The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-03-30
TONE OF THE STATE PRESS.
Frons tile Wssnsboro' Meaos.

From tie W17epSOGTO IfctoS.
.FHe mower of Justice to conciiiate, favor and
quiet prejudice is mneasurably great, and
peoplerwould, submit to the rule of monkeys
and gorralas, far more TO that of negroes, it
impartial justice were the rule of government.
It Is not that our Legislators are ignorant and
uninsslligent, but that they are brutal and cor
r1,pt, and the fit instruments in the hands OF
Wickedness and vice for the perpetration OF
legislative and executive crimes, OF which = the ne
whites of this State complain. It is that they
are dishonest and sympathize with all manner
of stealing as legitimate business. A bitter and
a. stern resentment, therefore, is evidently
spreading, and a deliberate purpose is being
cherished to resist such rottenness by force, at
the very first opportunity, or in other and very
plain words, to fight out of this filth. :,
Take the subject of taxation. 1t is proposed
TO collect two taxes tEis year; one this spring,
and another next fall. These taxes would be
more cheerfully paid, if the people could be-
lieye their necessity. But they seem but part
OF, 8 plan of extrayagant and useless plunder.
Moreover, it is not clear to the Taxpayers where
the money they have already paid has gone.
Tho poll-tax, for example: the State auditor
says that but $40, coo of it has been paid, and
ninety thousand has not been paid. Now we
simply don't believe it, and would like to see
the proofs A great many negroes have pald
their poll-tax, and great many employers
have paid taxes for them. The poll,tax, we
believe, has been much more generally paid
than is by some believed: Where Is 1T and
what has been done with it, that it should be
reported as unpaid? It is very easy to report it
unpaid, and to say that it cannot be collected
from people that have no property. But prop
erty-holders have their just grounds OF suspI-
cion, and they have theright to state them, and
ask to see the proofs of the correctness OF the
report that they may verify it. The zeal for
education exhibited in the management OF the
poll-tax strikes some of them as akin to the
zeal for "land for the landlesso exhibited by the
land commission If the tax be not paid, as Is
alleged, or if it be paid, and then misapplied to
other purposes than education, as we believe
very. possible, in either case, "there is some
thing rotten in the State of Denmark" Now
Lasin;t the government better satisfy the people
ON this and kindred subjects, before it attempts
toicollect second tax next fall? We think so.
Perhaps the tax may then be paid. The oppor-
tunity of resistance may not then have come.
But we countenance ajudiclous prudence. we
whites, who don't hobnob with negroes, are
tired of this government, and intend to change
It. The-will will find way.
From the BarmaceN Sentinel.
Now this is confscation, downright legisla-
tive robbery. The taxes of two years forced
into one, and an additional tax to pay interest
in gold. This is the astounding fact the people
have to look in the face; the planters are call
ed upon to pay this enormous tax or have their
lands sold. How are they to doit? This year
the reduced price of cotton has not enabled the
planters, I to do more than pay. expenses, leaving
no surplus; many will fall short and owe a
balance to their creditors. Last year not few
found it impossible to satisfy the demands OF
the tax-gatherer; this year the number will be
increased.
Now the question is, will the land owner pa
tiently stand by and see his land sold for taxes,
on an assessed value far above what they can
be sold for, either by himself or the sheriff, or
will they continue to resist this robbery?
Human patience will be exhausted when this
outrage is attempted. No people on the face
of the earth will submit to be taxed out OF
their property by band of adventures, who,
owning no property themselves on which taxes
can be levied, are recklessly grinding out Of the
property-holder a fund upon which to steal:
We repeat, the people do not intend to be taxed
ont Of their lands.
It is well known to all parties that this paper
has at all times recommended strict obedience
to the laws, though in many instances the laws
are of partisan character, and oppressive IN
theirnstures The1taxesyare enormous, and are
suskiag The life blood from many of'our people,
notwithstanding all who can are meeting the
demands Of the collector promptly. But the
point where forbearance has ceased to be vir-
tue has been reached. The State tax will be
sixteen and the county six mills on the dollar.
If this thing is attempted to be done, we will
not hesitate to advise our people to openly re-
sist it in IN organized and efficient way. Ii
the ignorant and heartless majority OF negroes
in the.House of Representatives presume that
the white Taxpayers of the State will silently
submit to their own ruin and degradation with
out struggle, they certainly mistake the char
acter of the white race
From tile Greenville Enterprise.
The extravagant taxes levied by the majority
Of the Legislature of South Carolina, their
oppressiveness and injustice, the fraudulent
schemes and waste of the public money, which
they are intended to support, the useless offices,
the high salaries, the corruption of the Legis-
lature IN selling their votes, the horrible and
intolerable rule of ignorance and dishonesty,
all have made deep impression on all the
neople who have any honest interest In the
State Government We now record the fact
that there is, and of right out to be, solemn
dissemination among all the honest men of the
State not to stand q repetition of these taxes
but unanimously to resist them, "peaceably il
we can, forcibly if We must"
There is no doubt of the fact that the votes
of committees and of members Of the Legisla-
ture have been bought by money. We unhesi-
tatingly svow the principle that every repre-
sentative and every official who sells his vote
and influence ought to be put to death by law
It is pure and simple robbery. The people
we mean people by those who are not idiots OF
fools-are making up their minds. Scoundreli
SaU BE- Sopped os G We T hope m another Year may see
people S IN this State united as one man to re-
sist3 these horrible frauds and exactions. Lei
them dare sell their votes again and rob and
plunder. The most stupid negro in the State
coma To see that his interest ia On the side