The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-04-18

railroads, nll OF Whlcn we now Lave W Puy.
The last Legislature levied 81 mills for
State and school purposes. Two mills of
this goes to the schools, and which the peo-
pie ordained themselves. So the Legisla-
ture was not responsible for that The
Consolidated Debt is about the same rs the
ante-bellum debt, and it will take $3.50, 900
to pay the interest on it, if found to be just
and legal. This is mills more, but not
quito this amount was levied-say Q mills
for interest on debt which was not of our
contraction. These two items for which
the Legislature was not responsible amount
to mills Now, take the mills from the
eL mills, and there is left 22 mills tax for
State purposes for which We were alone
responsible. Two and half mills amount
to $500, 900; to this add the 500 900 received
from phosphate royalties, and we have
s4Oo, 900. But only 100000 Of this is col
lected from the people. Again, We contrac-
ted NO debts of any description. 1 think
the notion of the Legislature in the matter
Of finances will compare fayorably with
any Legislature, ante-bellum or otherwise.
Compare our work with Radical Legisla-
lures, and see what the Democratic party
has done for the State. The amount saved
to the taxpayers annually by comparing
the expenses of the Democratic Legislature
with the expenses of Radical Legislatures
amounts to nearly 100000. As large as
this amount may seem to be, am ready to
prove It if necessary. Suppose $2,eOo, 600
were reduced to silver; it would amount
to about twenty-siI tons in weight, and
it would take twenty-si1 teams, each
hauling 1000 pounds, to carry the stealinGs
of these Radical rogues for one year. I
think we have cause to rejoice, and deter
mine that never again in the future shall
the affairs Of the State fall into Radical
hands.
will endeavor now to explain some of
the acts Of the Legislature, against which
objections have been raised. The Press and
people clamored for the Legislature to ad-
journ. There may have been moro speak
ing than was necessary, but we were travel
ing over an unknown track, we had no
experience or precedents to guide us, and
upon our actions depended the happiness
and welfare ofall the people 1t behooveds
us, then, to walk with care and discretion.
I will hers state as my deliberate judgment,
that if the Legislature could have remained
in session five months longer, it would have
been the best investment the State could
have made, and before the year is out the
reasons why will be seen. A good deal has
been said about our per diem; that we re-
duced all other officers pay, but would not
reduce our own. For the first regular ses-
sion, and the special session following, we
were entitled to $1,000, as the law then stood,
but for both sessions we only. took !b400 and
one mileage, instead of two. Right here
let me state fact: The constitution and
the laws both entitled the members to this
amount, $1,000, and to every member desir-
ing to claim it, it was vested right. To
pay such en- amount was preposterous, but
how to get around doing SO was the ques-
ton. was sent as subcommittee to con-
fer with Gov. Hampton, Lieut.-G Governor
Simpson, Speaker Wallace and Attorney
General Conner on the subject. They all
admitted there was no way out of the diff
Guilty, but it was agreed to take the bull by
the horns and refuse to pay any but the
S4O0, and not to pay that unless the mem-
bers would giYe the State clear receipt.
There was another difficulty. The Senate
had Radical majority, and could defeat
our appropriation bill if We did not pay
them, and thus defeat the Hampton gov
eminent in its incipiency. After that the
pay was fixed at $5 per day, and it was
thought that the session would last thirty
or forty days, which would entitle each
member to $3.50 or 5000, instead Of $500,
as was then the pay. do not regard $5
per day as too much. No farmer can leave
his work and home even for that amount.
I am poor man. dependent like most
others upon my labor and attention for a
livelihood for myself and family; and 1
assure you my losses have been such since
have been q member, that duty to my
wife and children demand that ! give up
such life So it will be with others. A
legislative life is not now holiday life, as
it once was; and as for the honor, there is
not much in putting cne's self up as tar
get for every malicious shalt. Instead,
however, of not reducing our own Fay, we
did reduce it more than that of any officer
in the State.
The fence law has excited great deal of
bitterness, end this one and that one has
been blamed. The fence law was intro
duced by Senator Cochran. The Anderson
delegation, while they were each one in
favor of the law, were opposed to Bringing
1t up at this time. They were in favor Of
postponing it to such day as would not en-
danger our organization. Especially were
they in favor of this policy, as they believed
it was introduced for the purpose Of divid-
ing our people, for we knew nothing could
so we'll accomplish such result as this
sweeping revolution. But such q pressure
was brought to bear upon US by the people
of the County, that we believed it to be our
duty to assist in passing such law; and
we believed, further, that as the matter had
gone so far more harm would be inflicted
upon the party not to pass the law than to
pass it. The first law was the very best
that could be obtained. After the eleven
townships had adopted the ''no fence" the
five other townships petitioned the Legisla-
ture to extend the law to them also, upon
the ground that they were opposed to the
township system. These petitions were
signed by majority of all the people
in these townships, except in Brushy
Creek. With such petitions We would
have been recreant to our duty not to SO
amend the Inv. But the time at which the
law should 60 into operation i'll these five
,roc ba opa.f;n, Tha 6alaOQ-