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

about three hundred ana seventy thousand
dollars OF interest to pay in January and Ju-
ernmcnt, IT was absol lutely necessary to make
some provision which would relieve the State
from this difficulty, and secure her against ,;;
cations promptly. The only eXpcGient, for n
time, was to authorize the Governor and the
State treasurer to borrow money to anticipate
and continued 10 he done for years.
With such obstacles to contend against, is it
not an evidence OF remarkably good manage
have bccn able to place her upon the plane
which she occupies to-day? But ten years
ago, they took charge OF the State with n hea.
W. floating debt, with an unsettled bonded
debt, with her securities going begging al %
cents and not a dollar In her treasury. .Alrea-
dy, they have placed her credit so high that
her bonds are sought at Ill her whole debt.
bonded and floating. has been satisfactorily
adjusted; she meets her obligations dollar for
dollar OH the day that they fall due, and has
no longer TO depend upon the contingency OF
borrowing money to anticipate the collection
of her taxes, All this has been done and
done, too, with State tax varying from 80 10
Az cents on the SlOo, and only once reaching
as inuch as is cents on the sl00.
Now, we ask the people or South Caroiina,
In oil candor, whether the management OF
the finances Of the State, as we have endeav.
ored TO explain it, evlnces '.imbecility" on the
part of those whom We have put. In 0ice7
Whether there has been waste ana "ex'
travagance," MS has been openly chnrged, or
any attempt at concealment in the transac'
tions of our officials which can warrant any
one in claiming not to know where the mon
ey gecs7 , 49, ,o,
which are being taught our people, and Id the
wild statements which are being impressed
upon them, Il danger against which we ehr'
impressed with the gravity Of the situation
which forced us To collect our taxes q year be
hind, and mindful Of the necessity Of placing
| the credit of the State absolutely beyond dlil.
formed by prominent member, determines!
upon the policy of leaving each year In the
! treasury small portion of thu funds or
hand, to supplement- the reserved funds al
ready mentioned, u policy which, IL contin
ued, would enable the expenses of the state
| Government to be paid during the year., In
anticipation OF the collection of taxes. Bu,
already there has been disposition mani mani
the levy. Such a course will be fatal, and We
cannot too earnestly put the people on thell
guard against It. Our finances arc In mos
and and in a short period, If this policy Of the
Legislature Is continued, we VIII nave accu
mniaied enough to bridge "the lost year" -,
! The next Legislature, soon To assemble VII na.
! In bonds In July, 1888. To adopt such course
as we have indicated would be Suicidal. i
would not only remand the State 10 worse
| condition than that represented by the comp
troIlcr general three years ago, but 1t woulc
utterly destroy hope of disposing OF oul
bonds. 1t would reduce the lcvy next year
1t Is II ue, hut its effect would be to deplete ths
treasury, and leave not dollar 10 pay Inc IN
terest in January and July, 1s>S-ihe very pc
kriod when we must provide for reissue o
some of our bonds. We will not believe tina
the representati OF the State Will purchase
The Greenvilc Daily Ne1os "sees' the Pres
and Banner, and "goes" this much "better:"
"The Abbeville Press and Banner publishes th'
letter of Mr.. Tilmnlis nnnny nous nssailant ant
shows by the figures how shallow It s, and that It u
either the result Of renarhat ignorance, or I'M
utlempt TO impose on popular credulity. The Pres
and banner could hdve gone further, and p'oret
th0t the tdres molr collected from ne people er
ceed those of any Of tn years Of Radical dtt'nfits
trotion Dat t,co. In ofheT nords 1Ce are pdyniS
no,c G,u tiLe less than Vc did ,Uiien the TaSc1itL
of our State Government hat reached its Gilman
started the ciriiized G0rkd and shnmtd The NOS
reckless of The rdScalS TO some decrease " f1Id
ton"
We have devoted so much space TO the Pres
and Banner, that we have but little for tht
| Greenriue NeWS. We shall not wnste 1T on Il
defence Of ourself against the charge OF ignor'
ance or deception 1t will be time enough
when proof OF the one or motive FOR the olne'
| Is produced. Neither can we have the salts
! faction OF calling the Ncrs "nnOther," for
even down here In the swamps OF Berkeley, i
Is well known that ignorance cannot 6t
CHARGED against thlS Drllllant young lsh
mcaite Of the Carolina prcss. Its alteration:
! are generally recognized as evid :nces of u:
| ambition TO play the role Of free ltmce. and ia
] wild ulterailceS are never intended to bt
taken seriously. We have no comptroller.
reports of the period covered by the ltadica
administration, but we have t'eiorc us I
statement prepared by The Democratic cXccu
tive committee, showing the State taxes fol
seven years of ltadical rule. Against this w
place the State taxes for nine years of Demo
! cratic rule, and let the figures answer tht
charge of the GrecnriNe NC1cS: