The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-03-04

w..
This man Gockwood) was an agent of
the freedmen's bureau, who came there
from the north, Republican to make
money, and is now trying to suck the
life blood of the people. He referred
to one large taxpayer on the list who
does not today own the house that he
is living in-having lost everything
by the storm-but who is assessed for
the property that has been swept
away. He knew merchants in that
list who had their goods swept away,
and who were existing today, finan-
cially, by the generosity OF their nor
thern creditors. He represented some
of them, and held claims against some
of them that would wipe out every
thing in the world they had, but for
the sympathy of their creditors who
stayed their hands. He knew one
man, whose name was on the list,
who had lost 100000 worth of goods
out of one warehouse, and it was upon
these goods that he was assessed and
would be forced to pay the taxes. He
was stating these facts that his people
might be understood. He did not pro-
pose that money grabbers and money
lenders should come here and mis-
represent them without his defending
them and setting them right. As he
had said to his friend, he did not in
tend to look poor, though he was as
poor as any man in his county. He
intended to keep a stiff upper lip and
90 down with his flag flying. But all
that he had made since the war, to
which he had gone as boy, in which
he had served for four years in the
army of Northern Virginia firing per-
haps the last shot fired of the Missisip-
pi near Raleigh-had been swept away
by that storm and he represented the
people of his county truly in that he
had never received any assistance one
way or the other, with the exception of
a box of law books which gentleman
in far away Massachusetts had shipped
him without saying a word about it.
His friends had afterwards wanted to
raise fund and buy him a library,
but he thought he was already unfor-
nate enough without being held up as
an object of public charity. He had
no idea that it had ever occurred to
the governor that the values upon
which those taxes were levied in 1893
had been destroyed, but such was the
fact, and he hoped the senate would
consider it and overrule the veto.
Mr.. Mayfeld drew graphic picture
Of the damage that the storm had done
in Barnwen county, from which, he
said, there had never came an appeal
for aid. He found on the list four
men who paid taxes amounting to
over $400 year, and II who paid over
$1OO. He wanted to know if it was
| Justice to give 16 men back their taxes
add leave only a balance of a little
over 50, 900 to be returned to the poor
people.
Mr.. Verdier said that much of those
large tax lists represented property
that had been swept away. They had
lost it, and now to make them pay it
would be hardship. .
Mr.. May6eld-One of the men on
that list is Congressman Elliott, who
is getting $4,000 year. Is he to be
exempted2
Mr.. Verdier Because there one such
instance, are you going to make all
the others sell their homes. Is that
your idea of justices
Mr.. Mayfeld said that in Barnwell
county that year they had not made
money enough to pay for their fertl-
izers. He thought this joint resolution
an injustice to the State of South Car.
olina; it was time to call halt. There
was Congressman Elliott whose salary
was SIS, 900 a year to be exempted
| Q ask the reporters not to take that
DOWN. He did not believe it was just
and for these reasons would vote to
sustain the governors veto.
Mr.. Verdier said he would state on
his own responsibility that not one OF
those merchants whose taxes were
from $1O0 to $500 had lost less than
50, 500 in that storm. The lost proper
ty is the property on which these tax
es are due to large extent.
Mr.. Mayfeld asked if these men
were not able to pay their taxes.
Mr.. Verdier replied that if they were
sold out under the sheriff's hammer
their property would doubtless bring
enough for that purpose, but he would
ask the gentleman if that would not
be a burden.
Mr.. May6eld-All taxation is a bur-
den.
Mr.. Verdier-I mean an excessive
burden to collect taxes for property
that has been swept away.
The veto was sustained by vote OF
18 to 13 as follows:
Yeas-Barnwell, Buist, Denis, Der
ham, Finley, Kirkland, Moses, Peti-
grew, Sanders, Sloan, Turner, Yer
der, Walker-13.
Nays-Archer, Barton, Brice, Brown.
Douglass, DuBose, Fuller, Harrison,
Jurdan, Mayfeld, Miller, McCalla,
Mcdaniel, Norris, O'Dell, Stackhouse,
Stribling, Williams-18.
A recess was then taken to 8 o'clock.
The house bill to provide for the
inspection of beef and mutton was
killed.
IN THE HOUSE.
The senate sent a message stating
t. at it had concurred in the resolution
in regard to adjourning on Saturday
week, the 9TH.
The following bills passed a third
reading and were ordered sent into
the senate:
The bill to regulate and control
county sinking funds created for the
purpose of placing the finances of the