The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-12-09

"s.5 A. H. P*##***s#..'!''
. A number of presents, some of them
quite valuable and useful, were presented
by relatives and friends to the aged cou-
pie. Thus ended one of the most inter
esting and, enjoyable entertainments we
ever attended.-Dalon (Ga.) Citizen.
The People Cannot Bear More than q
Ten Mills Tax: I'm
The unanimous vote Of the House Of
| Representatives, on Wednesday, against
the motion to pass the Supply Act over
the Governors veto, was something OF q
surprise, even to those who were conf
dent that the veto would be sustained.
There was apparently no concert OF ac.
ton in that vote. It was the result Of
the conviction that the objections to the
\ Act, stated in; the veto message, were too
strong, at the moment, 10, be overcome.
/ As such, it tends to demoralize the high
tax Radicals, and is gratifying to the
public. But the fight is not yet over.
/ Some persons who profess to be in the
confidence of the leading spirits of the
Radical opposition say thatthe new Sup
ply Act will be more. burdensome than
that which was vetoed This is, doubt
|, less, an extreme view. There will, how
ever, be strenuous effort to obtain a
larger tax levy than that which Governor
| Chamberlain recommends. When the
vote on the veto was taken on Wednes-
day a white Radical said to a companion:
awe will let that tax bill go. But if the
|! Governor attempts to curtail our new tax
|: bill, we'll fight him to the bitter end."'
Many Of the members very likely take
this, view. They drew back only that
they may leap the better! ln;:.-s.t .;f.:r..
|: In this admirable annual message to
the General Assembly, Governor Cham
berlain said ! "The labor of all classes
of our citizens has been rewarded by q
large degree of material prosperity"
We; wish that we could think so. The
information that we have, from. different
parts of'the State, compels,u us to believe
that the year now drawing towards a
close has not been o profitable one for
the farmers and agricultural laborers who
make up the bulk of the population. 1t
is true that the cotton crop has been
made at a moderate cost. Provisions
were low in price, and the quantity of
breadstuffs and small grains raised at
home is larger than in preceding seasons.
This fact, under ordinary circumstances,
would have left the farmers q fair margin
of profit. But, unhappily for our people,
the cotton crop has fallen considerably
below the average yield, and, instead Of
receiving q proportionally higher price
for what was made, the farmers are sell
ing their reduced crop at from two to
three cents pound less than the price
theyvobtainedf for. the larger: crops of the
previous year. This reduction of price
is very, largely due to the contraction: OF
business consequent upon the rash policy
of The neck-or-nothiDg resumptionists.
But we are dealing now with effects. not
causes; and we are within the mark
when we say that, only where MANAGE.
meht has been singularly thrifty and
careful, have the South Carolina farmers
made both ends meet. They have in
very few, if ANY, cases done. more than
this. Many have lost money by the work
of the: year.. This we believe to be the
plain and unwelcome TRUTH, and every
part of the State, every branch of trade
and every industry, is injuriously affected
by the straitened condition. of the farm.
crs. The laborers feel 1t, and every town
and village in the State feels'it too. ';>
The general. argument Of the Govern.
or, in favor of the lowest rate Of taxation
compatible with the payment of current
expenses and obligations which cannot
be postponed, is. absolutely nnanswera-
BILE; but how much stronger that argu:-.
ment becomes when the distresses of. the
people are taken into account. A tax OF
ten mills will amount to about one mil
lion four hundred thousand dollars.
Where is so large a sum to come from Z,
It is not in the pockets Of the people,: That
is certain There is reason to hope that,
if the General Assembly heed the repre-
sentations that are made to them, and re-
duce taxation to the lowest possible
point, the people. will contrive to
comply with the demands upon
them. onerous as these, at the best, must
be. They will borrow the money, where
ever they can; for no people in the
Union are more prompt in'paying taxes
than the people ofSouth Carolina. But,
if the tax be higher than nine and half
or ten mills, and if the General Assembly
show no disposition to retrench and re-
form, the people, in their desperation,
will not pay the tax. And then, woe !
upon the Radicals who have broken the
bended backs of a patient, too patient,
peoplel .a ..,,
The machinery of the law may enable
the County Treasurer to collect the taxes
by force. Even. that cannot be done
where the inability to pay is general.
Who, in the country districts, will dare
to buy the property of his distressed
neighbor, and what will it avail the gov
eminent, if the property, by thousands of
acres, is forfeited to the State, for. want
of bidders9 But, whether the taxes be
collected or not, the righteous indigna-
ton Of the people, white and black, will
fall like blight upon the selfish .legisla-
tors who put the burden upon them.
They will be branded as with the brand
of Cain, marked as faithless public SCR
wants, who, for their own gain, have
plundered and oppressed the people.
The finger of rebuke will be pointed at
them by the colored laborer on the sea-
coest, us by the white farmer whose feecy
crop whitens, as with snow, the noun
tain foot. No shrieks about Democracy,
no howl about Civil Rights, will serve to
anna them This time. As robbers of the