The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-03-10

bill at this session. Mr.. Henderson
had not spoken on the bill only as a
necessity. Mr.. Henderson and he
then had an exchange of remarks in
which Mr.. Henderson said if next year
there was a deficit he would vote for
the bill.
MIR. May6eld continued that there
was nothing in the constitution to
prohibit this tax. It was necessity.
The income from the phosphate indus
try had decreased to such an extent
that it no longer furnished any reve-
nue. for the government. Something
had to be done. He submitted that
the poor man who paid taxes on $500
worth of prope rty paid more in pro-
portion than the rich. There were
many wealthy men in the State who
paid no tax. It was but just, fair and
right that they should pay for the pro-
lection they received.
Mr.. Ragsdale quoted the saying OF
Benjamin Franklin that we should
not put off until tomorrow that which
we can do today, and also the saying
of Aaron Burr that we should not do
today that which we can put OFT until
tomorrow. He said that both sayings,
paradoxical as it might seem, when
rightly interpreted, embodied much
of wisdom. Franklin's idea was that
industry should be placed above all
things. Burr's idea was that in mat.
ters of grave consequence delay will
disclose reasons why action should
not be taken. He thought this q
proper couse for the application OF
Burr's maxim. The bill was one OF
great importance and it had not been
considered by the people. Nothing
could be lost by continuing the bill,
to the end that it might he discussed
by the press and the people. He said
that he would favor an income tax
under proper limitations, if it could
be shown to be necessary, but that in
comes below the cost of living should
not in any case be taxed. That the
people of this State were not wealthy,
and if the tax should be fixed at
figure where an income tax might be
justified that it would in that case
yield no revenue. He said that a tax
levied on incomes was double taxa
ton.
The vote to continue stood IA to IA
and the lieutenant governor cast the
deciding vote against continuance.
The vote was as follows:
Yeas-Brown, Buist, Douglass, f,
Griffith, Henderson. Mcdaniel, Miller,
Moses. Mower, Ragsdale, Sloan, Tai
bird, Turner, Walker-14.
Nays-Alexander. Archer, Connor,
DuBose, Hay, Mayfeld, Norris,
O'Dell, Pettigrew, Ragin, Sanders,
Stackhouse, Suddath, Willlams-14.
Senators Love, McCalla and Dennis
we're paired with absent senator's on
this bill and hence did not vote. The
two first announced that they would
have voted for the bill and the matter
against it if they had been so paired.
When the refusal to continue the
bill was announced, Mr.. Buist moved
to strike out the enacting word OF the
bill. After q long and windy debate
the vote on Mr.. Buist's motion to strike
out the enacting words of the bill
was taken and resulted in its failure
by the following vote:
Yeas-Brown, Buist, Henderson,
Miller, Moses, Mower, Ragsdale,
Turner, Walker-9.
Nays-Alexander, Archer, Connor,
Douglass, Dubcse, Griffith, Hay,
Mayfeld, Mcdaniel, Norris, O'Dell,
Pettigrew, Ragin, Sanders, Sloan,
Stackhouse, Suddath, Talbird, Will
iams-19.
Mr.. Henderson offered an amend
ment that 81, 500 instead of 81, 200 be
made the minimum income on which
the income tax should be levied. He
thought that if there was to be an in
come tax it should bs laid on those
able to bear it and not on those who
were the bulwark of the country. A
man who by industry and frugality
had managed to raise his income to
$1,000 should not be made to pay.
This income would only suffice to sup.
port his family and by the use of
ecmony educate his children.
Mr.. Mayield arose to demonstrate
that the horny-handed farmers would
not be affected so much by the bill.
He pointed out that it was on the
farmers net income and not his gross.
Mr.. Mower said, as he understood,
the cardinal principle of taxation was
that it should be just and equitable.
He believed that the only way to
do this was to make every man pay
the same per cert. on his income.
Because man had q large income it
was not right that he should be made
to pay larger per cent. He offered
an amendment to provide an income
tax of per cent. to be imposed on all
incomes. By vote of 26 to 2 this
was killed, only MIR. Buist and Mr..
Mower voting for it.
Mr.. Henderson's s amendment TO sub
stitute So 500 for 81, 200 as the initial
income received the following vote:
Yeas-Archer, Connor, Douglass,
Hay, Love, Mayfeld, Mcdaniel,
Mower, Pettigrew, Sanders, Suddath.
Williams
Nays-Alexander, Brown, Buist,
DuBose, Griffith, Henderson, Moses,
Norris, O'Dell, Raging, Ragsdale,
Sloan, Stackhouse, Talbird walker
15.In the Senate on Tuesday Mr.. Grif-
filth called up the dispensary bill and
offered an amendment to enable
any person to make brandy or wine
from his own fruit and sell same. On
motion of Mr.. Archer this was tabl-
ed. Mr. Sloan offered an amendment to
authorize the State board of control to