Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1880-05-13
GEN. GARY'S SPEECH BEFORE
THE COUNTY CONs ENTI0N.

Convention
I am at all times ready to respond
to any call from the Democracy o.
this State. The ties that should bind
US together are greater and should be
stronger than thoss of ordinary party
associations. With us it is not only
a contest for the enactment of a IA
fvoritesmeasure or the adoption of a
particular principle, but it is strug-
gle to preserve the civilization Of our
race. 1t was from such an apprecia)
tion Of the Democracy of this State
| that I, in obedience to the unanimous
voice of the Convention and from a
sense ..of duty that l owed 10 the
county and State accepted the lead
ership OF the Democracy OF this coun:
ty in tn. campaign Of 1876. Bef re
that year our party hadsbeen invaria-
| bly, defeated, but after our exciting
and brilliant camp ign We won a
grand victory.
AS your State Senator | have ad-
vocated the policy of white suprema-
cy, and the. principles of Straightout
Democracy, as received from Jeffer-
son, Madison and Jackson, the great
leaders Of the party.
opposed the secession of the Dem
ocratic Senators from the: Senate,
againststhe wishes of the leaders of
the party, on the ground that such d
step would be in violation of the
Constitution of the State, would be
revolutionary, and would be in effect
to throw away the fruits ofour splen-
did victory at the ballot box. Time
has vindicated the wisdom Of those
of US who refused to recede, and
thereby saved the State from lapsing
again under Radical rule. x -.
: I favored a restoration Of the usu-
1y laws order to protect the poor
aud needy from the unlimited usury
of the money-lenders. Iopposed the
amendment Of the Constitution which
levied annually not less than two
mills on the dollar for educational
purposes, as being without precedent,
III conAict,wi(h other portions Of the
State Constitution, and against, the
s. irit and letter Of the Constitution
Of the United States, and for the
further reason that this iniquitous
measure was conceived by the leaders
of the Radical party. ..e 80.
! strenuously opposed the educa-
ton of the children Of the whites;
ana oEs III the same sSkAal-ts,'rtas-
colleges. favored the passage Of
the act that prohibited the intermar-
riage Of the whites and blacks. lap.
proved the passage Of the act that
gave to the Governor the right 70
mol. pros. indictments found against
Radical violators of the. law. 81 was
in favor. of putting into the,,h Ids
of. every honest man whip to lash
the rasca.s naked thro gh theworld:r
Il opposed the pay of eth the
principal or lntere!t Of the ,irauau- |
lent bonds issued during the. eigl t
years OF Radical rue in this State!
l favored ,retrenchlnent and reform in
all the Offices OF the S ate. l adyo-i
Gated the election Of new judges, and
the throwing out Of Office all Judges
who held Office under a Radical ad-
ministration, I advocated the reduc-
tion OF county and State taxes within.
FIVE mills on the dollar. l am sails
fed that pradent and economical
administration Of the finances Of the
State will reduce our present enor-
nous taxes, which are about one per
cent. on $l20, ,55l ,624 the amount ol.
the present taxable property OF the;
State. Before the Wal the aggregate
taxable y opelty OF the State was
$532. 530,552. Our taxes then lor
State apd county purposes were from
three to fur mills o.. the dvllar. The
valuation Of property under the pres
ent Radical system Is III unjust, une-.
qual anda fictitious j:e; the value
gwen TO property BY the auditors is.
not upon the present standard OF the
value OF the property but it is refer
red o4ck TO what it was worth before
the war, aud is u u.ly valued 1T
twice the amount it wall sell Tor IN
open market at therrsseDt time. sfne
practica. operation Of this systeml :
TO cause the taxpaye 5 of the State
{ pay about twenty ionr mills on the
dollar instead of eleven and three
quarter mills, the am'nnt Of the TAX
imposed for the couaty by the last
General Assembly. Tie system has
driven capital out Of the State an
has prevented capital from coming
into the State. This is dreadful
and oppressive evil upon the poor
taxpayer, for the last analysis Of
taxes makes: those who cultivate the
soil pay the taxes Of the Government.
This hidden and insidious system CT
taxation can but alarm all who are
acquainted with the laws that should
regulate taxes, for they can but see