The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1874-03-04

Igovernment is arrayed against pro-
perty., 1t has been openly ayowed
by prominent members Of tho Legis.
lature that the taxes should be in.
creased to point which will COM
pei tho sale of tho great
body of tho land, and 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 report, t'at
for default in tho payment of taxes for
the year 1872 alone, 268,323 acres of
land wero forfeited to tho State.
And this result proves tho fallacy Of
tue belief that thep policy pursued
promotes the .elcvs,ion Of tho black
population and the acquisition by
them Of the lands thus Virtually con
tiscated. The reverse is the Necessary
result. Lands are unavailable as sesuri.
ty; mortgages in default Of pay ymcut
connot sell ;, wages have declined :
tho cost Of living i. made greater by
the addition OF the taxes to the price
of commodities tho poor arc IN de
poorer, and rendered every day more
incapable Of purchasing lands, and
more hopeless of rising ;bovc the
condition Of moro lahore"s. 1t won d
have amolioratcd the condition of
your petitioners if tho effect of tn
policy had been to create an active
demand for lands on tho part of this
la,ge class Of our population. But
while tho owners arc, by oppressive
taxation, driven to sell, others for
tho Same reason arc disqua iGed from
buying.
The abuses in tho Legislative De-
partmcnt that have been described,
are not confincd to tho nero raising
and expenditure Of revenues but
they pervade the entire conduct of
the department.. Schemes have been
devised for issuing State bonds ono
for contracting other loans, by which
the public debt has in six years been
raisod from $5,O00,O0O to $l6,UUU,-
600, and that with advancing any
public work, adding one dollar to tie
public property or to tho payment
Of the vb'ir debt. largo as the
sum OF the pub 10 dobt is admitted
does not reach the truo amount it is
found ipposslblo to ascertain the
actural SUM Of tho obligations that
havo boon issued. Schemes of pub.
lie plundcr have been openly oa|apc-
cd by CORRUPT measures, OF which one
single example will suffice. Two
Clerks of; tho Legislature, in their
Official capacity, made contratts with
themselves, rs private persons, for
the public printing. The sprropria-
tions mads ia one year for work dono
and to be done; by these two afficiuls
amounted to $i75,0n0, exclusive Of
S 10000 for publishing the laws.
Aud in ho..iiscal year 1874 there was
actually paid to thom for printing
dSe 10 t"sM"y t"o = ate., Aud .this
notwithstanding ,hc avowal If 'he
two officials themselves, that tho work
done Was worth no mo,c than $780,
900, and the testimony Of others
that its value was. only $4,000.
f The s'upondons f,uud involved in
this md similar modes of making the
legitimate objects Of public expendi.
turc the medium of pluudcring the
, treasury, cannot be better illustrated
than by the following facts: Tho to
tai approp, cations for public printing
made ny the legislature Of South
Carolina, during y period of sixty
f years, from 1900. to 1856 is $27I,.
lSo. During the last yoar the
amount actually expended for public
printing by tho present Legislature
was 1891 ,6l5. That is $GO,755
more than it cost tho State for 81 xty
; years before tho war.
Committee have received large
sums as oompensations for reporting
favorabIy on private bills and
strong reasons exist for believing til at
large amount Of State bauh
bills, funded by tho State to djschagc
Eer liability, have been rcissucd by
those entrusted by the Legislature
with the cancellation thereof:
In the judiciary Department, evils
equally grievous have been produced
under tho present State Govarum ont
The Judges hold their Offices for
short terms. Their continuance in
once depends upon the capriccs OF
the legislators. The result is, that
the duties Of their high Office are dis.
charged under Influences md re-.
sponslbilities necessarily adverse to
tho independent administration of
Justice. The jurors, moreover, arc
selected by thee officials, Of whom
two are the appointe"s Of tho Gov.
ernor. The conscTucnco is, that the
defeat of an obnoxious litigant may
be made certain by the selection of
the jury: Or if no special objoct be
contemplated by these officials, the
choice IS frequently made, simply
for tho small pay, of men who arc un.
able to eithct read or write. In
either case, tho cula Cf ;,,,,