The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-02-09

a poor old farmer" as some had bee
called. Four years ago this Who'll
8 matter was ventilated in the State an
: discussed on perhaps every stump, an
+ perhaps more farmers" poor oil
r farmers "-voted in the campaign O
, four years ago. 1.-THE poor old farm
, ers voted for this tax, and they hav
7 never asked for it's repea.. He wa
opposed to any interference with exist
Ing conditions.
MIR. Burns, of Oconee, said this wa
} discrimipative tax, and no tax i'm
posed on any single class is right.
, all the farmers pay tho tax it shoult
go to the free schools II used for educa
tion. You are told to p, rpetuate
wrong, on 80 per cent Of the people, al
for Clemson. He told his people ht
opposed tho tax as q matter of princi
) pie, and at the same time was q friend
; OF Clemson. The South Carolina Col
lege and tho Citadel have not beer
crippled, and they get direct appro
priations. He was in favor of giving
Clemson College all the money thai
was actually needed to run the institu
tion on the proposed lines. MIR. Burns
said President Craighead had gone
through his COUNT making speeches
and had spoken of farmers as peanut
politicians"
Mr.. Kinard, of Abbeville, said he
had only one son, and he was studying
Latin and Greek. He was surprised
to hear any farmer speak'against Glenn
son College, for to destroy this tax will
be to cripple Clemson, which was
started in response TO an agricultural
demand. He has never heard of a
going to Clemson. MIR. Kinard at
tended every meeting, and nov T. heard
any one speak against the tax.
Mr.. Robinson, of Anderson, said the
matter was an issue in the campaign
In his county. He was opposed to any
special tax-therefore to the privilege
tax.
Mr.. Wilson. Of Sumter, said il the
tax Is abolished the revenue OF the
| State Is reduced, and the saving to tho
farmer will be small. This isua privi-
| lege tax On q special class and should
not obtain. Clemson's doors are open
to all classes, so it is not voluntary
| tax by farmers for their own use. One
fourth of the privilege is paid by tho
colored farmer, and they have no
chance OF going to Clemson, but thoy
have no possible ground for complaint.
He favored all State and every other
| college and every class of education.
He was and has been stanch friend
| OF Clemson, but she should stand or
fall like every other State institution
Mr.. Garris, Of Colleton, believed the
demand for the repeal of the tax came
from rnisapprehension of the facts.
While the motive Of the bill is pure
and honest it is not on the right line.
The farmers Of South Carolina have
anything come here and said SO, and
put it in the platform OF the Democratic
party. Prior to 1883 there was "pro.
lection tax, most of which was used to
pay salaries. ae said nearly million
dollars had been spent on Clemson,
and this was q purely farmers college,
aud they want the College and the tax.
In the first place q One-cent tax will
not pay for inspection. 1t now costs
81, ,533.S2 to pay the actual expenses Of
the examinations, and to have the
examinations separately made would
cost more, as the general salaries
ing in tho analysis. 1t is argued that
a reduction of the tax will be that
much reduction in price to the con-
sumer. Ii tho rules cited in argument
are to apply, why rot ask for your
cotton what you want? The farmer
cannot fix fertilizer prices. Capital
regulates those prices, and will con-
time to do 80 with or without o priv
ilege tax. He hoped for consistency.
The tax should be left alone.
MIR. Mauldin, OF Pickcns, denied that
those who favored tho bill had any in
tention OF ipjnring Clemson. He want
od equal rights to all. Give us all
institutions on an equitable basis.
Don't tax any class for any special
purpose. Thore is no justice in il.
Let every man go into his own pocket
and pay his just proportionate share
at oil such institutions.
MIR. Asbill, OF Lexington, said that
liquors, tobaccOs and fertilizers were
all the articles used here that had TO
stand a privilege tax. Farmers have
to use fertilizers ana it is wrong to
tax necessities. As the representa-
tive Of the farmers he would protest
against taxing any necessity. He fa-
vored Clemson, but wanted this ques.
tion relieved Of Clemson, and he op-
posed the bill on general principles.
Mr.. Epps, OF York, as q farmer. said
would be to abolish Clemson College.
The intention may not be to cripple
Clemson, but the repeal OF the law will
have that effect. He paid the taxes
and favored doing 80.
Mr.. r. ID. Smith, OF Sumter, wanted
to see members lay aside all class feel
ing. There are $50 boys at Clemson.
This, heShought, was e. small attend
ance. Thousands and thousands would
like to go to Clemson, but cannot, as
they are shackIed by poverty aud are
| unable to attend. If ClemsOn's list
wore examined il would be found that
nine in ten would be able to pay heir
| way. Mr.. Smith said the tax was un-
just IN principle and equity and should
not be imposed, as at present
Mr.. Skinner, of Bsrnwell, said that
when he heard mon favoring the bill
and being friends Of Clemson he felt
like saying: God save Clemson from
her friends" Clemson was the VIC
tory of the farmers and they should
not go backward In their great strug-
gle. When the first bill was passed it
was at the instance Of the farmers, and
they have never desired change. II
you are friends of Clemson you had
better let this thing alone. Those
who have opposed Clemson will by
such a victory rs this have courage to
keep up their fight against Clemson.
Mr.. Sullivan said that tho same
farmers convention OF 1886 that direct
ed tho privilege tax to go to farmers
college obligated itself 10 abolish the
Citadel and had not done so.
Mr. Magill suggested there had
been enough debate and called for the
previous question. The call was sus
tained, and then MIR. Ashley called foi
the yeas and nays on the motion tt
t.,tly1 NlNN r A.