Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1878-12-19
wALnAL SOUTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY DECEMBER 49, 1878
penalty; also, bill to provide for drainage
in the counties of Greonyille, Anderson,

AApoSfh1S ubo IIuuiSuS.
On motion of Mr.. Cooke, tho vote BY
which tho enacting words of bill to rro-
vide for tho payment of tho past indebted
ness of the school districts in the county of
Greenvillc were stricken out was recopsid.
cred and the bill taken up for consideration.
After some time spent in the discussion
thereof, MIR. Cooke called the previous ques.
tion, which was sustained.
The bill was read tho second time, the
title amended by striking out tho word
"oounty" aud inserting iu lieu thereof tho
word "countics,' und by adding, "Nlarl-
boro, Aiken, Pickens, Colleton, Richland,
Lexington aud Charleston" and ordered to
be engrossed for third reading.
MIR. Brown, of Anderson, obtained the
floor, aud proceeded to the discussion of the
debt question, alleging that the liabilities
OF tho State were too great for the people
to bear, and that tho honest debts Of the
| State wcrc oppressive without attempting to
pay any Of the fraudulent bonds issued by the
carpet bag government. He maintained
that taxation in some counties would roach
~ mills if the interest ON the fraudulent
bonds had to be met. lie was in favor of
rejecting tho last dollar reported as invalid
by the Bond Commission, and stood now
where ho did last winter in opposing the
frauds and corrupt issues of Radical Office
holders. He was willing to leave the dis
cussion as to the cous,itutionality of the
Bond Court to the lawyers, but he was
satisfied tho tax payers of tho State would
never carscnt to tho payment of fraudu-
lent bonds, whatever might bc the dcision
Of tho courts.
Mr.. Kennedy, Of Kcrshaw, argued
against the repeal of tho joint resolution
establishing the Bond Court, ard nude an
easnest, eloquent speech.
The hour of noon having arrived, the
speaker announced that, under the act of
Congress, the time hnd comc for the cleo.
tlon of Senator to the United States
Senate, and that the House would proceed
by Oiva vocc vote to declare its choice.
A hush as still as death fell upon the House,
and every eye was turucd upon Con. Sam
ucl NIcGowan, who rose and said:
MIR. Speaker, rise to exercise u privilege
which belongs, in common, to every mem
ber on this floor, but which on this occa.
sion seems to mc something morc-a duty.
We arc about to perform an act which will
homer citizen with the highest Office the
State can bcstow, but that consideration
sinks into iusisniiieancc in view of tho fact
that it involves, to large extent, the peace,
prosperity and happiness of the whole poo
pic of South Carolina. A Senator in Con.
gress has an cxhultcd position from which
he oan do much for his people, and is re-
gardcd as tho highest type aud exponent
of that people.
history, excepting period in the recent
| hoe al
delighted to honor those of her sons who
deserved well of the republic. Sho has
always put forward her best men, and
trusted them in no narrow, jealous spirit,
but with the full measure of her confidence.
She conceived that in honoriug them she
honorcd herself. For although small in
territory VIC can say-wthout touching
upon anything doubtful-that for many
years sho contributed as much of talent, of
genius and of patriotism to tho councils Of
the common country as any State in the
Union. The roll of her distinguished Rep
rcscntativcs is too long to enumcratc. They
were truly representative men, who carried
emblazoned on their bosoms and exhibited
iu their high bearing and proud crests all
the fidelity, high tone, self reliance, patriot
tism and honor of proud old Carolina.
For period We wcrc without representa-
tiyes in Congress. For still darker period
VIC had noue who were truly the representa-.
tive of the property, intelligence and virtue
of this people. We have now in the Sen.
ate our distinguished citizen, tho lion. NJ
9. Butler, who has already tukon his place
on that illustrious old ROLL and it is now
our duty to elect another.
For the last twonty years we have been
acting history. Since what is known as
the reconstruction of tho State government
| have always thought that doubio duty
was imposed upon South Carolina; first to
recover the State government from the
wrecking hands Of the spoiler, and givo to
those who had the intelligence and property
some voice in it's control, and then to con.
solidate and make perpetual that redemption
by proving that we deserved it-by tho
habitual practice of high civic virtues by
giving, in the spirit of humanity, just and
equal laws to thut part of the body poitic
lately emancipated and made citizons, and
by oultivating good relations between tho
sections lately ombttorcd by war. know
of no other policy which can be taken with
honor or relied upon to secure the pcrma-
nent pcaco, prosperity and happiness of our
people.
Wo all know who led US horoically,
( surely and successfully in the first great
struggle to secure solno voice in our own
government, and that alono would seom to
point out tho mau who could successfully
serve us in tho present and no less impor-
tant phase of our public affairs.
Mr.. Speaker, havo the honor to noai-
nato for tho great oflice of tho Senator from