National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-03-04
SOETH CAROLINA.

Some weeks since q few OF the land
owners of South Carolina, styling them,
selves Taxpayers. convened and memo
rallied the Congress of the United States
for relief from the onerous burdens which
they declared they were laboring under as
a consequence of Republicanrule. A reply
to this memorial, prepared by the State Re-
publican Central Committee, has just been
presented to Congress. 1t is calm, well,
considered and just statement of the facts,
attested by the official figures, and affords
complete and most triumphant vindica-
= ton Of the present Republican government
of the State.
The 'fax-pa payers" are men Of the old re-
gime. of the Wade Hampton type, who
have an idea that because the taxes Of
community are assessed against the land
that the landowner pays the tax. tits now
pretty well understood that the labor ex-
pended upon the land pays the tax assessed
against it. These lords of the soil In South
Carolina, when they make a contract with
a laborer to till their soil upon shares, al
WAYS include the item of taxation as one
portion of the expenses which they are
compelled to bear as reason for curtalling
the share of the products to be allotted to
labor. This fact of itself is an acknowledge
ment that the laborer is the real taxpayer.
So much for the assumption that the land
lords have the exclusive right to control
taxation. 1t is an exploded idea of q past
generation.
After temporarily discussing the history
of the course of these dissatisfied taxpayers
since the war, and showing that they pur-
posely stood aloof from the dominant party,
although frequently invited to participate
in its councils, preferring first to try the
democracy of Seymour and Blair, and then
that of the Ku-klux, but having been
beaten at both, they now turn to abusing
and disappearing those by whom they
have been fairly beaten, the committee
take the allegations OF the memorialists
seriatiM, and refute them by the most in
contestible evidence. Comparing the ex-
penditures of the State government the last
rear before the war with those Of the year
last passed, it is shown that the former
were S61s, 231 as against 81, 1S4, $40 for the
latter. But in 1860 there were 402, 400
slaves who were of no expense whatever
to the State except when hanged at public
cost; whereas now this class are citizens
and participate in the cost and expenses of
the government, so that although the aggrc-
gale cost of government is apparently
much increased, the cost per capita of the
citizens is less, being only $1.67 now as
against Sa.05 in 1860. This difference
added to the expenses of last year would
have increased them in amount by the sum
of $a61, 617.50. Education, lunatic asy-
lums, State orphan house and the new PEN
itentiary, consume some $400, 900 of the
excess of expenditure. Formerly educa-
tional institutions and asylums for the poor
and unfortunate of the colored race were
not needed, as their owners were obliged to
provide for them at private cost.
In regard to the printing appropriation
of which so much has been said, it is shown
that S325, 900 of the $3.50, 900 was for print
ing extraordinary matter-codcs, reports,
and the likc-which will not have to be re-
peatcd again for years, and this was ordered
by former Legislatures and covered period
of three years. But the appropriation for
the whole had to be made last year. This
left only S125, 900 for the printing of the
year proper and the cost of advertising the
laws.
OF the State debt, alleged to be SIG, Co.,
600, the committee show that six millions
of it, issued without authority, has been
pronounced Illegal, and of the remaining
ten millions five was contracted before the
war by the Democrats, and five by the Re-
publicans since but of the latter five
s., 800, 900 was floating debt left by the
Democrats in 1868, which the Republicans
were obliged to provide for by funding.
This leaves but 81, 700, 900 of the whole ten
millions properly chargeable to the Repub-
lican party in the State.
In conclusion the committee admit that
their party have probably made some mis-
takes, and possibly committed errors, but
insist that there are good men enough in
their party to rectify them, and this they
are determined to do. The document is a
sensible review of the affairs of the State
and a scathing exposition of the misrepre-
sensations and subtcrtuges Of the -selfstyled
taxpayers. 1t can but have favorable ef-
feet upon all unprecedented members Of
Congress.