The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-03-19
The Worst Government in the World.


as bad as the Tweed regime, and it superadds
density of ignorance to which the old New
York ring was stranger. Tweed's men could
read and write, but those are arts to which
many of the South Carolina legislators have
not attained. This ignorance is especially dam
gerous in public officer clothed with power
over his fellow-men, for it renders him an easy
dupe of the intelligent villains; and manifests
prosecuting spirit toward the political minority.
The Tweed gang robbed US, but In jolly, I'M
malicious way :; they never selected special
class for plumber and oppression. But the
thieves in South Carolina have fendish hate
of the land-owners-a hate born OF Ignorance
and prejudice and kept red hot by calculating
scoundrels who lead the negro legislators.
Whenever negro member hesitates to pile on
fresh taxes, by way of providing new stealings,
he is told by the white Mephistophles at his
ear, "keep up the taxes, and force these land
owning aristocrats to sell their lands" This
policy of revenge and plunder conioined has
driven up the annual taxes to one half of the
gross income of average plantations In South
Carolina. Very many owners have been una
BILE to raise the money to pay these monst-ous
| charges and the State has sold their lands and
turned them out with barbarous haste. In
1872 l6S, ,523 acres were declared forfeited to the
State by the non-payment Of taxes; and over
this sequestration of estates and their PROMISED
colors, there is great rejoicing at Columbia.
We trust that all persons at the North have
read, or will not fail to read, the strong and
sensible remonstrances adopted by the Tax
Payers Convention now assembled at the
South Carolina capital That body is composed
of Republicans and Democrats, white and col
ored, rich and poor, ex-Confederates and
staunch original misunderstanding but one
common bond between them, and that one,
honesty; and the accuracy and sincerity OF
their statements deliberately made and put
forth cannot be impeached. They say, in brief,
that majority of the legislature, who impose
the taxes, own no property whatever, and that
| those who pay the taxes have no voice IN the
government; the annual State expenses nave
increased from Sl00, 900 before the war to O0O
600 at the present time, the public debt has ad-
vanced in six years from S5,0O0,000 to $4,000,
900, and that, too, without improving. the pup
lie works or adding dollar to the pubic prop
erty; legislative committees make large sums
in bribes for passing private bills Judges live
in fear of removal by the Legislature, ana 90
not dare to violate their wishes; juries are
| packed by the three State officials, who are
tools of the Governor; offices are bartered away
conducted by persons appointed in the inter-
ests of State office-holders, and the returns are
under their absolute control, and, therefore, 1t
might be added are doctored to suit necessl-
ties. This is bare outline of the terrible in
dictment presented by the Taxpayers, Con-
| yention to the earnest consideration of Con-
gress and of the whole people. Proofs, IN facts
and figures, accompany it. There IS no gam
saying it's truth. Honest men, here and there,
who have been elected to office under the false
impression that their sympathies were with the
thieving majority, denounce the State Govern
ment in the strongest terms. Congressman
Elliot, (coloredD in speech at Columbia, the
other day, did not mince words. he boldly
attacked the infamous abuses OF all leglslatlye
trusts and called upon his friends particularly
the colored ones) to abandon their plunder-
ing, persecuting agrarian schemes. He made
these forcible remarks: Ii the wealthy man
suffers the laborer suffers telifold II his taxes
bring burdens, he makes them up from his
laborers.' This should be the key mote of re-
form in South Carolina. The polltico-econom-
ical truths should be made clear-and we see
that the taxpayers have not omitted them
from their able memorlal-that the cost OF nV-
ing is raised by the addition OF the taxes to
the price Of commodities, and that the poor are
made poorer every day and more hopeless OF
rising above the condition of mere laborers.
The rogues in the Legislature while ostensibly
conducting their war against landowners and
those who are supposed to have money that can
be squeezed out of them in taxes, are still more
than enemies of the poor. The humblest
blacks and whites suffer from the wolves OF
Columbia, and should gladly join forces with
the tax payers to externinate la them PollIiGal!y'
ing the identity of suffering of the rich and
poor, in consequence Of legislative tyranny
and robbery-could be made known by good
public speakers, white and colored, through
the length and breadth OF South Carolina, tne
State could be redeemed at last from the most
hideous of rings. 1t is most true as the me-
morialists say, that Congress virtually cstab-
lished the government under which Carolina
groans, and, therefore, that Congress ought to
relieve her somehow. But we think the job OF
purgation would be clearer and more satistac-
tory and stay longer done, if it could be wrought
out by the tempestuous and irresistible upris-
ing of South Carolinians themselves.-NeW
York Journal Of Commerce.