The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-03-27

The License Law-xs IL tOnssisusionals
A movement is on foot in Charleston
to resist the EXECUTION 81, the infamous
license Law, on tie gro6hd of it's Iancon-
stitutionslity. We hope and believe
that if the question 10 brought before an
impartial tribunal, that the Act must be
pronounced unconstitutional, and, there
fore. is not law. A communication in
the Charleston News, Of yesterday, from
lawyer at Kingascce, furnishes some
admirable points on the question. Our
present State Constitution--as this
writer. who signs himself s. A. NJ, puts
it's peculiar one, partaking of the
nature rather OF the Federal Constitu-
tion than those OF tho Suites. Our
General Assembly is not simply limited
in its action by the Constitution. There
are not only certain things which it can-
not do, by reason Of prohibitions in the
Constitution, but it can do nothing OK
cept what is authorized by the Constitu-
tion. Our State Government, in other
words, as the Constitution now stands,
like the Federal Government. is one
solely of delegated powers.
This novel view is based upon the
singular wording of Section Al, Article
l, of the Constitution, the closing part
of which reads: 'AA powers not herein
delegated remain ,OiM the people" The
writer then goes on to show that no.
where in the Constitution is there any
authority given to enaot a license law,
though there are very explicit pro-
visions in regard to taxation. One
thing, however. is very clear whether
the law be legally unconstitutional or
not. it is nothing more nor less than
downright robbery to take this additional
amount of money from the people. The
two per cent. tax, to be levied in the
ordinary way upon On al udloren, assess
ment Of property, must realize upwards
of So. 500, 900, which is over $1,000, 900
more than Mr.. Comptroller Neagle in
formed the Legislature would be neoes-
sary to defray oil the expenses of the
State, even according to his outrAgeously
extravagant estimates.
Where is all this surplus money
wruDg, too, from on already impove-
rished people to g"P It is almost un-
necessary to ask the question, but it is
we'll for the people to know and to con-
tinually bear in mind that they are be-
ing made to suffer, to stint their fan j.
lies. and curtail the very necessaries of
life. in order to crafty the insatiate
greed Of our carpet-bag rulers for money.
So long as they filed their pockets by
the fraudulent issue of bonds, though
outrageous enough, God knows, their
thieving did not directly affect the peo-
pie, except 80 far as we may have the
interest on the bonds to pny for awhile.
for they will all be repudiated before
they come to maturity.
But now that the bond specnlntions
ore played out, the sconndrels have the
impudcnce to thrust their hands directly
into the pockets of the people. This.
we trnst, will work it's own cure. 4 por-
tion cf the colored people will be brought
face to face with their wrongs, lik" their
white fellow citizens. and We mny then
hope for such q combination between
the two races az will result III rapid
riddauce of carpet bngism.
FAVORABLE DECISION OF SUPREME
CoURr IN THE KU KLUX GASES A spe-
cial Telegram to the Charleston Mems,
dated Washington, Monday, March rs,