The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-03-09
THE APPROPRIATION BILL.
JAMES A. HOYT,
County Chairman.

There has been no more prolific source
of trouble to honest claimants and of
oppression to the taxpayers of this State
than the practice of creating Deficiencies
by making the appropriations larger than
the tax levy. This is the plan by which
some of the leading Republicans have
been making money for several years.
Each year there is deficiency, and the
fraudulent claims are for the most part
the first ones paid, and all Republicans
of good standing in the party (which
means bad standing with honest men)
come in next for payment, while tax
payer or Democrat with bona fde claim
for services is modestly told that there is
no money in the Treasury out of which
the Treasurer can pay the claim, as there
is deficiency. Then, when there is a
prospect that the claim will never be
paid, and u certainty that it will not be
paid under year, some politician per-
sonally or through his agent attempts to
purchase the claim at an amount much
below its value. Of course, the next
Legislature levies q tax and pays it off.
The deficiency system is necessary to
enable some of the leaders to continue
their swindling of honest claimants. But
the chief objection to the continuance of
the plan of having deficiencies every
year is that it keeps taxation high, and
is an iniquitous fraud and burden upon
the taxpayers of our State. Gov. Cham
berlain has frequently demonstrated the
iniquity of this procedure, and in some
of his reform messages and speeches has
demanded that the practice be immedi-
ately stopped. If he did not pledge
himself in so many words to veto any
appropriation bill which would create a
deficiency, he certainly conveyed the i'm
preston that he intended to do so, and
his enthusiastic coalition friends have
pointed at these observations of the Gov
ernor with great selfsatisfaction as an
evidence of their wisdom in recognizing
and supporting such genuine reformer.
The present Legislature has just passed
the appropriation bill, under which the
tax Just collected is to be disbursed, and
according to the best estimates it will
create a deficiency of near S2OO,OO
which it will require an additional tax
of about II mills to liquidate. The Gov
ernor has approved this bill. 1t disre-
CARDS all his recommendations for q
reduction of expenditures, and again
foists upon the State another deficiency
which will be collected by the next
Legislature, thereby ensuring a contin-
uance of high taxation. 1t appropriates
$4,000 to the South Carolina University
instead of $4,000; $4,000 to the Peni-
tentiary instead of $4,000; $4,000 in
stead of $4,000 to the Orphan Asylum !;
$4,000 instead of s., 1000 to the Normal
School, and $4,000 to the Agricultural
College instead of $1,000 as recommen-
ded by the Governor. There is $4,000
appropriated for beneficiary scholarships
in the State University, and s75, 900 in
the Normal School. This is the manner
in which they propose keeping up these
institutions. They pay the professors
and then tax the people to support the
scholars. This is very unjustifable
procedure in the present condition of our
people. There is no reform evinced in
this bill. 1t is the same old system of
peculation, fraud and oppression, and
Notwithstanding the Governors pro-
nounced opposition the bill was made a
law by his approval. We fail to see any
element in the Republican party from
those highest in authority to the most
petty politician which gives any promise
of reform. The only reason our taxes
were not higher during the present year
is that the general election comes off this
fall, and = semblance of reform was at
tempted. A poor semblance it is, how
ever, when our taxes are already higher
than they have ever been. If the Rcpub-
lican party has another lease of power
in this State, our people will continue to
be CALLED by the yoke imposed by corrupt
and greedy political masters. The defeat
of Republicanism in the County, State
and Nation is necessary to the prosperity