The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-11-19

J tax on themselves and say to wha
schools 1t should go. Since that bill
passed the term went from 4-10 to
months. Every school commissions
is having applicants to form nes
school districts"
Mr.. Russell said in Anderson the,
have special districts and only on,
had voted a special tax and that since
has been repealed.
Mr.. Bowman said fifteen districts il
Orangeburg had special taxes and onl,
one went back on it.
| Gov. Evans said the people neve,
would object to taxing themselves fol
schools. He had been told that his law
was unconstitutional yet it had never
been attacked and a similar provision
! was in the Georgia constitution, which
has never been knocked out.
He didn't oppose free schools. Dur
ing the last campaign he expressed his
views and showed how we want to
get the taxes in the hands of the peo-
pie. Suppose the national governme ment
should some time take charge of things
In this State. Wouldn't you want to
repeal it?
Senator Tillman "Couldn't they
levy it with the Legislature just as
we'll ?"
Gov. Evans: "They couldn't take
charge OF the people in the district and
keep them from coming together and
taxing themselves.
He didn't believe that the people of
South Carolina wanted a three mills
tax or $3 poll tax. He knew the
people OF Aiken didn't and IL he hadn't
explained to them during the last cam
paign that neither Senator Tillman
nor anybody else would impose it
without their cansent he didn't be-
lieve they could have carried the coun-
ty.
Senator Tillman said that we dared
not put the school fund exclusively to
the white children under the four
teenth amendment.
Gov. Evans said that was the very
reason he wanted 1t out. The people
wanted to control their own taxes.
He was opposed to anybody levying
q tax on people except when they per-
mitted it. 1t was better to put it in
their own hands 50 they could repeal
1t in year or six months If they
wanted. That was better than locking
the door and throwing away the key.
His people elected him on the princi-
pie that this two mill tax should be
right to apply their taxes to any school
they wished.
Mr.. Patterson asked whether as o
for Governors he believed he
could have been elected on platform
Of abolishing the two-mill tax.
Governor Evans confidently said that
he believed he could. He had advo-
Gated it everywhere. 1t was fact
that corporations and factories would
make false returns and he knew that
when any enterprise thought Of COM
ing TO the State the first thing they
asked about was whether there was
any constitutional tax.
Senator Tillman said that the com
mittee had tried to find some way to
get in Governor Evans idea about
people voting their money to certain
schools, but they couldn't do it.
Governor Evans said if the commit
tee couldn't that was no reason why it
should try to stop the Legislature from
finding it. Who are you? he continu-
ed; who constituted you masters Of
the people? You are but their SER
wants, and must trust them.
Senator Tillman interrupted and said
If the people couldn't trust us we
would not have been here.
Governor Evans concluded his argu-
ment by holding that the Legislature
could be trusted and they should be in
this matter.
He was frequently interrupted and
his time was extended.