The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1892-06-16
All those in favor of abolishing the

Cney were most ZealOuSly in favor of
exterminating this leech that is drain
ing the blood OF our citizens. When
the call for the opposition was !made
not single hand was shown. This
shows that the sentiment Of Barnwell
County is overwhelmingly against this
iniquitous law.
1T we are the first officers sworn to do
our duty, who have tried to equalize
the burdens of taxation, why God help
the State. Why do these men come
snarling around about it?
VOICE: "They only want to get in
Office"
Tillman--l have made table show
ing that with the increased assessments,
and after paying taxes. the railroads
can make per cent. profit. Is that
dealing harshly with them? If the
Ieople Will print 1t, l will give it to the
paper, and then you farmers, while
your mule Is eating fodder at the noon
rest. can lie under a tree and read and
take it in.
Sheppard says that the taxes are $36
more, Very true, but he did not say
how that was brought about.
Voice:,Some people pay now who
never did before.
Tillman--Your head is dead level.
six years ago you would have put your
hnger in your mouth, said vcu didn't
Know Wand-ploughed on.
There has been $16,0O0,OOO more of
property hunted up and put on the
books and this will enable the Legisla-
ture TO reduce your tax levy quarter
Of a mill. Honest men Who ALWAYS
walk up and pay their taxes have been
saved the levy Of a quarter Of a mill,
while the railroads and corporations
nave had to pay what was due from
them, and consequently are growing
about paying more.
Last winter when the price for cot
Ton was low and the times were hard,
the Legislature passed a bill extending
me time for payment Of taxes. This
Oil was sent TO me for my signature. |
sent to the Treasurer and asked him
now much money there was in the State
treasury. He said $4,000. | asked
now much was needed to meet the eX-
penSeS OF the Legislature and meet the
January interest on the State bonds.
lie replied $l8O.0OO. knew that if |
did not sign the bill it would become a
law IN three days and so | put the bill
IN drawer and locked it up. suppose
had signed ii, taxpayers would have
Deen IN no hurry to pay up, the bank
could nave refused to lend us any mon
ey and the State would have defaultcd
on the January interest, and these very
men would have thrust this to the yery
hllt in me. | wanted to squeeze out
every dollar | could III order to avoid
that contingency. L knew that those
who were able to pay, it wouldn't hurt;
ana those who couldn't pay, it couldn't
hurt.
They talk about the public credit be.
ing injured. l try to repress lawless
ness. How many immigrants are com.
ing to Il State where they constantly
lynch people, and where in one County
recently negro was lynched on mere
suspicion OF his having committed lar.
ceny.
Voice-When did you pay your
taXesf
Illlman-The same time as you did,
way along in February some time.
When | did pay them the State owed
me 5000 which / was unable to get.
In 1889 John Peler Richardson and
ms crowd passed bill to refund at 4
per cent. the & per cent. debt of the
otGte, and from that time those bonds
began to go down.
Voice-Theyll go lower.
another Volce-If they went to
cents you could not buy any.
Tillman-The papers Of the State
are owned by the banks and do their
bidding.
Why is there this attempt to force
uo"n: the price OF these bonds and rob
the WIDOWS and orphans? It's an at
tempt TO force down the prices of these
bonds SO that they can be bought low
and the new holders can then get good
new per cent. bonds in exchange for
them.
TWo.thirds of the debt is owned in
this state and not at the North. If the
States credit was really injured whv do
not the IA per cent. bonds, which have
several years yet to run, 20 down in
price? Why cry because the & per cent.
bonds, which have shortly to be fund
ca, 90 down in price on account of the
manipulation Of spectators, that it is
all because Tillman and his ragamuf-
fins got into office; if only Sheppard is
put in Office it will be all right.
V0ice-Wed have lower taxes.
llllman-1 ou and your crowd never
tried to lower taxes.
| SAID at Grernvile that when thew
took the platform they left out the best
part, which was me. That was orly Il
joke, but these ants won't understand
it so. When they stole that platform,
why did they take out everything we
had about railroads and mere substi-
tute clause for a compromise of tho
tax cases?
DO you want to have thom in power
and let the railroads rule You?
Turning to Chairman Bcllinger Cow
crnor Tillman asked how much more
time he had. Five minutes, was the
reply, while the crowd yelled tor him to
go on speaking all night.
The anti who had been doing the
most conspicuous kicking, kicked
against the Governor speaking any
longer.
Tillman-fou all remember that
when you were little children, your
mothers had sometimes to give YOU
vermifuge and you would kick and
squlrm, but 1T would be forced down
less. The medicine did YOU
good, if it did make you sick. One
more dose will make that man out
there so sick that you will have to h hlul
him home.
In discussing the Cantwell case he
said some Of those smart LAWYERS in
charleston who can't realize that the
farmers are in the saddle, got up q case
10 split hairs over a common sence and
4 legal iDtprprptatjnn nF tho In ~,