The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-11-29

Commissioners Qe reQuCeu IrOm COL, oVV "
$40 600 q year; that the Office of County
Auditor be abolished-a saving OF $50, 600 a
wear; that, the costly Trial Justices, in
Charleston, be replaced by three Police
Judges with adequate salaries; that the
Office OF Recorder Of Charleston be abolished;
that the salaries OF alloficers, high and low,
with the exception OF the Judges, be re-
duced one-thlrd. These are sensible and
practical recommendations. We shall soon
know whether the Legislature intends to
turn over new leaf, or to continue the old
story of reckless extravaganza and waste.
Taxes are proposed upon rice and cotton,
and upon railroad tonnage, and it Is advised
that system Of State licenses be esta-
blished.
To enforce the payment Of taxes, !. e. to
obtain supply Of ready money, it is adj
vised that delinquent property be sold within
thirty days after the taxes upon it fall due,
and that 'sbonds OF the State be taken in
sspayment at par for all real estate pur-
.'chased at delinquent land sales" and that
the State warrant the titles. The public
lands of the State, valued at one million
dollars, are proposed to be sold, at an early
| period-the bonds Of the State, at par, being
taken in payment. But the taxpayers who
are delinquent, or who are likely to become
80, are notthe holders of State bonds. They
could only obtain them by purchase in the
open market the effect Of which would be
to cause an immediate advance in the price
of the bonds. And this advance, far more
than any advantage to the taxpayers, is
what Governor Scott has in view. We can
see that, under the proposed law, the over
due taxes, amounting TO sl,l37, 433, could
be paid in bonds costing less than half that
amount in actual money, and, 30 far, it
would benefit the people who have taxes to
pay. And If bonds OF the State are to be
sold to liquidate the floating debt OF the
government, it is better for the people that
they should sell at fifty cents than that they
should bring only thirty or forty. But the
people, although ready to accept whatever
saving the proposed law may permit, will
treat the whole scheme as stock -jobbing
speculation. They will, indeed, regard Gov
ernor Scott's Message as a desperate at
tempt to bolster up the State credit, and to
save President Grant from the consequences
OF his ill.advised action in suspendine the
writ of Aabeas corpus in the upper counties
| OF the State.
Upon the subject of Ku-Kluxism,' which
Governor Scott discusses at length, it is
sufficient to say, at this moment, that, II the
State Government had "assatled no prirate
.sriqht, and committed no pu5lic aorong, T"
and if it could not, with justice, "6e charged
"ariM erer harsg arantonly injured a citizen,
"e;sse, in his person or estate" Ku-Klux
outrage would never have been heard OF in
South Carolina We are free to admit that
the State Constitution Is liberal in its proVi-
sions OF fenfranchisement, and that Governor
Scott upon scores Of occasions, has made
col den promises to the white citizens. But
against the words OF the organic law must
be set the deeds Of the State officials. OF
what value were words when the people
were oppressed by taxes, when the debt was
mounting higher and higher, when an infa-
nous election law stripped the people OF the
;gower to redress their wrongs at the polls,
when ignorant colored militiamen were
.hounded on to deeds OF violence and blood,
when adventures and thieves filed offices
which had been occupied by the purest citi-
zens OF the State, when liberty, fortune and
life itself were absolutely at the disposal OF
horde Of public robbers, when the Almigh-
ty seemed to have withdrawn His protecting
hands? We condemn Kd-Kluxism as NOR
ally wrong and politically inexpedient, but
we cannot forget the insults end suflerings
endured by our people.
The Message, all in all, will doubtless an
swer its purpose. 1t will tend to relieve the
State officials from their monetary embarass-
ments, and it will besides, be expounded as
unimpeachabIe truth by all the stump.speak-
ers and hack-writers who, during the COM
ing year, may ind it necessary to deicnd
the military usurpations Of the Grant admin
istration.