The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-06-23

'OonVont1ons
The Executive Committee OF the Tax.
Myep' O6nvshtion. at their late meet.
iSg in Charleston. adopted and or.
dbredl to be published an address to
tie psople of the State, and form Of
constitution for the Tax Unions. The
address ia as follows:
| FEILow-CITIzeNs: Tho Executive
Committee Of the Tax. Payers Con.
vention. in pursuance of the duty with
which they wore charged, herewith
present to you plnn for the organiza-
ton OF the Tux Unions throughout
the Stote The object of this orgaui.
zation is to put into effective operation
all lawful means within our reach for
the re.establishm ment OF an honest and
economical administration OF govcrn-
ment in South Carolina.
! The CON mittee do not deem it ne.
cessary to argue with you upon the
urgency OF the OCCASION, or the nrces.
sity Of reform. The burdens to which
We are subjected are greater than we
can bear, and the proof is TO DO found
in the fact that the houses and lauds
of the proprietary class are being for.
feited to the State, in quantity and
number without parallel, from sheer
inability to pay the taxes. There can
be no stronger or more distressing
proof of oppression than the systematic
confiscation by the government Of the
property of the citizen for non. pay
ment of dues too excessive to be borne.
But when the moneys, .xtorted from
the people under color of law, are also
systematically and shamelessly suuun-
dered, plundered and stolen, another
and more grievous wrong is added to
the catalogue OF enormities, and tho
very acme Of tue most vulgar form of
despotic rule is reached. Such 20.
vernment forfeits oil title to the name,
and is no better than organized spolia.
tion and robbery. 1t would be slau
der and II stigma upon you to suppose
that you will suffer this state of things,
80 destructive and ignominiou., to
continue, without e1hnustipg every
possible human effort to put an end tu
it. Your history, your traditions and
your personal manhood forbid it; there
Is no need OF reasoning about tiff
you be true to yourselves, your instr ncts
will all impel you in this direction; nor
can you hope to redeem yourselves,
without helping yourselves. Self help
will bring you all othcr help. We
cannot believe that there are uot good
men enough OF all parties in tive State
to rescue the government from the men
that are bringing rnin and disgrace
upon you, and TO restore it to some
thing OF its former respectful To
this end activity, real earnest purpose,
devotion to the cause and thorough
organization are necessary. The Tax
Unions will furnish the form of organ
ization, but you must breathe into it
the breath of life, and make it a living,
active, efficient and pervading instru.
mentality for good. Especially should
our young men devote themselves to
this work. The future, its hope and
destinles. are all theirs. II they do
not try to shape it, there will be un-
told miseries in reserve for them-not
only ruin, but shame and remorse,
sure and perhaps too late 1t is upon
them that the blame will rest, for it is
now their time to come to the front in.
this struggle under the law, as before
they came to the front in the more
| dreadful Issue Of war. The same
spirit and courage that stood them in
stead then. will stand them in stead
now. Their cause will enlist the eym.
pathies Of all good men throughout
the country. To put dishonesty to
flight, to purge corruption, to rescue
the good commonwealth from the
hands Of those who have made her
name by-word and reproach every.
where, ia work we'll worthy Of an
earnest. concerted and persevering ef-
fort; aud if it be undertaken in the
proper spirit. and with a zeal and
energy proportioned to the exigencies
in which we arc placed, it must and
will be successful.
ln conclusion, we beg to commend
to your earnest, sober and faithful
consideration these words Of wise, pu.
triotic counsel. from the address Of
their convention to the people of South
Carolina: Let tho honest aud we'll
meaning citizens, one by one, be
brought into the Tax-Payers' Union,
and made to work for the cause Of
good government, until tho State is
redeemed. The ec!at that attends the
clash Of arms is wanting to such II
struggle, but no cause can be more
worthy Of the earnest, faithful and pa
tient labor of ono who loves his pco-
pie and his State. A triumph like this
is not to be won by single decisive
battle, nor, it may be, by many toll.
soma campli0nS hut nu;ient an1pr