The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-10-11
TWO HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS!
The amount Of the Cotton Tax which Should
be Refunded to the Farmers.
From the News and Courier. I

rom Tue N SWs anu NOullCl.
lS65-6e-67 and part of '6S the Uni
ted States Government. collected from
the cotton producers Of theTSouth large
tax on raw cotton when we had 40 voice
in the Government. 1t is now conceded
that this tax is unconstitutionalan and the
money is illegally in the treasury.
The amount of this tax with the in
terest is over two hundred million Of
dollars. We have had full representa-
ton for twelve years in both Houses of
Congress and yet not one practical effort
has been made for the restoration Of
this money to the rightful owners.
If this money had been owing to the
people of the North, the East, or the
West, would their members in Con-
gress have been SO wanting IN their
duty? Never! They would have
pressed the matter with such vigor and
tenacity that the money would long
since have been returned. AS far as
the South is concerned this question IS
of paramount Importance. This vast
amount rightfully and justly belongs to
us and should be returned without de-
lay. The Government OF the United
States is not robber, and the money
will be returned as soon as the matter
is properly presented to Congress.
There can never be a more opDortune
time to do so than the present, when
there is surplus Of Sl30,00G, 900 i'll the
treasury and our lawmakers are at q
loss what to do with 1t.
What are our members in Congress
doing that this vital matter is not agi-
tated and pressed? Are they content
to simply draw their salaries and eat
and sleep and wake up, and now and
then vote? If we are to Judge the
future by the past we can expect moth
ing from them touching this great
question.
When man has been a member Of
the United States Senate twelve years,
if he has not made his mark there IS
nothing worthy in him, and he should
be retired and another sent IN his place.
The country demands business If she
would prosper, and those who repre-
sent her should possess in all eminent
degree ability, integrity and energy:
and should be in their places all the
time. Calhoun and that splendid gal
aXy Of intellects, who made South
Carolina the foremost State IN the
Union, never left their places to go
home to put up their fences or go a-flsh-
ing. They never were in the pay OF
large corporations. Any member Of a
legislative body who is in the pay of Il
corporation is unfit for the position ofa
lawmaker. 1t is impossible for him to
honestly and faithfully discharge his
duty to those who elected him.
Calhoun was sublime. He did not
even practice in the Supreme Court OF
the United States. He assiduously de-
voted all of his great powers to the full
discharge of all the duties of the posi-
ton to which he was elected, and he
has never had peer III the hearts OF
his people.
The only States in the South firmly
holding their places are Kentucky and
Texas. Mills is an honor not only to
Texas but to the nation. The restitu-
ton of the cotton tax being Of para
mount importance to the people OF the
South, let the question be agitated and
let the agitation be ceaseless until we
get our money.
would not ask Congress to make a
specific appropriation, as we are IN the
dark as to the amount. Let a Court
of Claims be established in each State,
and let the Court 60 from county to
county holding its sessions so as to be
easily reached by the people. Let it
be clothed with full power and authori-
ty to pass upon all cotton tax claims
brought before it, and when a claim is
established to issue u warrant on the
United States treasurer for the amount,
which, when countersigned by the sec
retary of the treasury, shall be paid.
In this way the whole matter could be
disposed of in short time. When this
vast sum is returned to the South IN
stead of keeping it locked up in the
treasury, and l hope the time is near
at hand, no one can conceive the inn
petus it will give to syssHs kind OF busl-
ness. Let thaveestts@s veet:tts the subject
begin, and let the South move IN solid
columns and pause not until we get
what is justly ours.
ELLISON S. KEITT.