The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-02-29

! and twenty-one members, seventy-two OF whom
were negroes and forty-nine were white men,
OF the seventy-two negro members, hfty-niine
paid no taxes and were not returned on the
tax books. The total amount of taxes unaer noe
4 the provisions of this constitution was SZ,Z3O,-
$50, which requires taxation at the rate OF ~
per cent, and compared to the rate OF taxasl9n
before the war, taking into consideration the
depreciation of property, the proportion st9nas
as one to twenty. The operations of the Lea
puers did not stop here. They were potent IN
the composition of the first Legislature. The
Legislature of 1869 consisted OF thirty-two sen
ators and 123 Representatives. In the Senate
there were twenty whites and twelve piacks.
| In the House of Representatives there were
thirty-seven whites and eighty-six blacks. VI
| the twelve black Senators eight OF them were @
not on the tax-books and paid no taxes. Inc
| apgreeate amount of taxes charged on the tax
BOOKS to the four remaining black Senators
was the enormous sum of S210; so that by
| averaging that sum among the whole twelve
each paid the sum of about IL cents per annum
| towards the support of a government III whicn
thew had supreme power and dominion. VI
the eiehty-six black representatives hfty-eight
were not on the tax-books. AS the result OF
snch mongrel composition, such comblna.
tion Of ignorance and rapacity the expenses OF
government were at once increased more than
600 per cent While the sum total OF ofhce1s
and salaries for 1860 was S123,o ,o00, that Ior 10,
n was 1851 ,04O, an increase of $451 ,34O. VI
the taxes only $16.99 were paid by ofhcers OF
the government. Thus this startling fact Is
presented. that in South Carolina, purportipg
to he in form representative. government, I'M
der the Constitution of the United States,
which solemnly and specifically declares, lot
itself and for all the States, that taxation and
representation shall 60 together, the persons
who impose the taxes do not pay them, and the
great body of citizens who are compelled, oy a
Corrupt and non-taxpaying junta miscalied
Legislature, to raise the public revenues OF a
State are practically denied any voice IN their
imposition. The gross amount of taxes as
sessed and collected in South Carolina from
1851 to 1856 inclusive was $2,057 ,10l. .69: This
was levy upon property basis OF S49O OOO,-
600. including slaves at low valuation. Ihe
special tax upon slaves for the year 1855 was
tie sum of $231 lit 6O-about two thirds OF
the entire duplicate. Now, in the year 1871,
upon a property basis, at high valuation, ex
Guiding, of course, the value of the emancipa-
ted slaves population OF 74,Ooo,ooo, tnere
was levied and collected, for that single year,
the sum of 81, 2,265,047, or lO7,s4oSl more
than the aggregate taxation, on more than aou-
BILE the amount of property, for i've consecutive
wears prior to the war; and, as by a law, not
passed by but against the taxpayers, it was or,
dered. for the purpose of changing the fiscal
wear. that a double tax should be assessed and
collected in 1871, the consequence Is that tns
white people of South Carolina, impoverished,
worn-down and exhausted by excessive taxa
ton. would have to pay, if that law has been
or is to be carried out, the enormous sum OF
S4730. .O94 in single yearl Verify, the preg
nant suggestion of the carpet-baggers, that the
onIy way to bring down the white men OF the
South to level with the negro was ITO tax them
down." is here carried out with most sweep
ing yengeanceI 1t is in proof that forthe year
1870. in the single County of Kershaw, with
population of only 1885, there were 3,6o01
tax-executions issued against parties VINO had
not paid their taxes. But what becomes OF TINS
amount of money and how is it disposed or
From October 1868, to November, 1871, Sl,-
2O8, SIT 67 were paid out, for arhtch no vouchers
could be found in the Treasury lie disourse- H0a Sc
ments exceed the appropriations by Sl7O,6o3.
The excess of disbursement in the item for fit
ting up portions of the State House, will be bet
fer understood when We state the fact as proven
by the testimony, that, under the Pretence OF
fitting up committee-rooms, the private iodg-
.ing-rooms at the private clearinghouse OF the
negro members, in many instances, were ex-
trayapantIy furnished with Wilton and Brussels
CARPETS. mirrors, sofas, &c. There was also ex-
nended for 200 elegant china spittoons, 81 500.
There were only 123 members in the House OF
Representatives, but the residue were, perhaps,
transferred to the private chambers of the ebo-
nv legislators. While in the splendid capital
| Of the nation, avowedly the grandest Parlla-
mentary edifce in the world, in times oy no
means distinguished for moderation or econo-
nv, an article of common, plain brown earth,
enware, Of domestic manufacture, IS deemed
good enough, the newest aristocracy, the man
and brother" must send to the finest porcelain
manufactures for artistic vessels meet for ms
expectoration! Among other things, clocks Tor
tha STATE. house at $3.50 apiece, chandeliers at
$3.50 and French mirrors for the Speakers
room at S750I And all this extravaganza paid
| for by taxation or down-trodden people, who,
in single county, were last year prosecuted by
| 60O tax executions Is it not plain to be seen
who are responsible for the Ku Kiux troubles,
in South Carolina? Will any honest man, OF
any party, have any difficulty in deciding that
mesttion. "A result of Ito the victors belong
the spoils" system is the disbursement of s175,-
524 for taking State census in 1869-70, only a
few months before the Federal census. The
| total expense OF the latter was $4S,2O3.!S.
We now come to speak of one of the most
diabolical official acts, under the circumstances
of its commission, which has been perpetrated,
even in these most remarkable times OF outrage
and wrong. We mean the secret organization
and arming of the negroes for the purpose OF
car. carving an election by Governor Scott, he
himself being a candidate In 1869 there was
concocted by legislative action, under the off,
c;al recommendation of the Governor, one OF
the the most dastardly schemes ofvillany, to retain
political power in the State in the future by
fraud and force, that has ever disgraced stat
nte hook. On the sixteenth day of March,
1869, there was passed, and approved by the
Executive, an act entitled Gan act to organize
andsgoyern the militia of the State of South
Carolina" 1t is in form general law, and. Of