The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-02-26

Cypress the State, and which have brought the
taXpayers of the state to the limit OF endurance
The remedy, In the opinion OF tg cos.G hay Ssve %
full confidence in the justice and IN the ability
OF the General Government. Tney enter
tain the confident expectation tnilI tne ii Iie q
mortal of this Convention to be presented 70
| the Congress Of the United States ana lhlou?h
Congress to the nation, opens 70 us WY Way y. ,oe oe
lveTunce. But while the committee leel sTcaG
confidence in this opinion they are also deeply
impressed with the necessity for action on lhe
| nart of the taxpayers themselves. Every effort
| TO secure for us the restoration or tnc enforce
mcnt ofrIghts within the State, and through me
machinery of the State government Silould DC
| exhausted. There must exist thorough orG:thl-
zaton, and active, untirlng and disciplined ehort.
Nigillncr firmneSS, perseverance, must tliiIac.
terize and control their conduct. TO tnls chu
| the committee recommend the following reSOlu-
| tlOnS:
i'eso'rcd. That in this State taxation has
reached the last point OF endurance ana lna'
the taxpayers cannot continue to bear the eX-
cessve burdens imposed upon them.
Resoiced, That the most efficient steps be taken
for organizing in every county, TOWNSHIP ana
membership in which each taxpayer shall be
eligible the object OF which shall be the reduc-
tion OF taxation to the legitimate amount hece5-
Sary for the administration or the government
| and the honest expenditure OF the money raised
thereby.
EeSoircd, That, among Its duties. the Taypay-
erS' Union shall keep watch upon the acts OF lhc
state and county officers, and shall promote all
proper legal measures for repreSslnS and pun
ishing fraud, extravaganza and malpractice.
Rcs0lred, That this convention hereby request
the General Assembly that they VIII amend,
simplify and abridgc the tax laws OF the state,
especially that they will so amend the law as 10
secure fair and cqua! assessment or properly
and to enable any citizen who has been over
assessed TO apply TO the courts for redress DC
fore he Is forced TO pay the tax.
Il
Gen. Chestnut chairman of the executive
committee, then submitted the following reso,
utions from that committee, and advocated
their adoption:
Resolred That committee of five be ap-
!, pointed to represent the Taxpayers Conven-
ton in presenting to tho General Assembly
such grievances arising from the operation OF
laws heretofore passed or growing out OF an
inadequate protection for the minority by leGis-
lation not adapted to our real wants. and
among other things, to urge the accomplish
ment of the objects named below, to wit :
First to direct tho attention of the General
Assembly to the requirement OF section 8
article of the constitution of this State, which
: declares that it shall lie the duty Of the Ger
! eral Assembly TO provide from to time for the
registration of all electors. which provision
Second, that proportional representation
would tend to remove much of the
dissatisfaction now existing, whereby COM
plant is most reasonably urged that large
: proportion of prtperty-holdels ana taxpayers
of the State are practically debarred from rep
resentation in the General Assembly. and that
! the adoption of the cumulative system OF
voting would tend to secure fair representa-
, ton of tho minority: and to this end would III
} woke the General Assembly to give an early
and earnest consideration TO the subject. with
view of applying this system i'll the conduct
of the State election next fall. Third, that
the provision of the constitution (Sccton Il,
Article t. in relation to the election of justices
of the peace and comstables by the people
} should be complied with by the General AS
| sembly, and that it should be urged to give the
election of these officers to the qualified elec.
tors at the earliest day practicable, instead OF
the appointment of trial justices by the cXecu-
tive.
Gen Chesnut was followed by Mr.. Scrcven,
of Beaufort who explained the character OF
the resolutions. and contended that thell
adoption would at least prove that the Con-
vention had exhausted all remedies before APP
plying elsewhere for relief. The resolutions
excluded nothing. He then proceeded to
show the practical advantages OF
CUMULATIVE VOTING
as giving representation to every community
and protection to capital.
TOUCHING APPEAL.
Mr.. Galluchat, of Clarendon, thought that
the Legislature was the constituted authority
of the land and it was our duty to go 10 the
Legislature so that when we go to Congress
they NAV know that We have exhausted every
means in our power. Admitting that we may
be treated with contempt even. he urged that
it was our duty to do everything i'll! our power
to save the State in this way.
Mr.. John Wallace Of Fairfield. did not feel
disposed to compliment the Legislature Icy
comforting with them.
Mr. Chutiicld thought the executive commit
tee had struck the keynote OF success. lhcE
we're beginning the work of reform ut home.
Gen. Kershaw was il favor OF the rrsol'l-
tions but he desired 10 have the sense OF the
Convention upon the question as to whether
it was ready to commit itself to the system oi
cumulative voting He regarded the present
condition of affairs as only temporary and it
WAS questionable whether it would be right to
cucumber our future with circumstances that
might be embarrassing. He, therefore. moved
to strike out that portion of the report which
referred to cumulative voting.
LIBERAL VIEW.
Gen. Chestnut defended the resolution in all
elaborate address, in which he demonstrated
the benefits which would accrue to both races
by the introduction Of tho cumulative system
of voting il this State. 1t was not all expert
ment he contende1, and was not made only
because of our present deplorablo condition.
1t was grand system; step i'll advance to the
foundation of perfect civil liberty If he were
the mouthpece tonight of an unquestloned
majority, he would lie I'd his voice and intueace
to engraft it upon the constitution to protect
minorlties [Applause.l He was for proper
tonal representation. because it WAS all i'm
provement in the civil pollty of the country.
Judge Aldrich s.id that what was proposed
in the matter of cumulative voting did not COLI
template change i'll the constitution, but all
act of the General Assembly which, If required
by the public good, can be repealed ut any
time In conclusion, he moved that when the
Convention adjourns it adjourn to meet at ~
A. NJ. tomorrow, which was adopted.
Gen. Kershaw thought his colleague Gen,
Chesnut) had been led astray by glittering gen
eralities. Would not the loss, on one side, be
as great as the other; He had always under
stood that it was Il constitutional question.
At this stage the proceedings were interrupt
cd bv Il motion to adjourn. which was adopted:
The Convention accordingly adjourned until
ten o'clock tomorrow morning.
THE CLOSING DIT.