The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-01-02
Speech of DR.. w. G. Brown in Favor
OF .,boliShing the Bond Court.

speak on the bond question, which was
so elaborately discussed at the last ses-
sion of this House. Then this whole
question was submitted to special court,
and it was confidently expected that a
decision would have been reached long
before this, and an end would have been
made of the yexcd and disturbing sub
ject. But circumstances have combined
to bring about delay, and every incident
of the trial of the cases before the court
points out the necessity aud duty which
devolycs on Us Of repeating the resolution
establishing the court, and of going for
ward in the immediate and final settle
mcnt of the question. The evidence of
II. II. Kimpton, so absolutely necessary
to the just determination of how much
sc honestly owe, has been withheld by
The conspiracy of the bondholdcrs, so
that the iniquitous character of the debt
cannot be fully developed, rceking and
dripping with fraud as it is known to be.
Now, l ask, Mr.. Speaker, is it right in US
to allow the ends of justice to be defeated
in this way, and permit all this vast
amount of debt to be saddlel on the
poor, toiling taxpayers of our State
through subversion of the fundamental
principles of justice and common hon
esty? No sir! we should stand firmly
here on this floor and defend the rights
of our constituents from the plumber of
the bloated bondholders and the blood
sucking moncy.changers who have joined
hands to drive us into remediless bank
ruptcy. The people depend on US to
protect their rights, and have no paid
hirelings to lobby their schemes through
this body. Even with the insufficient
evidence before it, have no fears Of the
court deciding against us, but there
awaits US o long system OF appeals and
expensive litigation, and why not meet
the difficulty in manly way, and make
fnality of the whole matter as indepcn-
dent and honorable men should! The
time is propitious, for we are no longer
impedeG by the large body of Radicals
who united with recrcant Democrats in
the last House, brought about this dis
graceful state of affairs and trampled the
fair fame of South Carolina in the dust.
Mr.. Speaker, another argument in
favor of the repeal of the resolution is
the fact that we are utterly unable to pay
all of the State debt. You will see from
the report Of the Comptroller General
that the State of South Carolina is held
liable for over $14,000,O00. The interest
on this alone is 10000, TO be raised an
nually. Add to this two mills for school
taxes, four mills for State expenses and
three for county, and we would have the
enormous tax of sixteen mills. And in
some counties, where they have to pay a
railroad tax, it would be simply out
rageous. With cotton at seven and eight
cents, no people on earth could stand
such tax and live. Besides this the
$4,000, 900 interest on the United States
debt all has to come from the toll and
labor of the masses OF the people. So
they will be enslaved while the rich and
heartless bondhoder sits in the shade,
rcposes on cushioned chairs, lives in fine
houses, walks on Brussels carpets and
Tolls in luxurious carriages, and cares
not who is taxed or how much. 1t is
estimated that every working man, wo-
man and child in the country pays an
annual tribute of S9.65 to these bond
holders, who were truly said by George
Washington to be "idlers and usurers."
The Irish pay only $l.25, and they have
for years been expatriating themselves to
escape these burdens. Famine and
starvation, the wall of the widow and the
cry of the orphan have exiled the best
people on the globe from the green isle
of Erin. So it will be here if we fasten
this Radical debt on our poor people.
No honest man in the State has re-
ceived dollar of value from this in
famous debt forced on us by the vilest
thie7es and Williams that ever disgraced
humanity. Some say the seal of the
State binds US to the payment Of this in
famous debt. How was it put there?
The State was lying PROSTATE in the dust,
the shining bayonet and flashing sword
drawn over her head, and thus her pal
sled arm did the work of force and fraud.
And some men on this floor, forgetting
the degradation of their State, would
lend a helping hand to these arch villains
of the century and sanctify the plunder
of gang of shameless robbers.
Suppose these thieves had, under the
pretence of law, issued bonds sufficient
in amount TO equal the entire value of all
our property, which they would have
done could they have found sale for
them, can any one say it would have
been right to entail slavery upon cur
children to pay such n debt? If by our
payment of these fraudulent bonds we
endorse the actions of Chamberlain and
his confedcrates, we hold out an induce
ment to other freebooters to repeat the
same iniquity, and enslave the people TO
set of wealthy bondholding stock
jobtcrs and spectators. The gentlemen
on the other side presume OIL the igno-
rance Of the people, when they say that
a compliance with the forms of law will
sanctily fraud. warn them now not to
persist in this course of duplicity, tyranny
and oppression. After long years of for
bearance and submission on the part OF
the taxpayer, one common murmur has
commenced rising from all parts of our
country. a great storm is lowering over
our heads, its lurid clouds begin to OBJ
scure the sky and its darkcning vapors
fill the air. I'VE are walking over vol
| can0 whose names rage Dcnealli our ieeI,
and which threatens to burst forth in
streams of heated lava and consume
everything in their course. Sir, look at
the columns Of real estate advertisements
in the newspapers of the day, and es.
pecially in Charleston and Richland
counties, and all for taxes. These are
the little homes of the poor, the shelters
that protect their wives and children
from the rains, storms and sleets Of win
ter, the places where first they saw the
light of day, the little Inheritance their
fathers and mothers saved for their chill
nren after life Of economy, toll and
labor.
Those who bought these bonds were
warned by the taxpayers unions, the
boards of trade, the chambers OF conf
merce and the newspapers. They were
proclaimed to be fraudulent everywhere,