The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-12-10
The State Tax Union.

adopted by that body in reference to reform
of the existing abuses of the State Govern
ment. met in Columbia on the 4th inst. The
committee consisted of Col. S. P. Hamilton, of
Chester; Col. VIM. Wallace, of Richland ;
COL Thos. Taylor, of Richland; DR.. Gerhard
Muller, of Lexington, and Mr.. J. w. Moore,
of Beaufort. At 12 o'clock these gentlemen
met at the office of COL Wallace, and proceeded
to the Executive Office. They were at once
admitted to an audience, and after being intro
duced and invited to seats, Col. Hamilton, the
chairman of the committee handed to the
Governor the resolutions adopted by the Tax
Union, and spoke as follows:
I have the honor to hand to your Excellency
q copy of the preamble and resolutions of the
State Tax Union, adopted at its recent session
in this city AS the committee appointed un-
der those resolutions, it has been made our
duty to seek an audience of your Excellency,
and to urge upon you the recommendation of
certain measures, which seem to the members
of the State Tax Union imperatively necessary
for the welfare of the State.
Since the action of the State Tax Union,
your excellency, in your inaugural! address to
the General Assembly, has anticipated almost
entirely the object of the mission of the COM
mittee. Scarcely anything is left to do beyond
expressing an unqualified approval of that very
able State paper, and assuring your Excellency
that if the recommendations contained therein
shall be successfully carried into execution,
YOU will be entitled to the gratitude of every
good citizen of South Carolina, without dis
tinction of party. This committee recognize
the great difficulties surrounding the Chief
Executive of this State, suffering from such
gigantic evils as you have in your inaugural
address so vividly and forcibly portrayed. If
it be possible for you to infuse the same spirit
into the General Assembly and other State
officials as pervades your address, the task will
be easy. Since you have laid bare the disease
of this body polite to the public, the eyes of
the people of this entire Republic will be
turned upon yourself and the General Assem-
bly,, with the expectation that the remedies
will be speedily applied In this undertaking
this committee will not exceed its powers in
pledging to you the cordial support OF the or
ganization it represents.
We would call the attention of your Excel
lency to the character of the officials now in
ly of those holding the Offices of trial justices
and Jury commissioners. They have been gen.
orally selected from the most ignorant of the
population, and it is not at all uncommon to
find those holding such important positions
who are unable to read or write. Under such
circumstances tho Office Of trial justice has
become the synonym of oppression upon the
poor, and of rapacity against the public. The
mere cost exacted from the counties to sustain
these officials is regarded with the most unmis-
taxable discomfort by the people of the State.
1t has been made part of the duty of the
committee to request you to extend the time for
the payment of taxes, with view to obtain
reduction. Since the adoption of that resolu-
ton this committee have learned that there is
no legal authority in the Executive to give
such extension, but it is the province of the
General Assembly to grant such relief. The
committee would be exceedingly cautious in
requesting anything of your Excellency not
sanctioned by law, and therefore ask that you
will convey to the General Assembly the re-
quest contained in the resolution.
It is needless for this committee to remind
your Excellency, and through you the Gener-
al Assembly, that the end of the year 1874
finds the people of the State extremely poor,
and unable to bear anything but the most
moderate rate of taxation. The agricultural
population of the State as general rule live by
anticipating the profits of their labor. The
present year they have purchased at high prices
the necessaries of life by the pledge of their
crops, and by the low price of the great staple,
in the cultivation of which they are employed,
they have really nothing wherewith to pay the
taxess now due.
The reduction of the tax levy for this year
by the General Assembly would, under such
circumstances, furnish great relief. The low
ering of the assessments throughout the State,
noticed in your address, is gratifying an
nouncement to the people, as the assessments
heretofore made have not been in accordance
with the requirements of the constitution of
the State and have been excessive. The tax
levy of even ten mills is universally deemed to
be above any reasonable necessity of the State
government, even upon the reduced assess
ments
The Governor in reply said:
Mr.. Chairman and gentlemen: I am glad
to see you, and am very much obliged to you
for the expression of your approval of the re-
concentrations expressed in my inaugural ad-
dress. The difficulty, which is as plain to me
as it is to you, is to carry out these recommen-
dations. I propose to do everything in my
power unless other plans are proposed which
will effect the same object. | certainly do not
intend to quarrel with anybody as to the means
to be used to carry out the ends sought tor, but
intend to secure the accomplishment of these
ends. Think can see eunmistakable symptoms
on the part of the General Assembly to sustain
me. am told that in the House there was
very general expression of the sentiment
About the Senate have not yet been informed,
but think the same sentiment will be found
to prevail there. see the same difficulty in
the way of extending the time for the payment
of the taxes as the one that you have alluded to.
Mr.. Trenholm and other Conservative members
of the House have, in q conversation, suggested
that better plan would be to make division
of the taxes, making one-half payable in Jan
uary and one in April: This, ifit could be ac-
complshed, would afford relief: I also think
that there is some difficulty in the way OF re-
ducing the present tax levy, but l am willing to
see if this difficulty cannot obe overcome l
have not had the time as yetto look into any
other matters than those mentioned in my in
augural, but am now seeking time to do so. l.
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