The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-05-23
COLUMBIA, S. G.
Saturday Morning. May %. 1874.
The Ola hiking Of tho cha ins.


The terrible condition Of our peo
pie. ae revealed in the delinquent tai
lists, is attracting fresh attention from
our Northern contemporaries. It is
easy to make contradictions of state
ments sent on to Washington, and the
counter.memorialists showed them.
selves adopts in the art. But these
columns in our newspapers, giving the
names of distressed taxpayers. the
number OF acres liable. and the sum OF
tax unpaid, cannot be contradioted,
explained away or overlooked. They
cannot De Hippantly and falsely cha
Eauterized IS presenting only lima
ginary" evils. They are perfect pic
lures, as truly responding to- facts as
the impressions of feature and form
made by the Guns light on the pre-
pared plate. A travelling correspond.
ent OF the New York Sun has been
attracted by an advertisement of this
sort in the Charleston Chronicle. He
makes is the occasion of study, aud
very correctly deduoes the conclusion
of pending inevitable and widespread
ruin. He truly says that it seems as if
the earth had gone away. and that if
similar notices OF inability to meet
their taxes by persons in New York of
corresponding condition with these
ruined South Oaroiiniaps should be
published, "the whole country would
arise in astonishment." We quote q
passage or two from this Intelligent
writer. He says: %
Gan examination of the three news.
papers revealed q startling exhibit.
The unfinished list OF delinquent tag
payers for 1873 in Charleston and
vicinity filed nineteen colu INNS. It
included $40 houses and 1.431 lots in
the city alone, besides other valuable
property. It.also took in 25l summer
residences and 168 lots on Morris. Sui
slivan's and other islands. and 37l
plantations. aggregating 299. 19l acres
of land sur :ounding Charleston. The
list contained the names OF the wealth
iest and most respectable citizens
families whose names are carved upon
the historical columns of the nation.
Church demesnes, Jockey club lands,
the home of the Sisters of Mercy, and
the property Of benevolent and other
societies figure side by side in the ex-
hibit. The revelations were more than
remarkable"
His concluding reflections are as sig
ni6cant as they are just. Such sensi-
BILE statements, such appropriate COM
ments. such clear anticipations of
what must inevitably come. ought to
have the effect of arousing the dor.
mant senses of the people of the
North. They leave them without the
excuse of ignorance, at least. And the
letter IL full OF instruction and warn
ing to our colored people and the
Northerners who have come to operate
amongst us. Let them we'll weigh
these worde:
''The carpet-baggers strike all, both
great and small. The negro is the
muscle of the State. No matter how
heavy the burden becomes, his broad
shoulders in the end must bear it all.
he is the map who must make the final
settlement. II he is not landholder.
the effect OF the taxes are shown in his
rents. He is already compelled to pay
yearly 81 per acre rent for land that
could be purchased outright for six.
No matter how humble his cabin, the
collector hunts him out, aud il he can
dnd nothing more. deduots per cent
age from his hogs and chickens. De-
spite this writing on the wall, the eyes
of the negro have not been opened.
He ID easily imposed upon. No sooner
does one thief go ont Of Office than the
innocent black man turns to and boosts
another in. 1t is the same as in New
York city. The biggest oorruptionists
control the votes of the poorest oiti.
zens. But the Southerner and his
quondam slaves are not the only suf-
terers. After the war Northern men
invested considerable money in sea
island plantations. The most of them
were ruined months ago. The surviv-
ors are totteriDg on the brink of bank
ruptcy. A very few have edged in
With the thieves who contro! the poll
tics OF the State. and maDage to skin
along quite comfortably, but the day
is not tar distant when they, too, will
be drawn into the maelstrom. As for
the Northern men who invested in
Carolina bonds, their mutton was
cooked long ago. Nobody feels sorry