The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-03-04
F-0as1 -1's. -
TRE WORST GOVERNMENT IN THE
WoRID.-The South Carolina Govern

H0@ VOfNoE 0OfERNMENT IN TIE
oRLD.-The South Carolina Govern
ment Is tho worst In the world. In
iknayery aud corruption, it is as bad as
density OF ignorance to which the old
New York ring was stranger. Tweed's
men could read and write, but those are
arts to Witch many of the South Caro-.
lima Legislators Tave-not, attained. This
ignorance is especially dangerous in q
public officer clothed with power over
his fellow-men, for it renders him an
easy dupe of the intelligent villainss
and manifests itself, first of all, in the
narrowest and most prosecuting spirit
toward the political minority. The
Tweed gang robbed ue bnt in ioIly.
unmalicious way; they never selected q
special GLASS for plunder and oppression.
But the thieves in South Carolina have
q t1endish hate of the land-owners-a
nate born OF ignorance and prejudice,
and kept red hot by calculating scoun.
drels who lead the negro legislators.
Whenever negro member hesitates to
pile on fresh taxes, by way of providing
new stealings, he is told by the white
Meph1stopheles at his ear, s'Keep up
the taxes, and force these land-owninr
asistocrats to sell their lands" This
policy OF revenge and plnnder copjoined
has driven mp the annual taxes to ono.
hall OF the gross income of average
plantations in South Carolina. Yery
many owners have been unable to raise
the money to pay these monstrous
charges, and the State has sold their
lands and turned them out, with barba.
rous haste. In 1872, 268, 523 acres were
declared forfeit to the State by the non.
payment of taxes; and over this seques-
tration OF estates and their promised
division among tho idle and the disso
lutte OF both colors. there is great re
joicing at Columbia. We trust that all
persons at the North have read, or will
not fail to read, the strong and sensible
remonstrances adopted by the Tax
Payers Convention now assembled at
the 6outh Carolina capital. That body is
composed of Republicans and Demo.
orats, white and colored, rich and poor,
ex-Confederates and staunch original
misunderstanding but ono common
bend between them, and that one,
honesty; and the accuracy and sincerity
OF their statements deliberately made
and put forth cannot be impeached..
They say, in brief, that majority of
the Legislature, who impose the taxes.
own no property whatever, and that
those who pay the taxes have no voice
In the government; the annual State ex-
penseo have increased from $4OO. 600 be-
fore the war to $4,000. QUO at the pre.
sent time; the public debt has advanoe
ia BIZ years from $1,000, 900 to $l6,-
100000. and that, too, without improy-
ing the public works or addirg dollar
to the public property; legislative COM
mittees make large sums in bribes for
passing private bills; Judges live in fear
OF removal by the Legislature, and do
not dare to violate their wishes; iuries
are packed by the three State officials,
who are tools of the Governor; Offices
are bartered away in the Executive De-
pRrtment; elections are conducted by
persons appointed in the interest Of
State oftice-holders, aud tho returns are
under their absolute control, and. there.
fore. it might be added, are doctored to
Huit necessities. This is q bare ontline
OF the terrible indictment presented
by the Tax-Payers' Convention to the
earnest consideration of Congress and
OF the whole people. Proofs, in facts
and figures, accompany it. There is M
gsinsaying its truth. Houest men, here
and there, who have been elected to
Office, under the false impression that
their sympathies were with the thieyiup
majority, denounoe the State Govern.
ment in the strongest terms. Congress.
mon Elliott i"clc-eai =: -....
Columbia. the other day. did not minco
words. He boldly attacked the infamous
abuses of all legislative trusts. and
called upon his friends particularly the
colored ones) to abandon their plunder-
ing. persecnting, agrarian schemes. He
made these foroible remarks: s.If the
wealthy man suffers. the laborer suffers
tenfold; if his taxes bring burdens, he
makes them up from his laborers." This
should be tho keynote of reform in
South Carolina. The politico- eoonomi-
cal truths should be made clear-and We
see that the tax payers have not omitted
them from their able memorial-that
the cost of living is raised by the addi.
ton OF the taxes to the price of commo.
dities, and that the poor are made poora.
every day and more hopeless of rising
above the condition OF mere laborers'
The rogues in the Legislature, while os.
teneibiy conducting their war against
landowners and those who are supposed
to have money that can be squeezed ont