Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1880-01-16
THE COLUMBIA CANAL.

$50.
of Col.J. W. Livingston, as furnished us by
him, mado in tho Senate during tho consdo-
ration Of The Columbia Canal Bill. How.
over honest our Senator may hayo bccn in
his opposition to this bill, and however unjust
ho may hayo regarded it's provisions to the
tax payers Of tho State, so arc compelled to
differ with him, both us to his opposition to tho
bill and tho grounds for such opposition, for
while wo believe with him the Bluo Ridge
Railroad is grand enterprise, and if COM
pleted, would bo mino of wealth and
source of uncnding prosperity to the State,
yet tho Legislature cannot SEQ this, or sees
ing it, refuses to lend it aid in any way, wo
cannot say that is u good reason for our ro.
fusing to aid somo other enterprise which
must provo, in tho end, source Of profit and
prosperity to tho people Of tho whole State.
Let us for q moment consider tho features
of tho bill which called forth tho opposition
of the learned Senator. Tho State does two
things on its part, to wit: Undor Section 10
tho property is to be exempt from taxation
for leu years, and uuder Section tho Stato
agrees to furnish to the parties two hundred
and Fifty able bodied convicts, tho parties to
feed them and the State to clotho and guard
them, provided thcro are in tho pcnitentiary
that number Of consicts. Section 10 reads
as follows:
That for the purpose Of inducing capital to
invest in mills upon tho said canal or canals
tho cotton mill hereiubeforo provided for, and
any other mill or mills, warehouses or other
structures pertaining thereto, erected upon
tho said canal or canals, which shall DO used
ond employed in tho manufacture of cotton
fabrics, yarn or other material Of any kind,
shall bc entitled, and arc hereby declared to
bc entitled, TO all the rights and privileges
extended to individuals and associations Of
individuals in rebate Of taxes for ten years,
in accordance with Tic provisions of IN act
entitled An act to all and encourage manu-.
f!clures,' aprroYcl December 90, 1873; and
tho same provisions are hereby made and
shall be deemed par, and parcel Of this act"
The learned Senator objects to this section
for two reasons: First. because lie Section is
unconstitutional; second, because it pro
poses to exempt "Nis yuiuabie propeFy from
taxation for q long term Of years after it has
passed into the hands of Northern capitalists"
as to the first point, without discussing the
question, wo think the act constitutional, rs
the parties pay their taxes and it is refunded
TO thcm tho oct hc;p.. !, Tho no,,ro or -,
annual appropriation to the company Of the
umouut il poys in taxrs which ,ho Inc;slo-
.pr, has ,ho clc,r r;,h, ;, T., c,, ,,;,
othcr ,ubl;, ,r n,ivntc nrto,,r;so ,;Lo,,, :,
benefit tho wbo,o State. irh;s co,,,,,
enjoys. under tbi, section Tho s,,,o onJ ~
other nriyilcrcs ,bon ,rc cxtondod ., ,ho
Westminster Factory, The Comncy,lcw, ,na
Piedmont Mills. in Grccuyillc. and in fac,
all other factories built in This S,n,c sincn
December %, 1873.
The act proceeds on tho same principlc as
that Which led, in The carly davs of our ro
verr mcnt, to the massage of II HIGH protective
tariff, in order to encourage the establishment
of manu(ac,orics in our country. Itprocccds
top on the sawc wso principle which led tic
States Of Texas, Kansas and other Western,
newly settled States, to donate to all actual
settlers a homestead of eighty or one hundred
acres Of land, whereby their popuu,;on and
taxable property rapidly increase c,. and thew
hnye become rich and prosperous States.
nni when tin Senn,nr snnnl.s or oxen,n.:no
mis- ruYsabye ,,yo,,erty from taxation for ten
wears, VIC wonM ask him OF what value is or
has lccn ,bc Columbia Cana, ~ ,,,o n,s$ and
where is "Uis roiuoLye ,,youc,yyn nn,;I !, ;s
buil,y This canal Car Gr,v ,cors h,, ,,,
been worth n chew Of toboceo IN ,,,c STAT,
and SO it misht remain unless some ;ndo,.-
mcnt be held ou, for it's deyclonmcnt D,cs
the State lose anythin" bv this bin? YIN
;,al u