Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1880-01-16
WALnALIA SOUTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, JANUARY lc 1880

Oconco, in tho Sonato, During
tho Consideration Of tho Co.
lunbia Canal Bill.
Mr.. PRESIDENT: have read tho tcu IL
ing memorial of tho citizens Of Colnmbia,
which was placed upon our desks, and
have hoped that :his bill would be so
amended that [ could give it my support.
But, Dir, amendment after amendment has
been voted down, until it seems to me to be
tho intention of its advocates to make US
notcntcs voleatcs, accept all OF it's objection.
able provisions. Before stating my obec-
tions to the section now under consideration
allow mo to disclaim having any of tha,
'pctty jealousy" or being acuatcd by that
sectional feeling to which the Honorable
Senator from lIdgclicld has alluded.
The joint resolution in reference to the
Blue iiidgo Railroad, one Of the grandcst
enterprises eyer undertaken by ibc people
Of South Carolina, and which our fathers
confidently anticipated could bring into our
State that "unto.d mino of wealth" of
which wo havc heard SO much during this
debate, has bceu voted down in the House,
although it asked 10 such fayors as arc
sought by tho bill before US. There is
now, Sir no measure before this General
Assembly, coming from my section of the
State, with which tho passage of this will
in the least degree conflict, and ain willing
to give 10 the patriotic people of this city,
who have passed, as it were, through the
fiery furnace, all that can consistently
with my oath as y member OF this body
When they ask me here to be charitable, l
can cnly reply that CLARITY, bcncvo!cnco
and kindness are privileges which belong to
individuals. Representatives should be
controlled by motives Of equality aud JUS
ticc.
We have all voluntarily sworn to protect
aud defend the Constitution of our State
That Constitution, sir, not only specifies in
the plaincst language what property within
her borders shall be exempted from taxation,
but goes further and expressly declares that
no othcr property shall cecr &c cscmptc,1.
There Is not Senator upon this floor who
dare rise from his scat and tell nc that
Section 10 Of this bill, which proposes to
exempt this valuable property ior long
term Of years, after it has passed into the
hands of Northern capitalists, is not clearly
unconstitutional? The Senator from Ian
caster says wo have cvadcd the Constitution,
and we should 90 so again rs an induce
hicp. tcr capital come to our assistance.
llc has been blessed with Il fine
imagination and hns drawn magnificent
picture (tar surprising those which Mcssrs.
Thompson and NaS!e have brought down
here and placed in our Legislative library)
OF tho money and the people pouring into
our state, upon the completion of this
granl enterprise, but Senators, did YOU
ever hear Of any railroad, canal or other
enterprise advocated by talent and sup
ported by Influence which Was rot made to
wealth aud elittcring success? In 1873 a
RHpnbiiHan Legislature passed the act
whis!! this lii proposes to follow, exempt
ing iiom taxation oil property whish
should come into our State, to DO used or
employed in MHnnfac,orics, but where the
millions CT capital and where the thousands
Of immigrants which were to fellow lis
passage? But admitting that Tic cxpccta-
tiors Of tho friends Of this measure will be
fully realized, pray, tell me, what benefits
will accrue TO our State by all this increase
of the public wealth, if it is not made TO
aid in dc'raying the expenses or cur govern.
mont? Our people arc certainly, just now,
too poor and too snuch burloncl with taxa
ton to be casting their bread upon the
waters / have no confidence, sill, in any
Of the schcmes which have been proposed
BY Our Legislatures during the past eight
years TO induce capital and immi gra,icn to
come into our State, and if thc Constitution
has been violated for this purpose thou
canst not say that l did it If the soil of
our State, her climate and her productions
fail to make her rich, she must be content,
for awhile to remain poor.
| do not propose, Mr. President, under
the motion which | have made, to discuss
the merits of the bill, generally, but viii
ask TIC Indulgence Of tho Senate that |
may notice very briefly one other proposi
tion Which it embraces and which, in my
Judgment, is exceedingly Objectionable.
The Senator from Ncwoorly has shown YOU
that to carry out the provisions Of it in its
prescott shape you will have to take some
SIS ,OQO from the pockets of the tax payers
of the State If it be true, sir, that money
in the hands Of individuals yields moro
revenue than when controlled by corpora.
tons where i3 tho wisdom, much less the
justice, in taking this large sum of money
10 hc ruiscd by taxation and investing it
where it will yic, less revenue, if it does
not prove total loss?
The whole scheme Of this bill looks too
much like robbipg Peter to enrich Paul.
have on all occasions heretofore opposed
such class legislation and will continue to