The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1871-12-13

hu hluN CRIMINALS, wherever leSl
testimony of guilt IS furnished
. Many persons of the suspected class
have fled from the uppor counties
while at the samo time protesting
their innocence of crime. Flight
from arrest by officers of the law. is
not generally regarded as furnishing
a very: strong legal presumption o.
; innocence. 1t would be far better
however, for tho State, that all ot
this class shonld abandon it forever
than that oven one Industrious labor
} er should be murdered or driven
away from the. pursuits of useful in.
dustry. The former are usually
drones in the human hive, while up.
on the products Of the toiling mass
reposc the whole wealth and prosper.
ity Of the State.
I am officially informed that thus
far about 600 arrests have been made
in this State, under the Act of Con.
gress. The persons arrested, and
now for the most part, held for trial
represent almost every class in society;
from the humble laborer and small
farmer, to the wealthy planter, prac-
ticiny physician, lawyer and minister
Of the Gospel. 80
have endcavored to bo historical
ly exact in recording what must pass
into history as reproach to Ameri-
can civilization, and is now known OF
all men as the shame the State
1t presents the most extraordinary
spectacle Of a complete relapse from
civilization into barbarism known in
the annals Of mankind-surpassing
in its atrocity, tho "Thugism" Of In
dia, for the Thug spares women and
the aged, but the Ku Klux cxcmpts
none from his vengeance, in his effort
to stranglo RcpuJlicanism. If any
impartial man.. jealous of the honor
of his kind, hesitatcs to believe such
things possible in civilized comma
nifty, let him visit tho jail in this city,
He will there find scores Of the !yeri.
table actors in these deeds Of blood,
many of whom have voluntarily con.
fcsscd their crimes rs Ku Klux, these
last being poor, deladed men, to whom
I trust the utmost clemency Of the
National Executive will be extended.
for they are but the blinded victims
of their cultivated leaders. Some Of
them but recently showed, or offered
to show, their Scared backs to q dis.
tinguished United States Senator
from. Rhode Island, (Mr. Sprague,)
they having been lashed by order Of
officers Of their own Klan, because
when ordered to shoot men marked
for murder, they had, out of natural
pity, "only 'Ohirped" the intended vie,
Tins. Those who, with an air OF. in
dignation, and with a wel!afectcd
concern fer constitutional liberty and
State sovereignty" demand who
has caused the military intervention
of the United States in the affairs oI
the State, may be justly referred to
tie ku klux and their, organizers
and aidcrs and abcttors, for thcif
answer.
In the foregoing remarks, I have
reluctantly used political designations,
contrary to what deem a proper GUS
tom in the message Of the Chief Mag
istrate of the State, who, in his Off
cial capacity, should know no party.
But I found this unavoidable, in treat
ing of these great crimes, that sprang
solely from political causes ; nor can |
regard men loyal to the government
who Set its laws at defiance, and use
every means in their powerto destroy
its very existence.
TIE TAXPAYERS CONVENTION.
In the moath Of May last, a highly
respectable body Of citizens, styling
themselves "The Tax.Paycrs' Conven-
tion," assembled at tho State capital,
for the ostensiLle purpose Of making
|irquisiticn into the financial admins
tration of the St ,tc. They were fur
nished every facility to prosecute their
proposed Investigation, and the books,
records and papers Of the several
bureaus in the Executive Department
were unrcscrvcdly laid open to their
inspection. The result Of this invcsti-
grtion, prosecuted with great dill
gcncc, was, that they gave rcluc-
lant confirmation, in the main, to the
official debt statement, which they
had primarily assembled to discredit.
Having been requested by. the con-
vention, through its committee, to ex-
tend the time for the payment of tax
es, in the cases Of those TO whom it
was not cxpedicnt to pay, or who
could not make payment within the
prescribed period, L informed them
that the tax books would be open in
November for the receipt Of taxes,
but, in cases where parties arc unable
to pay, or could not pay without a
sacrifice, I would extend the time to
: March the first, without the delin'
qucnt penalty attaching. Pursuant
to my. promise, 1 have directed tho
proper officers 10 grant an extension
in every such case, that may be ccrti
fed to them BY the person asking it
MINORITY REPRESENTATION.
Tne'subjcct of minority representa-
ton engaged the earnest attention ot
the "Tax-payers' Convention" and
, they presented many cogent reasons
for its immediate adoption into the
: elective system Of this State. In &C
, cordancc with my promise to them,
, present this importantmatter for your
gravcst consideration:
1 recognize tho principle Of minority
!, representation as both wise and just
: 1t secures to tho several party divis
/ ions in the State q direct and proper
. tional representation in its admins
!, lt;op r. hus nstit nj ns q rh acly nd M |