The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-11-14
The Carpet.Bagger as seen from Abroad.

The Carpet.Bagger as seen from Abroad.
In aid of Mr.. Greeley's canvass the New York
Tribune has sent special correspondent to the
South to lay bare the iniquities of "carpet-bag"
rule. He is now in Arkansas, and the story he
has to tell of the doings of those gentry in that
State is certainly well calculated to discredit
the policy of the reconstruction act and the
party that upheld it. Arkansas, it must be
borne in mind, is poor, partially cleared State,
thinly settled by backward agricultural popu-
lation of whites and blacks numbering consider
ably under half million all told 1t has neither
manufactures nor large towns, its chief city
containing in 1870 less than 10 600 inhabitants:
1t is, therefor, but ill-abIe to afford extrava-
CANT expenditure Before the civil war the
cost of the State government averaged, the cor
respondent tells US, aboat 100000 sterling per
annnuni: Last year this modest sum was null
tipEed ten times. The "carpet-baaggers a2-
praised their services in relieving the people
of Arkansas of the labor of governing them
selves at over 100000 sterling. To meet the
enormously increased expenditure, Of course 1t
was necessary to add very heavily to the taxa
ton. This has been done in two ways. In the
first place the rate of taxation, which in 1850
was only about mills to the dollar, is now
4O.5 mills to the dollar, or very nearly seven
times as high.
In the second place, the valuation of the tax
able property has been exorbitantly enhanced.
The TribuaSs correspondent asserts that the
new valuation is not warranted by rise In the
value of the property assessed. 1t has been
brought about by an act which gives the assess
ors percentage on the valuation. The higher,
therefore, the assessment, the better the salary
of the assessors. Consequently the valuation
has increased almost in the same ratio as the
taxation, and in some cases in far higher
ratio. For instance, it was deposed before
committee of Congress some months ago that
piece of land six miles from the State capital
was taxed in 1866 at $50; two years later its
taxes had grown to S112s2; and in two years
more they had actually been run up to S2l06O.
In four years the taxation of the piece of land
was multiplied twenty-six times But the
Carpet -baggers" did not stop here. They
were at the same time rapidly manufacturing
State debt. When they got possession of its
government in 1858 Arkansas owed only three
millions of dollars, which were advanced to
certain banks, and for which, the correspondent
assures us, it had received amply security IN
the shape of mortgages upon land. Now the
State owes nineteen millions and three quarters
of dollars, and has actually given up the mort
pet-bag" rule has, therefore, if this correspon-
dent is to be believed, increased the debt of
Arkansas nearly seven-fold, while at the same
time multiplying the taxation by seven on
property valued seven times more highly
And for this enormous expenditure he positive
ly assures us that there is absolutely to show
but few miles of worthless river embankment,
and less than hundred miles of railroad, over
which, however, the State has no claim of owner
ship. There is no State in the Union, we are
told in which railways are more needed. "The
only lines now in operation are the Memphis
and Little Rock road, an old road which is in
such a frightful condition that no man in his
senses would travel on it if he could avoid it;
a new road running from Little Rock up the
Arkansas river toward Fort Smith, and stopping
in the woods half way to its destination, be-
cause somebody has stolen the money raised for
its completion; few miles of road built from
Little Rock in the direction of Cairo, and few
miles constructed westward from Helena" Yet
Sill 4O0, ,0CO were granted for the construction of
railways. What became of this sum the fol-
lowing incredible story will tell:
"Down in the southern part of the State is an
old line of road graded before the war. A bill
was passed giving $4,000 or $4,000 mile
for the completion of the line, the bonds to
be issued in instaments as fast as sections of
ten miles of track were finished. The presi-
dent of the road, who was one of the State
house ring borrowed enough iron to lay ten
miles of track, put it down, got the bonds, then
took it up and put it down on the next ten
miles, drew his second instalment of bonds, and
continued the operation until he got the bonds
for the whole 120 miles. He then returned to
New York, sold his bonds, and pocketed the
proceeds" Each member of the ring and its
several satellites throughout the State initiated
after bis own manner this ingenious gentleman.
1t is not very wonderful, therefore, that the
two and a quarter million sterling have only
suficed to lead railways into the woods, and
have left them to end there.-Paiy Mall Budget.