The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-01-08
The Taxpayers Convention.

At a meeting of the Charleston Chamber of
Commerce, held on the 29th of December,
Capt f. W. Dawson introduced the following
resolution:
Resolued, That in the opinion of this Cham
Der it is expedient that the Taxpayers Conven-
tion, which adjourned subject to the call of the
president and executive committee, should be
called together, at an early day, to take into
consideration the present condition of the tax
payers of the State; and that the president of
the Chamber be requested to communicate this
resolution to the president Of the convention.
In support of the resolution, Capt. Dawson
showed briefly the circumstances which, at
this time, urged the taxpayers of the State to
do something to arrest the increase of taxa
ton and the public plundering which were fast
driving the people TO ruin. He called the at
tention of the Chamber to the fact that the
amount of taxation was higher this year than
ever before, and that there was scarcely piece
of property in the State which was not assessed
for taxation at higher price than it would
bring if offered for sale in the market. He
urged, too, that there was better chance now
of accomplishing practical results than ever
BEFORE and that as the movement which led to
the Taxpayers Convention originated in the
Chamber of Commerce, the call for its re-
assembling would most properly come from
this body. The Funding bill, that compound
of conhscation of property and of guilty con-
fession, was in evidence to prove that the
Radical officials had fraudulently issued FIVE
million dollars of State bonds. The whole
country, from New York to San Francisco, was
now convinced that the government of South
Carolina was a monstrous abortion, and that
many of its officers were little, if any, better
than common thieves. The whole country
was ready to lend its support to any non-poiit-
ical movement on the part of the honest people
of the State. The rings were demoralized
their promises had been broken. The Moses
administration was as profigate as its predeces-
sor. This was the momeil. to move and keep
on moving, until every dishonest public servant
should be driven into the penitentiary or out
of the State. He sincerely hoped the resolu
ton would meet with the approval of the
Chamber.
The resolution was seconded by Col. Rich
ard Lathers, who gave brief sketch Of the
work that had been done by the convention in
1871. He said that the convention then had
into making what would have been a white
washing report, had it not been for the fact
that the committee had inserted in their report
that the statements we're based upon the docu-
ments furnished the committee by the State
officials, which they (the committee) would
not vouch for. After the adjournment of the
convention, he said, the frauds became more
glaring than before. He had great confidence
in the good results that would ensue from the
reassemblng of the convention at this time
He believed that the people in the North, and
even the Republican members of the national
government, sympathized with the honest pee
pie of the South but the people must first
make an effort to help themselves before they
could expect help from outside sources. He
thought that the arrest of some of the robbers
at Columbia would do much good. If the
convention went to Columbia it would be joined
by the honest men of both branches of the
General Assembly. He hoped the resolution
would pass and that the convention would as
semble speedily. He anticipated the best re-
suits.
The resolution was unanimously adopted