New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-04-16
SGlS,23l $l,lS4,S1G
Remember that the appropriation of

Remember that the appropriation of 1859
80 represents gold value.
by the census of 1860, there were in South
Carolina at that time 3Ol PA free population,
and 4O2, 40G slaves. BY the census of 1870
there were 1Oj, COG free population. Now,
remember" in the eloquent language of
another, THAT in 1860, 402 400 souls, now
part of our body polite, voters amenable
to our laws, the cost Of governing whom is
now chargcable to the government of our
State, were, in 1860, chattels, merchandise,
with not one civil or natural right which
white men were bound to respect. In 1860,
the slave was no charge on the State Gov
eminent, save when he was hung for some
petty misdemeanor, and the State compelled
to pay his loss"
1t would be, therefore, but just and fair
to divide the amount appropriated in 1859
90, viz: $6lS,23l, by the then free pOpula-
ton, 30l ,2l4, and it will be found that the
cost of governing each citizen was 500 !;
and then divide the amount appropriated in
lS12-73 by the free population now, viz:
705, COG, and it will be found that the cost of
governing each citizen is $l.G7- S2.Oj in
lsj9-G0, during the bOastcd Democratic pc
Rod, and $l.G1 in 1928, under the So
called corrupt Radical rEle-a difference of
30 cents per capita in favor of the latter. So
that if the Democrats had the same number
of free citizens to govern in lSj0-CO that the
Republicans had in lS12-73, it would have
cost them $26l ,GlG.30 more than it has
cost us.
The State having been organized upon a
free basis necessarily created larger num-
Der of officers, and, therefore, larger
amount of salaries. We are not ashamed of
the fact that our appropriation for schools in
lS12-I5 Is four times greater than in lSj9-G0,
Ignorance was the cornerstone of slavery
and essential to its perpctuity, but knowledge
prevents the existence of that "sum of all
villainies."
Now in every hamlet and village in our
State "the schoolmaster is abroad"
In 1857 the number Of scholars attending
the free schools was only 1886, while in
1873 the number of scholars attending the
schools was 1913 (Of which 37,2lS were
white, iG, ;,;}j colorcd.)
1t will he observed that there were no APP
preparations for the State l.unatic Asylum
and Pententiary in lS59-G0. The Iunatic
Asylum was then supported by the friends
of its wealthy inmates and the counties, but
in lS.2-73 this was found to impair the efli-
cheney OF the institution, and the State as
sumed its support and made liberal apprO-
priation for its unfortunate patients.
The erection Of the Penitcntary was not
begun until alter the war, and there was,
therefore, no appropriation for it in lS59-G0.
The appropriation n lS72-13 for military
purposes was but 500, 000. We had no &C.
casl0n to appropriate $50, 900 for military
academies and contingencies, in order to fur.
nish nurseries to train the young to strike at
the nations life, and to purchase material
for the war Of secession.
There was no appropriation in l8j9-G0 for
a colOred state Orphan House. The colored
orphans that were then uncarcd for were free,
but their parents, when living, were heavily
taxed to support white orphans, while their
own children, after their death, were ne
elected.
To show the M lust and adroit manner in
which the statement of expenditures has been
manipulated by the memorialists of the TAX
PAYERS Convention Tor their purposes of
deception, we furnish statement carefully
compiled from the official records of the eX-
penses OF the State government before the
war and the first three years after: