The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1872-03-02
WESTMINSTER, MD, SATURDAY. MORNING MARCH 2 1870 l


'ept 10 the parrot-liks recitals Of some Of the
negro witnesses as to what was said BY the Ku-
klux themselves.
zHB LOYAL LEAauEs.
The 6rst prominent cause Of pubIic di,tqr-
oanee, Of which the earpet-bag patriots were
the authors, was most thorough and secret |
OF the negroes, In all the counties |
Of the state, into Loyal Leagues, in many in |
stances armed and adopting all the formula Of |
signs, password and grips Of an oath bound |
any knowledge at all Of the nsgro's nature,
that In an organization like this, headed By |
dishonest and unscrupuloua white men, that |
the negro woald be mere blind and dumb
machine In their hands That has been lie
operation In south Carolina. AtSpartAnburg
one Of the mambers Of the sub-commlttse in.
quired OF negro witness on the stand how IL
was that there was no difference Of opinion
among the negroes upon political questions
like among the whites. and why IL vas that
they all voted the Republican ticket Z Hi, re-
ply was, why, Lor' bress your soul, massa,
we swo' 70 d dat in de league r. That simple
answer by The newly-ereSted suffragist, this
mere sutomaton Of the ballot, ls q fall erpIa-
nation Of the political solidity of the negro
race IN South Carolina. The dumb male on
whose back he vaingloriously rides 70 the
polls, might just as well vote as his rider, un-
scarcely any less volition 10 the act Of the
mule than there would be on the part Of The
negro, At least such as we hnd him in South
Carolina.
IHE oAhHEf-BAs RAtp.
With such an element to work upon, iRnor-
ant and degraded to the last degree, the carpet
bRggers rushed down 10 the south, heree and
rapaciOus as hungry wolves, marshalled the
negroes through the midnight discipline Of
these Loyal Leagues, marching them up 70
the ballot-box like herds OF senseless cattle
and iRaugurated 4 system Of plunder aud cor
ruption; through negro legislation, 90 start
ling and gigantic as to stagRer the common
belief Is this stating the case too strong 7
Let Congress and the people turn to the tcstI.
nony, and incredulity will yield to conviction.
II our space would permit, we could quote
abundant Republican testimony to sustain the
allegation. The Loyal Leagues we're orgAni1-
ed in 1861. long before Ku-kiuxism reared its
lawless head in South Carolina. In the con
yention Of 1868, which adopted a State con-
stitution under the dictates OF Congress, the
operations Of this oath bound league were
clearly manifested. The convention was com
posed OF one hundred and tWenty-one mem
6ers, seventy-two Of whom were negroes, and
torty-nine were white men. or the seventy
two negro members, fifty mine paid no taxes,
aud were not returned on the tar books. The
total amount Of taxes under the provisions Of
thisconstitution was 81, $50, $50, which required
4 taxation at the rate Of 10 per cent and.
compared to the rate of taxation before the
war, taking into consideration the depreoia-
uon OF property, the proportion stands as one
to twenty.
rHk coLoRED LEGISLATURES.
The operations of the leaguers did not stop
here. They were potent in the composition Of
the FIRST Legislature. The Legislature OF 1863
consisted Of 81 Senators and l23 Representa-
tiVes. In the Senate there were TIVE nty whites
and twelve blacks. In tho House Of Repre-
sentatiVes there we're thir,y-sOyen whites and
eighiy-siE blacks. or the twelve black SenA-
tors eight Of them were not on the tax books,
and paid no taxes. The aggregate amount Of
taxea charged On the tAX-bOoks 10 the four
remaining black Senators was the enormous
sum Of 81. 10; so that by averaging that sum
long the whole twelve each paid the sum Of
about IL cents per annum toward the support
Of government in which they had supreme
power and dominion. or the eighty-sir black
representatives, fifty weight were not on the tax-
books. As the result Of such q mongrel CON-
position, such a combination Of ignorance and
rapacity, the expenses Of government were at
once increased more than 800 per cent While
the sum total Of offices and salaries for 1860
was Sl23, 800. that Of 1871 was S5sl ,Ol0, an
increase Of S457 $40. or the taxes only sis. %
we're paid BY officers Of the government.
ENORMOUS TAIAros rs sourH cAnoLIsL.
Thus, this startling fact 10 presented, that in
South Carolina, Purporting to be 10 form q
representative government under the COnsti-
tuition Of the United States, which solsInnly
and specifically declares, for itself and for an
the States, that taxation and representation
shall go together, the persons who impose the
taxes do not pay them, and the great body Of
citizens who are compelled, by q corrupt and
non-taxpaying junta, miscalled a Legislature,
to raise the public revenues Of State are
practically denied any voice in their imposi-
tion. The gross amount Of taxes assessed and
collected In South Carolina from 1851 to 1855,
inclusive, was S2,057, ,10l.69. This was lew
upon a property basis OF $490, 900, 900, inelad-
ing slaves at low valuation. The special tag
upon slaves for the year 1855 was the sum Of
$13l, III. el--abont two thirds of the entire du-
Plicate. Now, In the year 1870, upon a prop
erty basis, ata high valuation, excluding, Of
course, the value Of the emsncipated slave
population OF si74. .oOo, ,00o there was levied
aud collected, for that single year, the sum Of
81, ,0I7, or SlO7, ,945.3l more thaa the aggre-
gate taxation, on more than doable the amount
OF property, for Eve consecutive years prior
TO the war and, n. BY a law, not passed by
but against the taxpayers, Il was ordered, for
the purpose Of changing the fiscal year, that q
double tar should be assessed and collscted In
1871, the consequence Is that the white people
OF South Carolina, impoy erished, worn down
and exhausted BY excessive taxation, wonid
have to pay, IL that Law has been or Il to be
carried out, the enormous sum Of -, 730, ,09k in
single year
now TO BRisa WHITES ro rHa sEsRo LEvEL.
Verify, the pregnant suggestion or the car
pet-baggers, that the only way IN bring down
the white men OF the south 10 a level with the
negro was 'to tar them down." IL here car
ried out with most sweeping vengeancei II
Is in proof that for the year 1870, 10 the single
county OF kershaw, with population OF Only
II ,695, there were 5000 tax executions issued
against parties who had not paid their taxes,
But what becomes Of this amount Of money,
aud bow is it disposed OFT From October,
ls6S, to November, 1870, 81 ,20s. 81 were
paid out, for ,eAich no voHehers eosid BE- Ios.d
IN hs treasury. The disbursements exceed the
appropriations by Sl70, 0,6Ss.s9. The excess Of
disbursement in the item for fitting up port tions
Of the State House will be better understood
when We state the fact, as proven by the testi-
mOny. that under the pretence Of fitting up
committee rooms. the private lodging rooms
at the private boarding houses Of the negro
members, In many instances were extrava-
gantly furnished with Wilton and Brussels car
pets, mirrors, sofas, &c. There was also ex-
pended for 200 elegant imported china spit
toons $1,000. There were only 173 members
IN the House Of Representatives., but the res-
idue were, perhaps, transferred TO the privats
chambers OF the ebony legislators.
While in the splendid capitol of the nation,
avowedly the grandest parliamentary edihce
in the world, in times BY no means distin-
guished for moderation or economy, an arti-
Gle Of common, plain brown eartheuware, Of
domestic manufacture, is deemed good enough,
the new born aristocracy, " the man and
brother" must send to the finest porcelain
manuiactories for artistic vessels meet for his
eKpectorationi Among other things, clocks
for the State House at stso apiece, chandeliers
at $3.50, and Freneh mirrors for the Speakers
room al. S7S0i Aud all this Extravaganza paid
for by taxation on a down-troddcn people, who
10 single county, were last year perseeated
by 1900 tar exeeatiousi 10 u not plain to be
seen who are responsible for the Ku-Klux
troubles in south Carolinsf Will any honest
maa, OF any party, have any difficulty in deci.
ding that question: A resalt Of "to the vic
tors belong the s2oils" sysism is the disbarse-