The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1871-06-07


. Governor was clear and explicit i
's his endorsement of the plan, be
= lieving as he said, that it would d
i more to destroy prejudice, prever
ill:feeling and edncate the major
. sy, than any event which could OF
cur--that they would be the gain
!. ers should tue Legislature at il
o next session pass an act providin,
$ for minority representation.
8. In regard to the election laws
the Governor was very decided il
the opinion that they should b
amended, alleging as the reaso,
that as they now stand, distrus
was created in the minds of th,
people, and temptation offered fo
tho commission of fraud. III,
added that at the next session O
the Legislature he would urge {
change SO that the ballots could DC
counted in public as soon as the
polls were closed.
9. Your committee urged the
inability of the people, after pay
ing the taxes now being'colIected
to pay q second tax in November
fieSt. His Excellency said i'm re-
ply, that it had been represented
to him by we'll informed citizens in
several parts of the State, that for
q large class OF citizens, whose tax.
es were small in amount, the
month of November was a more
convenient time of payment than
any other; and he hoped that to
this class of our citizens the collec
ton OF the tax ac that time would
not prove oppressive. But yield.
ing to the representation of your
committee, he requested them to
report to the Convention, that he
would authorize the Comptroller
to suspend the collection cf the
taxes in all cases where the pay.
ment thereof was announcement to
the tax payers. That this post.
ponement shall extend to the first
of March, 1872, and that the pen.
atty for payment should not be en-.
forced in the meantime.
In brief, 10 recapitulate, Your
committee understand his Excel.
lency as having committed himself
to the following propositions:
1. That he has signed no other
bonds than those set forth in the
debt statement made by the Comp.
troller General, and that there have
been no fraudulent or illegal is.
sues
Q. That the State and county
Offices, both elective and appoint.
ed, are unnecessarily multiplied,
and should be reduced in number,
and many Of them in pay.
8. That many Of the officials
charged with the administration of
justice have been incompetent and
inaccessible to the people, and that
many of the disorders complained
of in the State have been created
by this cause, and that he will re-
place them with competent per.
sons whenever lie can do so.
4. That he is in favor of the Gu.
Jnnlative system of voting and
minority representation, and
would be glad to see it made part
Of the law of.this State.
8. That the election laws are dc.
fective, lead to fraud, and should
be materially amended, ard that
he will exert his influence to that
end.
6. That he would have the col
lection of the taxes of next No
vember postponed until the 1st of
March, 1872, and not enforce the
penalty for noa. payment until that
time.
Your committee are aware of
the wide spread feeling of distrust
of the present administration, and
whilst they share to a great extent
this common feeliug, they think it
wonld be wise and proper that a
cheerful response be made to this
effort of his Excellency to secure
retrenchment and reform In the
administration of public affairs.
Thepe has been nothing in the
different interviews between your
committee and the Governor
which leads them to believe that
he desires or intends 10 repudiate
bis assurances of an earnest desire
to correct many of the evils and
grievances of which We complain.
That frauds tie most dangerous
and demoralizing have been per-
petrated by many Of the State off,
cials, yonr committee have no
doubt but an investigation has
scarcely been embraced within the
scope Of their instructions, even IL
they had had the power under the
sanctions of law and the time to
have done 80. -
In this connection, however,
vosar cov,soskfaa .xocns,,suand fho