The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-06-26
A Good Speech in Congress by Hon
ID. Wyatt Aiken.

many indirect assertions that there still lin.
gered q dtsioyal sentiment among the States
Of the South. which pervaded the popular
Sir, no impression could DO moro erroneous.
Perhaps the constituency OF no member upon
this floor has been more frequently accused,
these laws than those whom l have the honor
TO represent, and yet I assert boldly that no
section Of the country Is populated by q more
law-ebiding loyal constituency than my own
But, sir, they are loyal to the Government
both State n national-and not to the re-
publican party or those hirelings who obey
the behests Of It's minions. I am satisfied
thnt II the Administration could see those
creatures who execute the evenue laws in
South Carolina as we see them, they would
repudiate them at hrst sight. They are not
worthy Of afhI!ation even with the republic
can party. Who they are or where they
came from few men seem 10 know or care.
Suf1ce 70 say they are men OF no character
and destitute OF every instinct OF an honest
CHOSEN chose BY HH the y eppo enea @ Of ,h are pr 1aysslaoi y
execute these nefarious laws among O people
upon whom they have been colonlzed. Re.
mote nom the appointing, power and amena-
D mor 70 c %en aasn than IN t sSernoTits but Of little
the letter. they throw aside every legal re.
strafnt and become o law unto Themselves
oftentimes assaulting, robbing, and murder.
Ing their oppressid victims with impunity.
soy V 40 LIZ ACCC5HlkS IOE "
resolution offered by the member from Maine,
,(Mr. Powers.l because it simply reasserts
what 10 the law. II what the resolution pro-
RN executed 81 esii by he sH sub "a IL nH' Of s9s the tsR Re w 3
Department. Only two days ago I received
the following. letter from a farmer friend Of
character and integrity In South Carolina:
nue. for this State, has recently decided that It
WAS q violation Of the revenue laws for plan
tors TO keep tobacco for their hands, selling
I'll them without profit, to be paid for in the
O very important matter to planters and their
the subject.
This is the second time such a report has
como from South Carolina to me, and when I
fest made inquiry about 1t / was toldt thai the
Commissioner OF Internal Revenue has ruled
that q farmer who buys a box OF tobacco upon
which the tax has been paid can without VIC
seen a ruling TO this effect In manuscript
from the Treasury Departn1e nt; but, sir, l
would ask what is this official ruling worth II
those to whom It Is Issued can M do violate
1t almost every day with impunity7
When I read the letter Of the law I am
somewhat inclined to forgive these officials
for their abuse Of authority, for there is an
ambiguity about 1t that should not be allowed
to exist. There should be no law upon our
statute.books which concerns the general
public in their daily avocations that has sutl-
Client lack OF clearness about It to prevent O
proper construction by he umblest citizen.
I hold In my hand O pamphlet procured from
the Treasury Department entitled Revised
Regulations, concerning taxes on tobacco,
SNUFF, and cigars, and on a page S I End this
Farmers and planters for selling tobacco OF
their own production, or tobacco received by
them as rent from tenants who have produc-
ed the same on their lands, orc not required
TO pay special tax as dealers In leaf tot acbo.
And yet, sir, the very next paragraph says:
II, however, the farmer or planter shall sell
directly to consumers, he becomes liable, as O
retail dealer in leaf tobacco, 10 the special tax
And It Is upon the construction of this lat
ter clause that these devils in human form
presume to Impose upon the ingenious farm
er, who, remote from any manufacturing es-
leaf tobacco grown upon his own land as q
OF his employees.
Sir, II the law exists to-day allowing far.
mers and planters to sell to their employees
manufactured tobacco which they had pur.
chased, and upon which the tax had been
paid, or 'leaftobacco Of their " raising,
T YIN co Noes no. Inc :, = COMMISSIONS snident frern 50 II, ins ;a,asr
I have read he has not so instructed the col
lector in South Carolina, and he may con-
strue herein Washington till doomsday with
out exacting obedience from them unless be
issues his orders directly to them, which he
does not do, but awaits for the individual ag-
grtevcd citizen to appeal for a construction,
and oftenttmes red-tapeism prevents bis com
plants ever being heard.
that this Congress desires them TO be, but un-
less they can be more honestly administered
and humanely executed, they will be a source
seterlzed the men who execute them in my
district as outlaws; SIT. they arc worse; they
are The e U edito ri in f.aters sae m o9 soass Carolina
are a body OF as honest, intelligent, truth.
loving citizens as can be found In the United
States: Latterly. scarcely q paper received
from that State but that narrates some des.
accordance With law, but in defiance OF law.
Only as late az the 9Th Of the present month
four Of these revenue officials went to the
house Of q widow lady living In q mountain
represent, and brutality murdered her son, a
young man Of twenty years Of age.
I al the following extract from the lev
paper published nt the the, county seat Of the
It appears that the young man was stand
ing, or rather leaning, against the door-faclng
when the revenue officers rode up, or walked
liberately shot him dead on the spot. without
a moments warning or IN intimation OF The
designs. The young man fell ont OF the door
~lireless. when the officials said to his brother,
have shot my brother" The Officers then
turned and left the house, but concealed
Themselves on O small hill near the house In
the OruSn. ana TemQ1leQ LnCTe IOT SOmc Time.
went to the store Of Mr.. King, some four
miles Oh, where they. endeavored to hire a
conveyance to Easley Station. Mr.. King
evening, but II they would walt until morn
Ing he would carry them. This they said
hoy could not do, as they had business OF
importance to attend to and must go that
night. They then hired one mule from him,
and Kane rode rapidly for the station, passing
through this place by q back way about dusk,
and arriving Mt Easley just In time to take
the nine o'clock train going North, He gave
II livery stable, with instructions to send 1t
back TO Mr.. Bayliss Hendricks, at this place.
where the officials had told Mr.. King they de-
sired the mule to ride to.
the first taking effect and killing him, while
the second missed. From this fact, and the
fact hat Kane rode of Mr.. Kings mule and
left Immediately on the train, 1t is supposed
across the country toward Greenvilie on foot,
and at this writing we know not where they
are.
It will be seen that the man who most prob
ably did the shooting took the first train
"going North, " n no doubt to-day Is here,
assuring the department OF the impossibility
OF enforcing compliance with the revenue
laws in that dlsloyal section. His confedera-
ties attempted also to leave the country, but
later Information advises me that seeing q
Ku Klux In the trunk OF every tree, they
went only to the adjoining county II de-
livered themselves up TO the sheriff. II they
are innocent officials, the surmise may nj
least be excited that they would have surren-
dered In the county in which they were at
tempting to execute the law.
Now that this House has stricken from the
revenue bill the amendment Of the gentle
man from North Carolina. (bIr. Vance,l the
case which I have Just recited may present an
opportunity for q conflict Of authority be-
tween the State and Federal court Judges.
That the United States Judge will presume to
attempt to transfer this case TO his court for
trial, / " nc idea. That he would have
done SO two years ago, there can be no CUES
ton. But, thanks to the tnvinclble will Of q
brave and honest people, the State OF South
Carolina has been reconstructed upon O firm
democratic basis, and no longer will n sordid
and corrupt Federal judge be allowed to exer-
else arbitrary or despotic power, as he has
frequently done in the past.
The judicial ermine has fallen upon pure
and noble men in that State. and the vllest
criminal need not fear but that he will get
every consideration that the law allows. To
say that these revenue officials will have JUS
tice one them would simply be insuring
their speedy execution, in my opinion and
II resistance TO their arbitrary exactions in
the performance Of their official duties be
disloyalty, then, Mr.. Speaker, my constituent.
cy are OF all men most disloyal.
Cure For Hydrophobia.