The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-13
Wednesday, Jan. 13, 1886.
Represcntntion aad Taxation.

A correspondent, whose thoughtful letter
was published yesterday, advises that the con
sttution of the State be so amcnded that poit
population and property shall be speclllc;ails
Represented in the stale Legislature, as wa,
the law in South Carolina from lSOS 10 lSbe
The prime reason for the proposition Is the ne
cessy Of protccting me propc'1yMsa.g , ~ o craS'
from The raids of those who haze ttttte or no prop
crty. and oho pay no tGre".
There is great complaint already in the state
ON the subject Of the incidence OF taxation by
reason of the inequality of assessment. IL
facts count for anything in political calcua
tions South Carolina is IN danger, as no otht1
State is, Of being taxed at Will by voters VINO
pay no taxes. The plan which mas been sue,
united will protect the people against this, anu
nowhere is such protection more necessary,
we imagine, than in the upper part OF the
State. AS well rs can be judged. the majority
OF the voting population is to be found IN the
lower counties. And these counties. by repre-
sentaton in proportion to population alone,
can control South Carolina legislation.
We have no doubt that the proposition 70
amend the Constitution will excite surprise,
and it IS not unlikely that needless persons
will deride it and even denounce 1t; but the
white people of the State-the loor'e7ty' 'hotdt"g
no better safeguard than that which Ras been
observation-disclosures and Courier.
The theory of the Ne,rs ana Courier. may be
very palatable to the "weathy and intelll'
gent Charlestonians, but countrymen with
limited education and a small taxable proper
ty will hardly take to the plan of giving the
rich people the entire control of this country.
Our experience in that business is too recent.
While we believe that quite number OF per-
sons in this State look to the Ners and Courier
to do their thinking, and follow its lead with
out doubling the correctness Of the position OF
their file leader. yet we cannot believe there
is any danger Of that paper and the city OF
olo |, Ia
of the up-country that they are less worthy OF
representation in the General Assembly than
are those elegant citizens who reside on the
coast, and boast Of their "wealth and intelli-
gence." The arrogance and presumption OF
any community setting itself up'aS being more
worthy of representation than another is not
easily understood, and if we understand the
tone and tems er of our people they Will resist
the aggression Of Charleston which would per-
manently deprive us of the full rights of citi-
zenship because they happened to be less for
tunate in the possession of this worlds goods.
The presumption is that before the law eV-
cry man in the state is the equal of any other
man, and we fail to understand why Charles
ton should now seek to increase her unjust
representation, instead of surrendering the
powers which do not of right belong TO her.
Such course as is proposed by the Ncws and
Courier furnish the country people with an
other unmistakabe evidence that they should
watch Charleston. In the election Of men,
.bers to the Legislature the country people
should be sure that they elect Senators and
Representatives to represent them and not to
pander to the greed of Charleston. The man
who can see nothing in this State outside of
Charleston, is, in our opinion, no fit person to
become Legislator. Charleston, we believe.
would deprive us of our citizenship If she
could thereby assume entire and absolute con-
trol Of the State.
According to Charleston's proposition, If
Vanderbilt had been citizen of South Caro-
lima his wealth, together with the satellites
that usually gather around wealth and power,
would have secured to him almost an absolute
control Of the State. In like manner Charles
ton, 1t seems to us, now has almost entire con-
troll of the government. Her "wealth and in
teligence" and her power over country dele.
gates that think the sun rises In Charles
ton harbor is sufficient to give that city great
influence in legislation.
The proposition Of Charleston, however, in
this instance, is so monstrouS that, even If the
country people had no more self-respect than
to surrender their manhood and their rights
10 that city, the United States government
would rectify the wrong. Suppose delegate
appeared in the House of Representatives in
Washington, as delegate from the "wealth
and intelligence" Of Charleston.