The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-10-27
TILLMAN'S STATEMENT,

TILLMAN'S STATEMENT.
"a SMALL TAX PAYERS FIGURES KNOCK
ED INTO P1.
The Distinguished Farmer Gives
Some Examples in Arithmetic,
which the Efficient BoOkkeeper
Will Find Difficult to Rub Out.
To the Editor of The Neps and Courier:: The
Weekly Ne,0s and Courier of the 18th of Octo-
ber, Just received. brings me the artlcie OF
"Small Taxpayer" and your editoriai on LIZ, rEe
same together with the account OF the CAM
paign meeting at Spartanburg, In which with
out being mentioned specially, Farmer Till
man and his "charges' arc plainly alluded TO-
/ I have stirred up a hornets nest and am CATCH
| ing it on all sides. feel that am right.
know that am honest, and although the un-
equal fght-one farmer against the field
wakes hotter and hotter WI, VIII never yer oeserI e
can sustain myself with "facts and nSurcs
III I am m not through with the Joynes matter
and the analysis Of fertilizers, etc, but am
waiting for some proof which has been prom
i<ed me. will in n few days set that "spccitic
charge" in its true light before the people
other assaiiants on the subject Of the increase
in taxes from 1880 to 1885. In the first place.
| | wish to make the issue perfectly ploir and
unmistakab!e. l have never nttckeu tne
ment," as charged by '"omall Taxpayer
have never used the word corruption" or
anything which would imply itin connection
ed extrnvagance and "imbecilty," but it can
not be shown that have ever separated the
legislative from tile executive branch OF the
alene for the ills we bear. Iheattempt, then,
so industriously made to place me In q false
position before the people, should be stopped.
merely as matter Of fair play While have
words uttered or wrote, may have used
some TINT could as well have been left out. |
have reason for the f,it that Is In me, ana
| facts to back all specific charges; Another
thing; II will not do To try, by implication
even, to make 1t appear that those who agree
with ME as to the management OF our public
affairs are not good Democrats and have not
git the right tn eriticise. In South Carolina
Democracy means white suprennacy-nuthlng
more; and every sensible man recognizes this
as necessity to the preservation of our civiii-
ah,; ahnve suspicion." 1t is Idle to try to
accuse us OF antngonizing the Democratic par.
ty because we exercise our rights us citizens
to find fault with It's management
The Democratic party Is not on trial ana no
defence of 1t is needed. Therefore, those who
! have been commissioned as It's standard bear
ers display poor taste and less Judgment 10
seek to crush md silence all criticism OF Its
Admin n istration during The past five years, by
mere assertion. II Is the history OF all gov
ernments that where only ono party exists
ereSpS II Sare or seG aH feacs
the latter stage, and the other Is not 1ir on
unless q change takes place: 1t rankles IN
some mems minds because have Ls used wdrG dnG
better expresses the condition Of that large
and overwhelming majority OF Democraiic
voters who "pay taxes and vote tue tlCket
without ever seeing or hearing the men They
are to vote for till after they are nominated?
| How better shall describe the peanut bri-
sade" in the General Assembly, who know
| little about our laws or constitution, and are
been manipulated by the sharp city chaps,
like clay in the pottcr's hands? Of,en with
out knowing 1T. Why do we cling TO our Rad-
ical constitution and the expensive and cum.
bersome county governments left us ny our
| Yankee masters? The government was f'sh-
: ioned by scalawags aud negroes to rob and OPP
press taXpayers nnd seems 10 ne Kept @ oeGauie hi
own consent TO stop the numerous leaks IN
the treasury left by their predecessors, the
Radicals
! Is the almighty dollar alone worshipped?
why is that cancer on the bUdy polite, eating
| and gnawing its way into every taxpayers
pocket, the trial Justice system, not amended
or abolished? because 1t brings grist To the
| legal mill aud keeps full docket from which
tho lawyers can hope TO turn an honest PEN
nyP Costs, constable tees, "clouds of with ness-
es,'' where one would do, petty negro fights
w "35 cents per dfem'' dieting bills, this is the
way the money goes, We poor "imbecile' DEM
ocrsts. hut the oligarcy OF lawyers who run
the Legisatnre ana the reIv Slats T1'erl''a T hane
been asked to tell who constitute the "oligar.
chy'' we arc going 10 inject at Phiiippi.'
Well, here they are and no misttke; but the
.'Ring" about which am asked TO explain Is
made up of all sorts and kinds OF men,, and
Families every county. know them when
see them, but the list is too long and large TO
give 1t here. small IaXpayer' beIonpS 10 u; ~;
I am sure, and while he pays small tax
/ and claims to hail from Berkeley. feel sntis-
fled lie Is also y taX-eater, anu grabs his "pota-
toes' out of the State bank.
''The voice Is tie voice Of JACOB, but tho
hand is the hand Of Esau." But this gentle
man, be he taxpayer or tax-ealcr, has done
me real kindness. lie accuses me oi oelnS
illogical AID unjust ana ls Iat loss ,SS 10 o
Well, as have said before, got it from the
Comptroller's reports, and unless that Office
keeps two sets OF books. one TO puollsh 1or the
Legislature and the other 10 furnish we "mer-
cenary scrlbLlers" when wanted 10 annihi.
late O presumptuous farmer who darcs TO crit
icise. I would like to know how so many
men, all claiming to get their information
from its reports, arrive at different conclu-
sions. / have only two reports. those for ~
and 'S5, and here Is how prove by them that
our State taxes are S320,00O more In ~ than 80.
| III,
lures" and did not say they were SsNLOD
"morc than was necessary" as was charged
BY Sparianburg. =,
Here are the Figures" and I defy "Small
Taxpayers" or the Neus and Courier, both of
whom have accused me Of ftlsifying the rec
! ord, to deny or disprovc their accuracy; Sta
| tisticlans can provo almost anythicg by fig.
ures, and the Two men who claim TO have
"uisproyeu by assertion by my own witness,
may have misled the Netrs and Co'uter, but
would suggest that you do not take things on
trust about me any more, and examine the
record yourself, unless you wish the NeWs
and Courier 10 be considered the organ of the
"Ring," who are trying so hard to crush ME.
Here are the figures:
| On mage l6 comptrOller'S report for
1881 find the total assessment sta
ted as ,uU-,coi
The tax levy was ~ mills, giving
the state lax as.,....,.,........ 6;o0lS
4 The phosphate royalty was s... G5,357
| Total for r1SS0..-.............-..S G97,3SJ
On page 81, report for 1885, the total
assessment iS put
tax of. sil,5 ,52f
The phosphate royalty was............ l76,2H
Total for 1ss5....................s 1Ol7,77C
Deduct 1880 ............................ G97, ,3Sj
Is iIaIlce....... o-o.oSu
] cid not take the trouble to find out how
much OF the two ieries was collected, 0I
where the money goes. The percentage oi
mistakes aud nulla-bOna returns is about the
same in both years. Judge
IL will be claimed that there IS large surplus
In the treasury. Well so there was, cSli
ed last October ut 1924 900 in round numbers
But it, is the accumulation Of several years, II
not of 1875, alone; and, besides, we taxpayers
who are not taX-ea crs, are afraid OF large sur
It,. hn,.. - fphx = rl N n