The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-01-18
COLI MItIi CA AL.

| in legislation, and now from your cdit0.
rial Of January llth, 1888, and having
voted against the Canal in the Senate,
and being responsible to the people OF
the State az public servant, and more
especially to the citizens Of Anderson
County, feel it duty to myself and
them To AK space for few thoughts Oh
th, subject. have no object in view
beyond placing this Canal 10 its true
light, ~ viewed by myself, before the
citizen. Of this State, and if through
kindness in your space can only suc-
cccd in giving the reasons for the faith
tha, is in me, shall be con',nt.
That every citizen may ascertain for
himself the amount appropriated for
the Canal, oiicf to them the following
sums. which hope will be carefully
co'.+oier~i' but, before doing 80, it il
proper 20 state that tie average cost Of
convic,s per capita per day, is reported
i2i cents, and that each able bodied
convict can be hired for $l2jU per
month boarded and clothed The ad
ditionai average cost of convicts per day
in salaries last year $l2, ,llS.O7, inciden-
tai expense, $lO,367G3; board Of direc-
tor and other expenses amounting in all
10 about $%O,ooOoo, will be about 20
cents per day.
With this explanation l offer the
sums above referred TO.
What will 2OU cOnvicts cost the State
for twelve months, 1t cost per capita
per day Of ~; cents?
If the average cost Of one convict per
day for salaries, incidental expenses, etc,
is 20 cents, what will 200 cost in twelve
months?
Wha, sum Of money would the State
receive for the hire Of 200 cOnvicts for
twelve months 1T $3.50 each per month :?
make the aggregate Of the foregoing
sums fj2 2,33332.43t, to this add Sl5,0Un
casl, appropriated we find the appro-
priatiun to be Saj7 ,33243i. Under the late
Act you say it is estimated that the Ca
nal will he completed in five years, if 40,
five times ;SG7 1872 is 1896 600.
II this sum be corrcct ! say il is great
!y in excess Of what our people are
actually nble to pay, even if the invest.
ncnt should prove to be p good one, for
our people need IL rest from heavy taxa.
tion.
Notwithstanding tho estimated cost Of
1900, 900 by Dir. lIuliey, and the accom-.
plished L. Is. Lee, referred to by you,
have my opinion as to the cost OF this
Canal, and yet am free TO admit that
am not Civil Engineer, notwiths,and-
ing have considerable experience in
blasting granite rock.
predict this Canal will not be com.
plctcd with the present force and ulanagc-
ment in 10 years, and that it will cost
the State more than one million Of dol.
lars, and perhaps more than two millions
before completed. If were able to
communicate to the people just why say
this, should be content; the best can
do is TO speak OF the Canal direct This
Canal is q miles long, $50 feet wide and
10 feet deep, and the greater part Of it
through loose and solid granite rock. a
cemented dam of rock and cemented
rock sides to the Canal to hold its water
for about $50 yards at one place, besides
shorter spaces at other places. My esti-
mate of cost is predicated upon the
above, and it's present management IA
we'll, which | call common sense, and
which believe is becoming among the
law makers on certain things the most
uncommon Of all sense. You say consid-
erable money WAS spent OH this Canal
before and since the war. know Of no
money spent since the war, except the
surveys you speak Of, tho appropriation
Of $l0,0O0.00 and hundred and twenty
hands, last year, which in labor, board,
and money appropriated, etc, cost the
State about $j0,00O00.
The Canal built before the war. was
done with view to commerce, and WAS
needed at tho time; this was before the
days of railroads, and the thousands Of
little pole boats on the river passed
through the Canal, safe from the rapids
Of the river, for which they paid the
State n reasonable toll as fixed by law.
This anti war Canal is many miles long,
and cost the State less money than the
amount already expended on the new
Canal, and in my judgment paid more
money by FIR than the present underlak-
ing can or will ever pay. But you say,
no business man doubts that factories
will be built on this Canal when finished,
and yet it is certain that the State has
not yet been able to learn from who, or
from what quarter the capital is to come.
To say it will come is to exercise the
greatest faith, and yet no business man
will pronounce it saving fnith.
Who is it that will utilize this power
when completed? From what quarter
has capitalists sought to invest money in
this Canai7 Who are they, nd where
are they, and what amount do thay offer
Under the laws of this State, factories
are exempted from taxation for ten years,
and if this Canal was completed to-day
capitalists would not only require exemp.
ton from taxation for ten years OF the
factory, but the free use Of the water as
we'll. Then the time required to com.
plete the Canal, the time required to
build factories, and the time Of exemp.
tion from taxation, will span over the
life of any man in the State. Revenues
to the State from this Canal in this gem
Grafton is out of the question. Our
people have just emerged from the late
disastrous war, with bleeding wounds,
crushed fortunes and hopes, her property
confiscated, and her people reduced to
penury and want; whose energies 10 re.
cuperate, ard retrieve lost fortunes, has
been more than puralized by the dishon-
est and wicked governments of State,
under Scott, Moses aud Chamberlain
these endorsed by the United States
government, who in addition augmented
our troubles in every conceivable wa,
Thus treated, and thus impoverished, !,
puts it out of the question for us to be.
queath fortunes 10 tho cnming generation,
and yet we ought in justics to tbem to be
careful not to mako debts for them to
pay.
From such appropriations, the impov.
erished condition of our people, demand
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