Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-19
SPOLIATION AND PLUMBER.
the People of South Carolina
Have Been Robbed-VirfuaI Confs-
eaffOu-
From the New York Tribune.

From the New York Tribune.
WASHINGTON, April 15.-A final
hearing was given by the House Judi
ciary Committee this morning to the
South Carolina taxpayers delegation.
The Hon. Thos. Y. Simons addressed
the Committee on behalf of the tax
payers and of the Chamber of Com
merce and Board of Trade of South
Carolina. He stated that the memori-
alists had no interest, immediate or re-
mote, direct or indirect, avowed or Sc
cret, other than to be relieved from the
frauds, oppression, and misrule which,
under the false pretense of a republican
form of government, had reduced that
unhappy Commonwealth to the alterna-
tive of Immediate and absolute redemp-
ton or of confscaton of property and
exile. These grievances were with
out a parallel In the annals of civili-
cation, and such as would not be toll
erated-for a moment IN any of the free
States of the North. While the average
values for taxation before the wal were
over S5O0,OOO,000, they now amounted,
at an excessive valuation, to only
S150.000,000 The annual average of
taxation for State purposes had in
creased from 800, 900 to over $780,
600. The State debt had been enlarged
from 5000, 900 to over S16,O 900,
and perhaps $4,000, 900. Under the
process of confscation, 268, 523 acres of
land and 300 buildings had been for
feited to the State in one year from in
ability to pay the enormous taxation.
The sums thus raised had been devoted
to ~spoliation and plumber. He alluded
to the catalogue of railroad frauds, fur
niture frauds, land commission frauds,
election frauds, sinking fund COMMITS
sion frauds, and pay certificate frauds.
1t is evident that the voting popula-
ton of the State, that which yields the
political power, is in the hands of the
non-tax-payers, constituting a large
and fixed majority, who are banded to-
gether and persistently refuse to the
taxpayers a fair representation for the
protection of their property and inter.
ests; that the people who pay the taxes
have substantially no voice in levying
or expanding them; that those who
levy and expend the taxes neither con
tribute them, nor feel the weight of
them that there exists on the part of
those in authority a combination to
c~onhscate property under the pretense
of taxation, and deliberately misappro.
pirate the enormous sums thus raised;
that owing to this conspiracy and their
supreme control over the various de-
partments of the local government
there was no mode of redress by
peaceful agencies within the limits
of the State. The condition of
things in South Carolina was excep-
tional and abnormal. 1t had never
arisen In any other commonwealth,
since the advent of the American I'm
ion. The republican form of govern
ment, as contemplated by the trainers
of the Constitution and guaranteed
by its fourth article, did not exist In
the State. The power of Congress was
invoked because those who conspired
together against right deluded their
misguided followers, by protesting to
have a charter for their misrule and
corruption, under the sanction of Con-
gress, the Executive, and the Admins
tration. He closed with an earnest APP
peal for a committee to investigate,
whereby the true situation of affairs In
South Carolina might be made known
to the whole country, and it might be
ascertained whether this conspiracy
and combination, fatal to the welfare
Of every section, exists; and that a
remedy commensurate with the evils
might be applied.