The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-07-04
A Good Speech In Congress BY Hon. b.
Wyatt Aiken. /,

had the internal revenue bill under con.
si6eration more than one member has
intimated in his remarks thas therc were
sections of the Union in which the rso.
pie seemed to consider these revenue laws
so inimical to their interests, that thew
assumed it a privilege, if not duty, TO
resist their enforcement. OF course
these iIisihuatiuiis ws. so many iudts5eett
assertions that there still fingered q dis.
loyal sentiment among the States of The
South, which pervaded the popular
masses. - -
Sir, no impression could be moro erro-
neous. Perhaps the constituency of no
member upon Shis floor has been moro
frequently accused, yes, and punished,
too for infractions of these laws than
those whom hayn tho honor to repre-
sent, and yet assert boldly that no sec:
ton Of the country Il populated by q
more law:abiding loyal constituency than
my own district. '.S'i
But cir, they are loyal to the govern
ment-b0th State and national-and not
to the Republican party or those hire
lings who obey the behests Of its nlinionp.
4 am satisfied that if the administration
could see those creatures who execute the
revenue laws in South Carolina as we see
them, they would repudiate them at first
sight. They are not worthy OF affiliation
even with the Republican party. Who
they are or where they nnmn from few
men seem to know or care. Suffice TO
say they are men of no character and
destitute Of every instinct of an honest
heart. And yet such men are invariably
chosen by the appointees of the President
to execute these nefarious laws among q
peonle upon whom they have been colo
niEed. Remote from the appointing
power and amenable to men higher in
authority but of listle more character
than themselyea, at least in the letter.
they. throw aside every legal restraint
and become q law unto themselves, often.
times assaultihB, robbing and aurdefing
their oppressed victims with impanity.
4. Gentlemen say there Is no necessity for
the resolution offered by che member from
Maine, tMr. Powers,I because It simply
reasscrts what is TIE Ian. If Rhaf tho
resolution proposes y existing Law, it is
not that law which Is executed BIZ The
subalterns of the Revenue Department.
Only two days ago received the follow
ing letter from farmer friend of char
acter and integrity in South Carolina +
Mr, Brnyton, the COLLECTOR OF internal
revenue for this State, has recently deci-
yded that 1t was violation Of the revenue
laws for planters to keep tobacco for their
hands, sellingi it to them without profit,
to pc paid for in the fail out of the,r
share of the crops. As this is yery:j Il /.
portant matter to planters and their en:.. /.
ployees, I thought it best to write ,on
upon the subject" Nttef'e sshyi1e
This is the second time such a report
has come from South Carolina 70 me, and
when !! first made inquiry about IL ! wab
told that the Commissioner of Internal
Hovenue has ruled that a. farmer who
buys o box of tobacco upon which the
tax has been paid can without violating
law sell 1t to his employees. have seen
E:ES = 1:;s st.Ct ls. ns:s.iiiiis5sii is5si 55 from
the Treasury Department.; but, sir,
would ask what is this official ruling
worth ii those to whom it is issued can
and do violate it almost every day with
lga i.lEs fH
When I read the letter of the law I arn
somewhat inclined to forgive these Off.
ciais for their ebnse OF atshe.:.yy y, e.
there is an ambiguity about it that should
not be allowed to exist. There should be
no law upon our statute books which con-
Germs the ganeral public in their daily
avocations that has sufficient lack Of
clearness about it to prevent O pFopef
construction by the humblest Citizen !
hold In 10y hand o pamphlet procured
from the Treasury Department. entitled
Revised Regulations, CONCERNING taxes
on topaeSo, snuE, ana cigars, and on q,
page 8 lind this paragraph:
FARMERS and planters for selling 10.
tta.eeo ce sheir own production, or tGbRceo
n as vAs,f a.
who hayo produced the lame on their
lands, are not required to pay special tag
as dealers in leaf tobacco .55 .S.5.-i-i
And yet, sir, the very next paragraph
"lf, however, the farmer or planter
shall sell directly to consumers. he be,
comes liable, as retail dealer in leaf
tobacco, to the speci5l tag of $500"
And it is upon the construction of this
latter clause that thhuse devils In human,
form presume to ifnpcse upon the irgenJ
.uous sarmer,i Who, remote from any man.
ufacturing absishment frequently de-
pends upon the leaf tobacco grown upon
his own land rs 4 commodity with Which
TO anpply the wants of his employe (,
q Sir, IL the Law exists to-day allowing
farmeB and planters 10 sell to their en-.
ployeea nianufac actursd tobacco which they
'hAd purchased, and upon which the tax
mad been paid, or leaf obacco of their
own raising, why does uot the Commits
slopef so Instruct his, collectors? Is Ii
evident from tho letter I have read he
has not 40 instructed the collector IN
South Carolina, and he may eonstrle
here in Wellington till doomsday with
out exacting obedien5e from them unless
he Issues his orders directly to them
which he does not do, but ayai5 II the
Individual aggtieved citizen 10 appeal for
Q construction ,iapd oftentimes red -fapeiSmi
preyente his complaints ever being heard
Mr.. Speaker, our revenue laws may be
all that this Congress desires them 70 Be-,
but unless they can be more honestly All.
ministered and humanity executed. thew
viii BE . soiifc5 Of trouble for ail Tina Ia
come. I nave Cy,araUlerizeu the men
who execute them in my district as OUT
laws. Sir, they arc worse; they are q
band of thieves and ,murdererB.
The editorial fraternity of South Car
olina are q body of as honest INTELLIGENT.
tyuth-loyirg citizens as caa sbe Sound III
the United States. Lattcriy, scareely q
paper received from that Stats but thatl
nhrrates some desperate act committed
BY these men, not in accordance with
law, but in defiance Of law. - Only as late
40 the 9Th. of the present month four Of
tiIt5o revenue officials went % % the h5iii555
Of q widow lady living in q mountainous
section of tile districE I,iiave the hoflor
20 represent, and brutality murieeed iior
son, young man, of tfgenty yeara!of age.
l take the following extract fronI tie
newspaper pnbliehed at the county seat
Of the county in which this deed ;Jes
OVEutDIVtS5us A. q igsg -