Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-03-12
Sunth Carolina Affairs.
/, THE TAXPAYERS MEMORIAL.
REPLY OF THE STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE
OF THE REPUBLICAN, PARTY.
To the Honorable the Senate and House Of Rep
resentatives of the United States:

| TeSentdtlOeS o. ae OhateG OtdteS:
Certain citizens of South Carolina, styling
themselves "The Taxpayers Convention"
having memorialized your honorable bodies
to grant them relief from unjust burdens and
expressions, alleged by them to have been i'm
posed by the Republican State government,
we, the undersigned members of the State
Central Committee of the Union Republican
Party, of South Carolina, beg leave most re-
spectfully to submit to your honorable bodies
the following counter statement and reply
| thereto:
The memorialists of the Taxpayers Con-
vention state "that upon the reconstruction OF
the State government 1t was
intended by Congress that
they would become partakers fthe rights en-
joyed by citizens of the United States and
other State governments"
The memorialists have onl y themselves to
blame that the intention of Congress in this
respect was not carried out. The Republ-
cans of this State earnestly invited them at
that time to aid, by their intelligence and ex-
perience in the work Of reconstruction, but
they contemptuously declined, assigning the
same reasons that were afterwards given by
Gen. Wade Hampton in the Democratic Ma
tional Convention of 1868-that the recon-
struction acts were unconstitutional, null and
void. They then relied upon the promise Of
General Blair, the Democratic candidate for
Vice President, that he would overturn them
with the sword.
The statement that "the annual expenses Of
the government have advanced from four hun
dred thousand dollars before the war to two
millions and half at the present time," is
entirely incorrect, and the items of expendi-
lures given to illustrate and prove this state
ment are wholly inaccurate and untrue, and
skilfuly selected to deceive.
The year 1866 is given in such man
ner as to convey the impression that the ex-
penditures under its head are for two years.
especially when 1873 only is given at the head
of the other column, so as to show that it IS
unquestionably for one year. Why was not
1928 given to correspond with 1896 :?
In the next place, the appropriations and
expenditures of 1865-66, under the provision
al government established by ex-President
johnson, are no criterion whatever OF the
regular annual expenses of this State govern
ment before the war. That was the year i'm
mediately after the war, when there was an
unsettled and chaotic condition of things, and
the expenses of the State government were,
therefore, exceedingly light. The presence
and supervision of the military also relieved
the State of large portion of her usual reg
ular expenses
The items of expenditures given for 1873
are totally and wholly incorrect. The period
alluded to is evidently the fiscal year begin
ming November l, 1872, 2nd ending October
81, 1878. At the beginr;''e o of that fiscal
year the present administration came into
power. The previous administration left debts
of two or three previous years, amounting to
one million two hundred and thirty-three
thousand nine hundred and ninety-six (S1,-
233 ,996) dollars, which the present admins
tration had TO provide for, in addition to their
own regular annual expenses. These annual
expenses during the fiscal year above referred
to were, as shown by the appropriations, one
million one hundred and eighty-four thousand
three hundred and seventy-six sl,1S4,376)
dollars, which, with the deficiencies of ST.
233,996, made sum of s2,41S,872, which
the present administration was called upon to
pay during the fiscal year 1928. Of this
amount sl,719,72S.37 was paid, leaving
balance of $685., ,143.63 unpaid.
We present true statement Of the appro
priation of the fiscal year before the war, be-
ginning October /, 1859, and ending Septem-
ber 80, 1860, and the fiscal year beginning
November l, 1872, and ending October 81,
1878, that are properly chargeable to those
resDectiye wears: