The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-02-19
COLUMBIA, s. G..
Friiay Morning. February 10. 1876.

Friiay Morning, Febr1ary 10, 1876.
'.ThetDsbt or tho state TO she M.rehae,s
-ofOolumbia for Supplies 10 tho Luz
>natic Asylum. tH'f
SOar correspondent, ..Tax- Payers" T"
in yesterdays issue, in disoussing the
indebtedness Of the County. to liqui.
date which special heavy tax is pro-
posed TO be levied, makesa good point
in comparing the GLAZING which consti:
tute the debt with those. held by mer.
chants for supplies furnished to the
Lanatic Asylum. The County claims
have largely passed from original
hands into those Of purchasers, who
have got them at heavy discount.
He thinke the fact that they are held
on speculation sufficient reason for
extending time for payment series
OF at least three. years, SO that the bur-
den may fell as lightly as possible on
the taxpayers. The merchants of Co.
Iumbia; hs says, have. onsmall profits.
compared with those made by buying
State or County paper, been kept whit
ing.for over two years to be repaid the
goods furnished to support the in
mates OF the Asy ylum, and another year
SAlf p eoaabarily elapse befote they get
tAePrincipal 81 Ihe debtlwithout in
. serest. We think the suggestion only
fair, and that, too. o.lupon the supposi-
ton that the County claims are all Ie-
gitimate %aand valid, about which we
have no information, and which we do
not question. The burden ought to
~'be distributed through . term of years,
and rigid steps taken to prevent like
accumulation in the future. Looking
to the other matter brought into COM
parison with the County debt, we
find the faot to be that over $50. GOO
have been owing to merchants OF Co.
flsnbia by the, Asylum for eeveral
!. years. for loans Of money, provisions.
bedding, clothing and supplies ad-
vanced and furnished by them, re-
spectively. at o time when it was nn-
: able by ita own RESOURCES to maintain
its inmates. In petition from these
merchants to the Senate and House of
ReRsasenta5ives :foY; payment. they
justly say:
"These debts were incurred at such
q time and in aqoh manner as to give
them aipeouliaf claim for recognition
and satisfaction. We did not seek to
procure these; obligations against the
State. In feet, being mostly business
mea Of small means, the credit hx-
tended buyers has greatly damaged Us,
as we then foresaw would most proba.
bly, be; the CASE, and Il was not 40
much ,withrns question of profit as of
humanity. The treasury was empty,
the State could not support on institn-
ton which had for the better part of q
century excited admiration for it's cha
rity as well as its efficiency. We were
ell suffering from. the same depression
OF business, Which had crippled and
disabled the officer Of the Asylum, but
We were, on the one hand, assured
that the5 State would certainly pay
these debts, and. on the other hand,
We were appealed to not TO suffer the
noble institution to perish, and thus
permit its helpless and suffering in.
mates to be Cast upon the world. We
responded by supplying food and
money, which We bought or borrowed
ct our personal risk" &o.
Now We think that case we'll stated
and abnAdantly proved. Thess pa
tient and humane merchants have a
right to ask that their advances be re-
paid without any more delay. They
might well insist, further. that no spe-
cial tag be levied upon them for any,
even the most meritorions purpose, be.
fore their outlay in behalf of the State
be fully refunded to them.
Munloipei Taxation.
A large number of the citizens OF