Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1878-07-04
tho resolution offered by tho member FROM
Maino, (Mr. Powers) because it simply

tcusSotlS WuaI ~ tHe luW. II WHaI tuo
resolution proposes is existing law, it is not
that law which is executed by the subal-
terms Of tho Revenue Department. Only
two days ugo received the following letter
from u furuer friend of character aud integ.
rity in South Carolina:
Mr.. Brayton, tho Collector of Internal
Revenue for this State, has recently de-
oided that it was violation of tho revenue
laws for planters to keep tobacco for their
hands, selling it to them without profit, to
be paid for in tho fall out of their share of
tho crops. AS this is very important
matter to planters and their employees
[ thought it best to wrto you upon the
subject.
This is the second time sucl, report has
come FROM South Carolina to me, and when
first mado inquiry about it, was told
that the Commissioner Of Internal Revenue
has ruled that farmer, who buys box of
tobacco upon which the tax has been paid
can without violating law sell it to his
employees have seen ruling to this
effect in manuscript from tho. Treasury
Department.; but, sir, would usk what is
this official ruling worth if those to whom
it is issued can and do violate it almost
every day with impunity?
When read tho letter of the law / um
somewhat inclined to forgive these officials
for their abuse of authority, for there is an
ambiguity about it that should not be
allowed to exist There should be no law
upon our statute books which concerns tho
general public in their daily avocutions that
has sufficient lack Of clcarncss about it to
prevent proper construction by tho
humblest citizen. hold in my hand
pamphlet procured from the Treasury
Department entitled Revised Regulations,
concerning taxes on tobacco, snuff, aud
cgars, opd on page S find this para
graph:
Farmers and planters for selling tobacco
of their own production, or tobacco received
by them ns rent from tenants who have pro.
duccd the same on their lands, are not re-
quired to pay special tax as dealers in leaf
tobacco.
And yet, sir, the very next paragraph
says:
Ii however, the farmer or planter shall
sell directly to consumers, he becomes liable,
as u retail dealer in leaf tobacco, to the
special tax Of $500.
And it is upon tho construction Of this
lutter clause that these devils in human
form presume to impose upon the ingenious
farmer, who, remote from any manufactu-
ring establishment, frequently depends upon
the leaf tobacco grown upon his own land us
commodity with which to supply tho
wants Of his employees.
Sir, if the law exists to-day allowing
farmers and planters to sell to their en-
ployccs manufactured tobacco which thoy
had purchased, and upon which the tax
had been paid, or leaf tobacoo of their own
raising, why docs not the Commissioner so
instruct lis collectors? 1t is evident from
tho letter have read he has not so in
structcd the collector in South Carolina, and
he may construe here in Washington till
them unless he issues his orders directly to
them, which he does not do, but awaits for
the individual aggreved citizen to appeal
f)r a construction, and oftcntimcs red-tapc
ism prevents his complaints ever being
heard.
Mr.. Speaker, our revenue laws may be
all that Congress desires them to be, but
unless they can be more honestly admins,
tered aud humanely executed, they will be
a source Of trouble for all time to como. l
have characterized the men who execute
them in my district as outlaws. Sir, they
are worse; they are baud Of thieves aud
| murdcrcrs.
The editorial f atcrnity Of South Carolina
are body Of as honest, intelligent, truth
loving cilzens as can tc found in the Uuitcd
States. lrttcrly, scarcely paper received
| FROM that State but thot narrates some
desperate act committed by these mon, not
in accordance with law, but in defiancc OF
law. Only as late as the 9th Of the present
mouth, four of these revenue officials went
to the house Of widow lady, living in
mountainous section Of the district | have
the honor to represent, and brutalIy mur.
dercd her son, young man of twenty years
Of age.
] take the following extract from the
newspaper published at the county scat
of the county in which this deed was com
mittcd:
1t appears that tho young man was stand.
ing, or rather leauing, against the door
facing when the revenue officers rode up,
ing,) and deliberately shot him dead on the
spot, without a moments warning or an
intimation of their designs. The young
man fell out of the door lifclcss, when the
officials said to his brother, "Who have VIC
shot?" The reply was, "You have shot my
brother" The officers then turned and left
tho house: but concealed themselves on
small hill, near the house, in the brush,
and remained there for some time, for what
purpose is not known. They then wont to
tho store OF Mr.. King, somo four miles of,
whore they cndeavored to hire conveyance
to Easlcy Station. Mr.. King told them
that he could not carry them that evening,