The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-10-29

be provided with the means necessary 20
secure an education. After a competi-
tory examination in our county: Green
D. Williams, a prominent and worthy
young colorcd man, passed the board, and
is now receiving the benefit of this law.
The constitution further provided that
within five years after its adoption the
general assembly should provide for the
establishment of state normal school.
This has been done, and ere long that
institution will send forth many compe
tent teachers to instruct the youth OF oar
state; then we will have an educated
population who will be prepared to cast
their vote in the interest of good govern
ment. The year previous to my election,
the appropriation for free schools was
three hunded thousand dollars, and not
one cent of it was paid last year the
same amount was appropriated, erc,y dot
lar of ool.ich a0as paid. This year the same
amount was appropriated, most of which
has been paid. Ihave the best assurances
that the remainder will be paid. So
much for the practical working of the
specific tax levy which [ introduced. [
favor a liberal tax as provided in our con-
stitution for free school purposes, bcliev-
ing, as has often been demonstrated, that
it is cheaper to educate people, and
thereby prevent crime, than to pay the
expenses of convicting them, where they
have not received the benefit Of an cduca-
ton. claim that this pledge has been
redeemed
3.-TAXATION.
[ promised to work for lower tax, and
to advocate such a system of taxation rs
would prevent the Legislature from squan-
dcring the proceeds after it was collected.
| have succeeded, beyond my most san
guine expectations, in rcdeeming this
pledge. Icarefully studied the old system
of levying and collecting the taxes, and
found that during the fiscal year, previous
to my election, there was paid into the
treasury 81 ,0l9, $4,000 lone million nine
teen thousand five hundred and ninety.
six dollars This amount was collected
while the Legislature was in session, and
they fraudulenty appropriated it to their
own use, squandering in one session, tor
legislative expenses alone, more than nine
hundred thousand dollars, leaving unpaid
legislative expenses for the same session,
several hundred thousand dollars. The
legislative expenses were SO enormous Tor
this fiscal year that the comptrollcr-gcn-
eral reported a deficiency of unpaid APP
preparations of 81, ,26G, 405 lone million two
hundred and sixty thousand four hun
drcd and five dollars. | gave this matter
my most serious consideration, in order to
devise some plan to prevent such Il reck
less and infamous expenditure of the
peoples money submitted my plan to
the committee on ways and means. 1t
was IL novel idea. and they rejected it
| then made !; minority report, the Hon.
r. NJ. Smith, democratic member from
Spartanburg, signing it with me; seven
of the most influential republican mem
bcrs of the house ST ignekathc majority
report, which favored cvying the taxes
as heretofore. We had il severe struggle,
and, as most of YOU know, the minority
succeeded, and South Carolina adopted
the new system Of levying the taxes for
specific purposes 1t is made Il felony by
this act for the treasurer to pay funds,
except for the purpose for Which they
were levied and collected, and IL glance
will show that Il great object has been ac-
compished. The tax is levied now for
the next fiscal year, and one mill is levied
for legislative expenses, ur about one hun
drcd and forty thousand dollars; conse-
qucutly the next general assembly can
only expcnd that amount Of the tax. no
matter how long they remain in session,
as the remainder cf the tax cannot be