year ending Septem.
Der 30, 1860, $549,25f.09. Year
ending October. 81, 1866, $780,
24S.04-exclusive Of interest on
debt not paid. Year ending Octo.
Der 81, 1869, $1,103,372.2O.-
Comptroller's report, PIP. ~.
Bear in mind in this connection,
that jurors, constables, and many
other expenses paid by the State
in 1860, are now paid by the coun.
ties, and the public treasury thns
relieved of very heavy amount ;
and that an examination of the
conduct of the County Commis.
sioners in many instances would
show the same proaigacy in rails
ing and expending money-where
thousands have been extorted from
the people by false estimates and
assessments, and not one hour of
labor bestowed upon the public
highways, and scarce a dollar to
any county improvement.
Shall we look for a high motive
to justify such increase Of taxaeI0n
upon a people 30 ground down by
poverty as our's2 Shall we find
the public debt greatly reduced,
or the public assets greatly in.
creased in the hands of these reck-
less financiers Let rs see:
Public debt, September 80,
1860. S4.046,5 ,540.16. November
81, 1866, by Governor Orrs mes
sage, principal and interest, ex.
Guiding war debt, $5,2O5, ,227.74,
or by Comptroller's report, exclud.
ing war debt, $4,426, ,446.46. Oc.
tober 81, 1859, Comptroller's re-
port, $6,1S3, ,349.17.
For a people whose ability to
pay was so reduced, it would seem
that this was sufficiently reckless
increase of debt to induce q call
for a strict accounting, but as usu-
ally is the case with defaulters, the
result is worse than their ec parte
showing. Items are excluded from
this account, properly belonging
to it, which present a fearful con.
dition, and demonstrate that un
less this wanton profligacy and
waste be checked, the people of
this State, white and colored, are
to be reduced to endless slavery.
or be released only by repudiation.
Thus:
The Comptroller reports the
debt, October 81, 1869, $685.
349.17. Add Blue Ridge Rail
road bonds, which the State is re-
sponsible for, and from which,
able, disinterested and honest man
agement would scarce extricate
her, $4,000, 100000. Bonds issued
to Land Commission, 800, 900 90 :
bonds issued to redeem bills Bank
of State, $1,25O,000.OO; bonds
pawned by the Financial State
Agent, 50, 100000. Total, S14-
S33, ,349,17.
Now what value have the peo-
pie for all this expenditure2 Shall
We be pointed to the fruits of the
Land Commission2 Where are
they? Who knows of any benefit
to the poor and worthy in this
great Gland to the landless -
schemes Who does not know,
spite of their efforts at conceal.
ment, that the funds entrusted to
this Commission have been used,
only to swell the ili-gotten gains oi
the administration and it's friends
Within the observation of almost
every one, poor tracts of land have
been bought at immense prices,
and so far as this committee have
been able to learn, with no eye to
the benefit of those whom this
scheme was professedly intended
to provide with land and homes.
With the partial exposures al
ready made, the administration
party. consisting largely of indi.
viduals holding four or five pay.
ing Offices each, acknow lodges that
reform is needed, but insists that
they must carry on the reform ;
that this sooS mnst be the nurs.
i,rg mother Of our lamb. If their
repentance is sincere, they
should pray to be delivered from
temptation, not to be forced to hold
watch and ward over the tempting
Treasury. 60
Let us see how the increased re.
ceipts of the Treasury have been,
and ra IN ha avpaudod