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

visited upon the perpetrators ana autnOrs OF
these frauds, and whereby the commission
thereof can be prevented in future.
Third To the preparation of an address to
the people of this State, giving them the coun-
sci of this convention az to the course of con-
duct they should adopt so as to ameliorate,
countcract and prevent the continuance of the
heavy burdens which they now endure.
To these ends, be it
Resolved That the following committees be
appointed
i. An executive committee, to consists of
twenty-one members, to whom shall be referred,
without debate. all resolutions and proper
tions not specially referred to any other COM
mittee.
2. A committee, TO consist Of seven mem
bers, to whom shall DO referred the prepara-
ton of al address and memorial to the Ma
tiona Congress, and through them to the
people of the United States.
| 3. A committed to consist of thlrtv-tlve mem
bers, on the causes Of the increase Of Stat and
Municipal taxation, and the mode and measure
of relief therefor.
l. A committee, to consist Of seven mem
bers, to prepare an address to the people oil
| this State.
5. A committee, to consist Of nino members,
to take into consideration the subject of lmml-
grafton to this State, and to confer with the
State Grange OIL the subject.
6. A committee on printing, to consist OF
| seven members.
The resolutions were seconded by Col.
Richard Lathcrs, of Charleston, in . long aud
carefully-prepared address, in which he depict
ed in forcible terms the grievances of the tax
payers.
Cen NJ. c. Butler, of Edgefeld, introduced
the following resolution, which was referred to
the executive committee
ReSolred, That tile president appoint COM
mittee of fifteen to proceed to Washington
and present to the President all address pre-
pared on behalf of the people OF this State to
the people of the United States and request
linn to lay the same before Congress.
Col. Ellison S. Keitt Of Newbery, intro
duced the following resolutions:
Resolced, That the president of this body be
authorized to appoint committee OF hvo TO
draw up petition to Congress setting forth
the facts and condition Of the State, caused by
the cor. uptions and frauds of the othcials OF OF
the State government, and praying that body
to appoint special committee with full power
to investigate the financial condition OF the
State, and to tako such action as Will relleVe
the people of the State from the crushing OPP
pressions that now weigh them down, and put
her upon the highway to prosperity, -,
ReSolred That We earnestly invoke the aid
of President Grant in this great work, and
pledge him q full and cordial support
Resolued That each county of the State elect
two delegates, whose duty it shall be to pro-
ceed at as early day as possible to Washing
ton City, and lay the petition before the Pres
idcnt with the prayer that he lay 1t before both
| houses of Congress and ask their early consld-
Grafton of the matter.
Remarks of Col. e. 8. Keitt.
In support of these resolutions, Col. heitt
| spoke as follows
No. Preside,a-The right to peaceably as
semble and to petition the government for Il
redress of grievances implies the right ana the
duty on the part of the government pet!tloned
to give redress if the case is made out. No de-
ductlon can he more sound and logical. Let
ia % look to the facts of the case. In May, 1871,
when this body was first convened, " commit,
| tee was appointed to Investigate the financial
! condition of the State. At that time, the comp
troller-general. ]. L. Neaglc laid before us
printed statement, in which he affirmed that
the funded debt of the State WAS 81, ,G65, 9Oo 9S
The committee appointed to investigate the
finances reported that they were assured by
Robert X. Scott, then Governor and the treas,
urer. Niles G.. Parker, that that was the exact
sum of the funded debt. On the 24th day oil the
same month. Just after the adjournment OF
this BODY, Hon. John Scott. chairman OF the
Joint select committee appointed by Congress &c
inquire into the condition of the Southern States,
| addressed 4 letter to Gov. Scott and called
upon him for statement Of the debt oil the
State. On the Goth of Sptembcr following.
Gov. Scott. i'll his reply. states that the total
Issue of bonds and stock OF the state was
50. .529. 564 TO- The treasurer, Niles G. Parker,
forty-one davs later. in his report to the Gen
oral Assembly for the fiscal year ending 31st
October. 1871 sets down the bonded debt oil
the State at S15. Sol, 1927 81. Was Gov. Scott,
Mr.. President, ignorant of the facts set forth
by the treasurer i'll his report? No, sir The
act of August the 18th, 1868, required the Gov
ernor aud the treasurer to sign the bonds be-
| fore thev were issued, and every subsequent
act followed the same course. Nothing can be
clearer than the fact that Gov. Scott was thor
eughy posted in the matter, and that he pur'
poselv made false report to Congress through
| their committee Was there ever such bolo
and barefaced falseliood uttered by one high il
authority? History gives us no examples OF
frauds and periidy, and all, too, under the fail
name of Republicanism. l shall not, MIR. Pres
ident, 90 into the facts of the land commission
swindle and the sinking fund robbery, whereby
the people of the State have been despolled OF
every vestge of public property the thieves could
reduce to money. 1t is enough to know that
according to their own statements, tho admin
istration of Scott increased the bonded debt oil
the State SO, SOC, 900 during tho four years he
was in Office although he wrung from the peo
pie all average of 81, 500, ,0OG each year by taxa
ton. more than thrco times as much as wa
ever before appropriated to administer the
entire State Government During this time
there was not single public improvement
the highways were almost lmpassable; the
public schools were closed: the asylum for the
insane was sustained by private charity anc
the Penitentiary was supported by working the
conyicts upon tho farms in the vicinity OF thls
CITY. Have the people of this State alone, Mr..
President, suffered by Scott's administration
No, sir Tho innocent everywhere who III
vested III the bonds Of the State have lost theil
money beyond recovery and it has brought
disgrace upon Rcpublicansm.
now como, Mr. President, to tho admins
tration OF Franklin j. Moses, Jr., tho mt sue
cessor of Scott the Infamous. SCOTS admin
istration broke down and destroyed the credit
Of the State by fraudulent lssue OF bonds
Moses proposes to crush tho people by taxa
ton During Scotts administration the asses
sed value of property i'll the State was Sl93,
600, 900 and the highest rate of taxation was
twelve mills, yielding all annual revenue OF
about SO 100000 The constitution requires
al assessment to be made every five years
commencing in 1870 This Moses disregard
cd, and made an assessment last year. what
it amounts to no one can tell. but 1t Is III least
$500, 900, ,000 which, ut eighteen mills, TIC
present rate of taxation will yield revenue oi
near five millions Of dollars, If collected. llls,
with the short crop and low prices, amounts :
almost to confscatiOn. Where IL the DcneltS
Look where you will, you zoe no puDlic I'M
provements; the public schools are closed Ime
greater part of the time: the pubic
| ;ustitutionu ora niihor srstauel by private