National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-08
SOUTH CAROLINA AFFAIRS,
REPLY OF THE RADICAL REPUBLI-
CANS TO THE TAIPAYERS.

ANIEhNlEm WITH
ii TERDAY-ADDRESs BY L. CAss CARPEN-
FRR-THE RICH LANDOWNERS, THE
; sLAyE-HoLpRRs, THE DEMOCRATS AND
THE PEoPLE-THE PRESIDENTS REILLY,
The delegates sent to Washington to repre-
SAINT the other side of the question as to the op-
,pressiye and burdensome taxation In South
Carolina had an interview with the PRESIDENT
YESTERDAY by appointment. The delegation
was accompanied by Senators Robertson and
Patterson, and by Representatives Wallace,
fEInott, and Cain. Ater the gentlemen had
aeen respectively introduced to the President
fby Senator Patterson, Mr.. L. C.. Carpenter, Of
.the Daily Unson, of Columbia, who had been
selected by the delegation to present the reply
to the memoHialists, rose and spoke as follows:
SOUTH CAROLINA BEFORE THE NATIONAL
GOVERNMENT.
Mr.. PRESIDENT: We have beeen delegated
by the Republican organization of South Caro-
Ina to present to the Executive and to the Con-
gress of the United States our reply to the In
dictment presented by the so-called taxpayers
in their memorial for relief from imaginary
grievances, alleged to have been forced upon
them by the political party now in powersin
both that State and in the nation.
We are not unmindful of the fact that South
Carolina is an independent sovereign State, re-
Gently placed back in the position occupied by
her until ruthlessly torn therefrom by the very
gentlemen and their supporters who recently
appeared here as supplicauts for the interposi
ton of that power which resides in the National
Government to guarantee each State repub-
lean form of government.
At the close of the recent civil strife Con-
gressional action was necessary to restore the
reYolted States of the South to their original
positions in the Union, which they had vainly
attempted to divide and disrupt. That action
was obtained, and South Carolina, like the
other rebell:ous States, assumed her place
under constitution which guarantees equal
and exact justice to all men without regard to
the color Of their skin, their creed, their polit-
cal faith or their previous acts. No man is
denied justice, or debarred from participation
in the affairs of the government, even though
he may have spent four years of fruitless effort
to trample upon and defy the Constitution and
the laws which throw around him aud his the
mantle of protection.
J. A republican form OF government, where the
will OF the people as expressed through the
ballot-box is the law of the land, has been OBJ
tGalNGA. ana To-Day SOUTH CaTOIlQ6 Is lOL ONLY
essentially but literally under a government
republican in form and in fact. fit be true,
as we allcge, that South Carolina has q repub-
Ecan form of government, as guaranteed by
the Constitution of the United States, we are
ct a loss to know upon what pretext the Ma
tional Government can interfere in the manage
iiment of our local affairs. But, sir, the people
Of the State, in an overwhelming majority
Protest against any interference on the part of
the National Government, fully believing them
selves competent to manage their own internal
affairs il their own way.
"a mere handful Of constitutional fault~fnd-
ers have constituted themselves committee to
represent the people, and have presented their
Case to the country colored In the most sTtistic
;tnanner. While It is true that the valuation of
property in South Carolina has been much re-
duced by the ravages of war, and by transform
ing large portion of it into citizens, the Re
publicans Of that State are not conscious Of
having been instrumental in bringing that con-
tition of affairs about, nor are they in any way
responsible for the deplorabie condition In
which South Carolina was found at the close Of
the war, and which has been so graphically
pictured by the memorialists. It is not true
however, that the valuation of property IN that
State prior to the rebellion used as the basis
for the assessment and collection of taxes for
the support Of the government. A large por-
ton, nearly one-half of the entire valuation
the slave property-paid no tax upon its valuc,
but rather PSF capita tax, from fifteen to sew
enty-fve cents per head, while the bulk Of the
taxes came from merchants and cotton factors
from professional men, mechanics, and free ne
groes.
= The rich landed proprietor and the slave
holder were never taxed upon the value of
their property, and paid but a mere pittauce
toward the support Of the government which
protected them. Now the whole system of
taxation is changed, and those who formerly
escaped the burdens that lore heavily upon
trade and commerce are compelled to bear
their share Of the expenses necessary and in
cident to free government. In the place of
SOC, 900 citizens to be governed, as was the
case before the abolition of slavery, South
Carolina has population of upward of zoe, 900,
or more than double its original number,
clothed with all the rights and privileges Of
citizenship, to be educated and lifted TO
higher plane Of civilization, and made useful
and profitable members of the great body
polite.
1t requires no argument to demonstrate the
fact that 1t is more expensive to govern zoo, 900
citizens than 500, 600, but the records of a free
government show that, whereas it cost S2.04
per capita to govern each citizen of South Caro-
lima prior to reconstruction, it has cost but S167
per capita since.
The system of taxation and representation
which prevails IN South Carolina is precisely
. the same which prevails in every other State in
the great American republic. 1t is not true as
has been alleged, that those who pay the taxes
have no hand in levying them, but it is true, as
can be shown from the records that many of
those who talk the loudest about oppressive
taxation pay no taxes at all, not even poll
tax, and whose names do not even appear upon
the tax lists. Il is also true that the great
body of the people in every section of the State
pay their taxes cheerfully and willingly, not
withstanding the most urgent efforts have been
e. - MI.
and this fact can be also demonstrated from
the reports of the tax officers In every county
In the State.
For upward Of four years this strife between
the self-styled taX-pay who do not hold office
and the political party now in power has been
going on, and periodical conventions have been
held, just prior to election, for the purpose of
manufacturing public sentiment, and enlisting
sympathy By the use of familiar catch words
such as Taxpayers" Oppressed citizens"
"'misgoverned communities"
Mr.. President, the dominant party in the
State does not deny the fact that errors have
been committed in the past, that wrongs have
been done which call for redress, that bad men
have been elevated to power who have used
their high positions to the detriment of the
State, but this state Of things is not peculiar to
South Carolina alone. Itexists to greater or
less extent in every State In the Union, but for
the bad deeds Of few men the whole body of
the people shoulQ not be held responsible.
Already disposition has been manifested to
correct the evils which have existed, and rapid
strides have been taken toward economy and
reform in the public expenditures. The ex-
penses of the State government under the pres
emit administration have been reduced upward
of half million dollars annually below the
average expenses for the four years prior to
1873. The leading men Of the dominant party
all over the State are active and earnest in the
cause Of economy, reform, and good govern
ment, and many things have been done which
tend to show that genuine desire exists and
active efforts are being put forth to make South
Carolina the peer Of any State in the Union.
This we hold can be done without the aid of
the United States Government, except in so far |
as Is necessary to enforce the United States
laws. South Carolina has q distinct sovereign
existence, with q law-making branch of her
government which has shown itself to be neither
partisan nor granddaughter has never yet en-
acted law which did not bear upon all alike
which has neither prosecuted its political op-
ponents nor legislated in favor of the govern
ing msjority-whose every act has been in con-
sonance with the letter and spirit of the Magma
Charta ofour liberties, and whose msgnsnimity
under the mist trying circumstances has been
the wonder of mankind.