The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-03-04
THE VETO SUSTAINED.
LIVELY DEBATE OVER THE BEAU.
FORT AND coLLEToN BILL.

Plain Statement from the Senator from
Beaufort--The Measure Finally Lost.
Other Proceedings.
COLUMBIA, Feb. 27.-The feature of
today's business was the Senate's re-
fusal to override the Governors veto
of the bill for the relief of the taxpay-
ers in Beaufort and Colleton.
Mr.. Verdier, when the governors
veto of the bill relieving portions OF
Colleton and Beaufort from the pay
ment of taxes due in the cyclone year
and whose payment had been from
year to year postponed, came up, took
the floor. He had known nothing OF
the introduction of this bill till, on
returning from a!leave of absence, he
found it on the calendar. 1t had been
introduced by Mr.. Sanders in the sen:
ate and Mr.. Cooper in the house, and
these representatives of Colleton had
Justly and generously included Beau.
fort in the exemption which they
asked for ColIeton.
False representations had been made
to the governor and on them he had
vetoed the resolution. One of the
prime movers against it was a large
speculator in county funds-one w.
|H. Lockwood-who styles himself
president of the Bank of Beaufort. He
had bought up this paper, county OBJ
legations, and was anxious that the
collection of taxes be enforced. There
were also at least two county officers
who, for some reason unknown to him,
were opposed to the passage of the res
olution.
Of the storm. swept sections of the
State, relief had been given to George.
town, Berkeley and some sections of
Charleston, but none had ever gone to
| st. Helena parish. He said this and
deied contradiction. But st. Helena
had never asked for anything but the
postponement of taxes. The property
of st. Helena parish had been sold to
pay the taxes of the State at large to
the Federal government. The State
of South Carolina had never lifted its
finger to relieve them of this burden.
Two or three years ago that section
had been swept by cyclone which
not only destroyed vast amounts OF
property, but something like 1000
| lives. The whole country had re.
sponded to appeals for relief. Mr..
Barnwell had said that she had re-
deemed herself by remitting the taxes
in certain sections. He was not well
posted, but he thought that in certain
portions there had been relief given
from South Carolina to certain por.
tions of Georgetown, Berkeley and
Charleston counties, but he was sure
that no relief had come to st. Helena
parish, Beaufort county.
Mr.. Jordan said he had received q
letter in reply to what Mr.. Barnwell
had said the day from Mr.. Martin,
chairman Of one of the relief commit.
tees in Beaufort county, that he had
received 81, 900 for relief in his section.
Mr.. Verdier replied that none OF
this went to st. Helena parish. but was
used in section as little hurt as any
in the county and to which two ship
ments of provisions had been made by
Beaufort people.
Mr.. Finley asked what number OF
people would be relieved by this reso
luton.
Mr.. Verdler said he would answer
that directly, when he would show
some written evidence which would
prove the representations made to the
governor were false. The only relief
that st. Helena parish had ever re-
ceived was postponement of taxes.
They had never asked for any relief
that the taxes be remitted until theil
!, neighbors from Colleton had included
them under bill for their own relief,
and in their kindness tied milestone
around their own necks that had
dragged them down with Beaufort
i Now the representations that induc
ed the governor to veto this resolution
we;'a false and made solely by specu
latC.s in county paper. He knew that
the president of the Bank of Beaufort,
Il w. H. Lockwood, had approached
him on the matter and stated that he
had a lot of county paper on hand and
that it was of great importance to him
that the taxes should be paid. His
people were accustomed to sutferings
they had made no public appeals and
would not have been here today ex,
cept for the kindness of their Colleton
neighbors, and whom on behalf of his
people he wished to thank for their
action. In answer to the question OF
the gentleman from York, he would
say that it was conceded that the coun
| try sections should be exempted, but
that there were men in the city OF
Beaufort who could and should be
made to pay.
| He would submit an official list that
he had and ask the senate if the per-
sons in 1t should be made to pay.
Glancing over it he found 80 small
estates, some of them widows and not
wealthy merchants, who were able to
pay. He could only find some three
or four on the list who could come
forward and pay their taxes If they
would. They were very few. He
asked if they wished to make it rule
that the poor should be made to pay,
in order TO get what the rich owed
and would not pay. He found on the
| list the banker-this Bean Lockwood
;l-whose taxes amounted to over $1O0,
who was the Bank of Beaufort-direc-
tor, stockholder and everything
this man, who had come to Columbia
and made these representations to the
governor. This man not only never
lost 25 cents by the storm, but made
money out of it, because he handled
all the money that came to Miss Clara