The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-07-22

fortunes Stnce tao WAR and OF tho Causea
have that HeIped Eer Reatoratton.
r. n. pe,pssa ia Efa,k Lesrie's Ne.cspapey.
To appreciate what has been accom-
plisbed eince 1865, and to understand
how we'll grounded arc the present an.
ticipntions Of continued progress and in
creasing prosperity, il is necessary to dc.
fcribe briefly the losses the State has sus-
tanned and the gigantic difficulties which
have been already overcome.
The value of the real and personal
property in South Carolina in 1860.
according to the United States census,
was s607, ,818,288. In 1869, only nine
years later, the entire value of the real
and personal property, as assessed for
taxation by the State Government, was
$685. 8,434 ,553. At this time gold was at
thirty premium, SO that the gold value
of tteientiro taxable property of South
Carolina was less than $3.50, 900 600.
The loss in nine years in actual money
value reached, therefore, the enormous
sum ofS477, ,3le, ,283. In this is included,
of course, the loss by the emancipation
Of tho slayes but there was o deprecia-
tion Of over $120, 900 900 in the value of
real estate, alone. The banks were in
solvent the railroads were worn ont /;
little remained save the land and such
outbnildings as had escaped the torch OF
invading armies.
1t is doubtful that the extent of their
disaster was realized by the people OF
the state. The negroes were still here,
and excluding the value, of their incre.
ment as property from the account, Il
was evidently cheaper to hire negroes
than TO own them. In hiring free
negroes the whole expense is for wages
aho loud. There are no women or chill
dren or aged persons to support. There
are no doctors bills TO pay. If the Ia.
boFer diesethere is no loss of capital on
the paft OF his employer. These things,
no doubt. encouraged the people to re-
sumo their agricultural operations, with
no other change than was involved in
having freedmen instead of slaves to
work their crops. Tho high price OF
who had sold their cotton satisfactorily
Ave or six years before in slave times
at six or seven cents pound, saw no
difficulty In quickly realizihg fortune
when the staple was selling at thirty
and forty cents. The mistake vas in
not taking into account the difference in
the efficiency of the labor, the disturb.
ances caused by political agitation, the
Inflated PTiee Of provisions, the high rate
OF interest and the onerous commissions
and expenses charged by those who made
advances 70 planters.
Year by year, with occasional fluctua.
tiona, cotton steadily fell in price, and
the result of the agricultural operations
OF tho six or, eeven years from 1866 to
1873 was widespread failure and embar.
rassment both for the farmers and plan.
ters, and for those who had provided cap
ital for them.
1t SHOULD be noted that the difficulties
OF the Agricultural as well az the mercan.
tile classes were aggravated by the intol-
erence and extravaganza of the State gov.
ernment. For the ton years prior to 1850
the annual expense of conducting the
State Government was S40e ann In the
year 1877 the Legislative expenses and
the salaries of State n effects y alone
amounted TO over $500, 900, and in 1873
the cost of the public prin ting was $751;
QUO. Otherwise stated, che expen-
ditures for salaries, public asyluns and
sundfies, were S26i, 900 in 1866, the last
year of th old Stats Government. md in
1872 amounted to 81 800, ,00G. Give yeara
Of Republican rule cost South Carolina
o er $22, ,00O, 900, including taxes amount.
Ing to So, ,82G 900. It Is not strange, there
fore, that the number of deiinquents was
enormatlss IH the'year 1879 and 1874
no less than 848,657 acres of land, equal
to 1926 square miles, wese sold BY, or
forfeited to, the State on account OF un.
paid taxes. This, too, was lin only
twenty-five of The thirty-two counties ii,
the State. One acre in every nineteen
acres of land in the State was in these
two years coniiscated under the guiseso of
taxation s,.s.s. 8 ~
The State could go no lowers be peol
pie in 1874 touched bottom. They had
lenmed by experience that they must
keep within their means that they must
pay attention to making their own proyi.
sions; that they must diversity their crops
and rcdonble their efforts to raise live
stock. The rule had been to raise cotton
to tho practical exclusion of everything
else. 1nexorable necessity had now
taught the people that their maxim must
be TO make bread and neat FIRST and cot
ton last" They wega outraged, like.
wise, by decides Improvements in the
tendencies of the Etfte G6reFnmcnt, and
were inspired will, neyy hope BY the prom
Use of reform undeN u sdminis.ration OF
>Avso,"ot Ouahi NStt 1t u. ~ yAN2lkf0uEtn neiP
was given them lps the rireuniatanc that
the declinein the prlcasef provisions far
exceeded the deelj line In the price of cot
ton. In Janusg 1868, rniddiinr Clifton
was quoted IN Charleston at Is cents
corn $1.20 busheI; four IN. and w.
super) $l1 per barrel; Western rib sides
13f aud IL cents 9 pound. In January,
1874, cotton Sas still Quoted at Is cents,
while corr had fallen TO 96 cents, flour
) 10 $3.50 barrel and bacon to 8 cents O
pound.
From 1874 to 1876 The State at least
held Its Own, aud the result of the State
election In the fall OF the last named wear
gave u fresh start to industry. 1t gave
the people as we'll the assurance of Jus,
and equal government as of aecurity fol
person and property. There Uas likewise
an instant decrease in taxation. Com
pairing the expenses of the State govern.
ment as met by taxation for the years
1867 and 1875 8 with the four previous
years under Republican rule, it is calcii.
lated that the saving to the people amoun.
ted to nearly one million and half dol
lars q year, as the frat result of the
election of q Denocratic State govern
ment. Iodesd, in 1878 the whole eg.
pense of the State government in every
branch exclusive of heinterest on the
public debt and the appropriation fol
public schools-rwre $343, ,723, which is
less than the average annual expense un.
der thesame head from 1850 to the break.
ing out'ei the var. Ii was shown also by
reports Of the Judges and The State solicil
tors thnt in The years 1877 and 1875
there we're only two cases of crime COM
mitged by Ehito nersons against colored