The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-02-20

puLlc asylums.... 25 897 10 12S 432 IL
Contingent fund. G002 90 1908 rs
Suulries - S34l3 81 29S G6Y 35
$3.50. .G6s 50 sI,356,2lG 70
Deficiencies -. SAC. .329 %
$3.50. .G6s 50 81 .s96. .5ii 73
These facts exhibit the unprecedented
spectacle Of IL State in which tho govern
rnent is arrnyed against property. II
has hrcn openly avowcd by prominent
ul,m3rrs Of the Legislature tLut the
taxes should be increased to u point
which will compel The sale of tho great
body Of The land. aud take it away from
the former owners The fruit Of this
policy is shown in the fact stated by the
| Comptroller General in his official re-
port. that for default in the payment Of
taxes for the year 1872 alone, 2GY. 523
acres Of land were forfeited to the State.
Anal thus result proves the fallacy Of the
belief that the policy pursued pr0m51es
the elevation uf the black population.
mnd the acquisition by them uf the lauds
thus virtually confiscated. The reverse
IS the necessary result. Lands are una
vailablc us security; mortgages III de-
fanlt Of payment cannot sell; wages
have declined; the cost Ef living is made
greater 1y the addition Of the tuxes to
the price Of commodities; the poor are
made poorer, and rendered every day
more incapable Of purchasing lands.
aud more hopeless ot rising above the
condition of mere llIorers. It would
have ameliorated the cou,l,ion Of your
petitioners II the effect OF this policy
had been 10 create an active demand for
lands on the part of this large class Of
our population. But while tlIe.owners
are, by oppressive taxation, driven to
sell, others for the same reusoE aro dis
qualified from buying.
The abuses in the Legislative Depart
n,ent, that have been described. are not
confined to the mere rnisiDg and ex.
penditure of revenues, but they per-
wade the entire conduct of the depart
ment Schemes have been devised for
issuing State bonds aud for contracting
other loans, by which the public debt
has IN SIX years been raised from SIS, 900,
900 to $4,000, 900; and that without
advancing any public work, adding one
dollar to The public property or to the
payment Of tho public debt Large ns
the sum of the public debt is admitted
to be. there is reason to believe it does
not re.r, tho tr,H nn,nr,t. ;. 70 f-rr
impossihle to ascertain the actual SUI,
Eof the obligations that have been issued.
Schemes Of public nlunder hnve ben
opeLfy advanced by corrupt measures.
OF which one single example will suffice
Two Clerks of the Legislature, in their
official capacity. nude contracts with
themselves, ns private persons. for The
public printing. The appropriations
made in one year for the work done and
to be done, by thsAe two officials
amounted to $4,000, exclusive OF
Sl0O, 600 for publishing the laws. And
in the fiscal yeDr 1873 there was actually
paid to them for printing 1881, 600
leaving large sum still due to them by
the State. And this, notwithstanding
the avowAl Of the two officials them
selves, that the work done was wortI
no more than 500, 900; and the testi
mony of others that its value was onl,
S5O,U0O. The stupendous fraud in
volved in this and similnr modes o
making the Legitimate objects OF publ,
expenditure the medium OF plunderine
than by the following facts: The totn
made by the Legislature OF South Caro-
tiH", uutiuS PeEiou VI sixty years
from 1850 to 1859, is S27l, $50. During
tho last year the amount actually ex
pended for public printing by the pro
sent Legislature was $33l,9l That il
$50. 7G5 moro than it cost the State fol
tsxty years before the war.
" Committees have received large sums
as compensation for reporting fuvorably
!: on private bills; and strong reason,
exist for believing that large amount
Of State bank bills. funded by the State
to discharge her liability. have been re
issued by those entrusted by the Legis
laturo with the cancellation thereof.
In the Judiciary Department, evil
J equally grievous have been produced
under tho present State Government
} The Judges hold their offices for shor
terms. Their continuance in Office de
J ponds upon the caprices of the legis
lators. The result is, thet the duties o
their high Office are discharged unde
Influences and responsibilities necessa
rily adverse to the independent admi
nistration ofjust;ce. The jurors, more
over, are selected by three officials, o
whom two are the appointees OF tht
} Governor. The consequence is. ths
the defeat Of an obnoxious litigant ma,
be- made certain by the selsction of tn