The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-07-25
THE FIRST CAMPAIGN MEETING.
RICHARDSON, MAULDIN AND TILL
MAN SPEAK TO THE GATHERING.

MAN SPEAK TO THE GATHERING.
No Opponents Appear to the Present Gov
ernor or Lieut. enant Gov. rnor--Captain
Ttliman Takes Part in the Speech
Making.
(From the News and courier)
The first OF the meetings appointed
by the Democratic State Executive Com
mittee was held at Hodges, Abbeville
county, on Friday, the goth inst. There
were about seven hundred persons pres
ent.
Capt. James N. Cochran, OF Hodges,
presided, and introduced Governor
Richardson, who spoke as follows:
Governor Richardson's Speech.
The Governor said that be was here by
direction of the Democratic party, in
accordance with the expression from the
recent State Convention, and to address
the people as had been arranged by the
State Executive Committee. Before he
touched on other matters he desired to
answer certain vague and irresponsible
charges which had been made in regard
to the conduct of the State Government.
It had been stated by some newspapers
and politicians that the burden OF taxa
tor. was to-day as heavy on the people
as it was under Radical rule. This as
sertion was not true and he would pro-
ceed to prove it. He quoted from a
tabulated statement issued by the Demo
cratic State Committee IN 1882 and
showed the taxes exacted each year OF
Radical rule. One example here sufices
for the contrast.
In the fiscal year 1884 the total
State tax was ~ mills, yielding 81, O85,-
OGO, and the aggregate county taxes were
81 .037. 600, making total taxation of
So, ,122,O On the other hand the total
State tax under Democratic rule in 1856
81 was but 1882, 600 and the county taxes
were proportionately less.
The Governors full figures will be
given hereafter. He quoted from the
records to show that the actual and con-
tingent liabilities by the State under
Radical rule reached the enormous total
of nearly S29, 100000. While tina pres
ent figures were only one-ffth as large.
Then the Governor, to use the ian
eusee of Mr.. W. G. Benet, dealt with
the figures Ct the States finances at the
present time with the felicity and power
OF q Gladstone" He took up the Till
man comparison of taxation in 1879
and 1886 81, and canvassed item by item
the points of increase and dlmlnutlon ID
the expenditures. His table will be here
after published in full. It Is sufficient
now to show that the most important
differences were as follows: Excess in
appropriations 1S78-79 over l886-S7:
South Carolina University 81, 100, South
Carolina College and Mechanical lnst-
tute $500, penal and charitable lnstltu-
tions So, 900, civil contingent fund 8, ,OO0,
State Agricultural and Mechanical Socl.
ETY. 81, 500, Court of Claims S, ,OOO, Bond
Court 81, 600, claims passed S., 600, def
ciencies Sl2,800; total excess $45, 892.
Excess 1887 over 1878-79: Legisla-
tive expenses $1,000, tax department
$1,000, University and Citadel So, 500,
repairs Governors Mansion 81, 700, pub
lie printing 600, artificial limbs s., ,OCo,
railroad commission $7,S5O, (pald by
railroads) supervisors registration s., 800,
transportation of convicts (cost charged
from counties to State) SIS, 900, compile
ton State House SIG, 100, Charleston
Medical College $500, interest on public
debt $3.50, militia $4,000, expert
mental stations $4,000; total excess
S39, 900; net difference in favor OF 1878
70 S33, ,476. Deducting the payments OF
interest on the public debt with the new
appropriations for the State House, the
educational institutions and the militia,
left hardly the appearance OF an in
crease.
The Governor not only referred to,
but discussed, every item OF increased
expenditure, showing the reason for It's
existence and putting the question
whether the public would forego the ad-
vantage derived from the outlay. The
Governor did all that was possible to re-
lieye the monotony of his ranks OF hg-
ures, and made them infinitely more Of.
fective than they might have appeared
when marshalled in dull array.
He presented bright picture OF the
present condition of the State as COM
pared with what it was ten years ago.
The progress was great for poor people
in so short period in the life OF
State.
1t had been said, declared the Gov
ernor, that he was straddler on the
question of the Clemson agricultural
college. He was here as loyal son OF
the State, greatly honored by her, to an
swer her inquiry as to his position. With
all regard for his friend, the editor OF
the Abbeville Medium, who was present,
and who yesterday in his paper said that
he Governor Richardson) had refused
to answer questions as to this college, ne
asserted that he never had proposed, and
did not now propose, to answer hls IN,
terrogatories. His official duties did not
allow him time to reply to such questions
propounded to him. But he was now
here at the time and place appointed by
the Democracy to speak his convictions.
That was right, was it not? Then why
put him in the position of a straddler or
dodger? In letter to the News and
Courier before his nomination in 1886
be had expressed his opinion es to the
agricultural college question. 1t was
matter for the people, who would bear
the burden, to decide. He then said,
and now reafhrmed, that he was now, as
ever, for any school which would aid in
the educating of this grand old State.
He made comparison between the edu-
cational status of New England and
| IOo,+b Horolina and asked how he could