The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-10-20

truth, and is, at hest, a deceptive and speclous
argument in 1868 was a member of the Leg.
islature, and the public debt was taken out of
politics altogether and laid before the Courts,
and levy made to pay the interest on that
debt, and that debt amounts to within frac-
ton OF sIO0,uOO. That debt was laid upon you
by Radical regime and you can't get rid OF II
and we do not attempt to avoid 1t as honest
men. Now, If we odd the interest or the pub
lie debt TO the levy for State purposes In 1865
we will have about SI68. .000, which Is precisely
my office, made the calculation and found
that the taxation is in fact somewhat less
than 1t was in 1868.
THE ALLEGED INCREASE OF DEBT.
tion was that the debt had increased $500, 900
since 1876: My friends there Is not n word of
that statement true. The fact Is that the gem
eral turrei1t expenses have diminished since
that new items of taxation have been added
to the bill OF appropriations, There are the
South Carolinn College, the election expenses,
the Citadel Academy. and the accommoda-
tions ut the Lunatic AsyluIfi have been In
creased for lis unfortunate class Of inmates.
And right here would ask II there be man
In the length and breadth Of this land whose
heart is SO Head ni or eeng gf
love that lie would refuse charity at any
cost to these poor citizens of the slater My
friends, they are your wards and mine, and
God himself will hold us responsible for the
them. But there Is also another item of ex-
penditure, the appropriation for the repair OF
the Stale Capitol. 1t is well known TO you
that your State officers and Legislature have
been without sufficient accommodation, and
your Representatives have sseil mt TO Gull Tor
the completion Of the building dt an expense
OF about $4,000.
All the new items Of taxation for buildings
md 9th N nptv purpOsee will an1Oun TO about
SlS3, ,000, but is this of itself an argument to
show that the tazdtio, of the people has been
increased? Not at all. The politicians, as l
said, have not told the whole truth; They do
,r,, ,eIl Won tEat r. a falthfp' Administration
Of affairs the phosphate royalty has Deen ~.
creased from SlrO COO to 100000. and for this
year have already received 92,c00 from that
source. Did the politicians tell you all that?
No. They tell you that there Is embarrass-
ment some place. and they place the RESPONSE
bility for 1t on the State Government. They
say thai the Government has been corrupt.
Is ne the
beloved Hampton? Is that aspcrsion 10 DC
cast upon him? Is that an aspersion to be
cast Oh Hagood and Thompson? Oh. where
a,e, &c G?vrapY Suuss:Y Myfrc IS M;eSov 9 o,,
that ilk? Gone to the winds, and may kind
Providence never wait them back by another
wind. Whom have you now? You nave
sour McIver and MCGOWAN and Simpson, ana
hearts of every South Caroinian, men as true
as steel and as grand and noble. and moulded
from as excellent model as this world has
ever seen. lApplauSc.]
What, then. becomes uf all the Idle rumors,
the general and yugue charges against your
government? How do they bear the test Of
comparison with facts and figures? How cas-
lily are they answered? Why, everybody
knows that u government cannot be run with.
out money. There Is no business on the face
of the earth that can be transacted without
money. The Church OF God itself cannot be
run without 1t. 1t is just as much law as
the law of nature that the waters Of the Blue
Ridge run to the Santee or that tho walters OF
the Pcc-Dee shall find their outlet In the
ocean. But tits q fair question, now much
money shall b. used with a due regard to the
efficiency Of the Government? If more is
Used than is necessary, without doubt the
Government Is to blame, and II less Is hraiia,
BILE than Is necessary your Government Will
be inetilcient The patriotic thing Tor your
Representatives to do is to find out just what
will suffice, and to appropriate exactly that
amount. But Is 1t the fact that our state levy
is a large one. Let us compare II Win those
of other States.
THE otEsti0S OF TAXES.
It should. however, be first promised that
the assessments are mnde on u real ana per
sonal valuation of Sl5O,OOO,WO. My friends,
the property In this Stale. Twice that sum
would not cover 1t. Now upon this low as
sessmcnt what are your taxes, including tne
In: crest on the public debt, the Lunatic Asy-
lum, and your charitable and penal tnstitu-
tions, and those for higher education? Just a
fraction over one-half of one per cent! Five
and half mills! That Is Tor State purposes.
There are Of course increases OF ahis iate X ic
plalned. In Charleston, for Instance, IL IS a
little over nine mills; IN Pickens 1t Is eigh'
teen mills, but that Is not tax Itld lesltl'
mutely by the State Government for Its pur'
poses In Pickens, for instance, large pro-
portion Of that eigb teen mill Is TO pay the In
terest on bonds issued for the building OF a
railroad for the development OF that county.
IL Is not State tax, and 1t Is only from the
fact that the State treasurer collects II that II
is ascribed to the State as its taxation. AS a
general average the levy Is eleven and one.
half mills.
DETER OFF THAN OUR NEIGHBoRs.
What other States compare with that?
There Is but one-Alabama, but she has a
grcntIy larger population. She has nearly, =
ON,UD OF Inhabitants, while Souln Carol'H'' u
fairly made, taking all things into considera'
tiun, the Government of this State Is cheaper
and more economical than that or the State
of Alabama. Georgia comes neXt. IN Soutn
Carolina the average tax per capita ior every
man, woman and child in this state Is 81 SO for
l,OrO Zoo of Inhabitants. In Alabama 1t Is
about the same; In Georgia It, Is 81; LOUISIANA
slGT; Pennsylvania 81; New ork Sil' ana 10
/ AZ
when your Government Is criticised IT would
be at least proper that those who crltlclSe II
should know what they are talk Ing about,
and Should tell you the things that are, and
not what they Imagine them to be. am but
n plain farmer, by profession, and glory IN
1t, and have never known what IL IN 10 shlrk
the truth and have common sense enough
TO know the truth when hear 1t. What !
tell YOU is said on the buSls of the figures;
state them on my official responsibility, and
challenge any man to dispute them. owe
the people of this State great deal. nave
been for years one OF your officials In Colum'
bin, and you have but recently done me the
highest honor of my lilo. You nave selccte1
me 10 be the next Governor oi the State anu
propose to use my best efforts to see That TINS
Government Is conducted lOr the people, uflu
in their Interests aioEc.
fuE SITUATION TEN YEARS AGO.
But must hurry on. There Is one thing
that you should ever bear in mind. Turn
back your eyes ten years ana see wmrrc , YOU
stood and what you werc-.srrls upon your
own soil, owning it, but not IS masters! me
very men who were once unuer your Protec
ton were controlled by aliens To your injury
and ruin and disgrace, In the days Vi w nlItc'
more and his lieutenant, Dcas. Can you ever
forget the scenes that transpired then or the
humiliation that attached to the name OF
South Carolina; when scenes were, such as
this world never saw before, ana when lis
proud people were humblcd in the dust.
Shall 70 over the history OF those times
again when we struggled To rise above thc
horrible bondage when men for the safety OF
themselves, OF their wives and their children
mnd homes slept, If sleep it could be called
with their guns by their sides ana thelr pis.
tolls within easy reach? All, my friends, a
dark and sorrowlul day will it be when we
cease to think of the condition from which We
have been saved. tell you that as true as
that the sun has risen In the cast ana wlll SCI
In the west, when we forget, or sufier our chi i
dren to forget the times that wcrc-1 tell you
that Just then is the restoration Of that regime
at hand. But no! 1t never can be. God new
or, in His wisdom, guided Columbus across
the Atlantic directing the PROV of his vessel
TO this fair Continent, and undergoing all
hardships--Gud, say, never intended that
this la nj shnuli he ruled aud ruined BY u