The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-03-09
The General Assembly.
The Only fractional Debate This Session.
CHARLESTON SENATOR BREAKS
THE PEACE AND UNITY.


Tho Income Tax Measure is tn,
Bone OF Contentfon-The Discus
sion is Warm and Vigorous.
Mr.. Henderson moved to continue
until next session the income tax bill
and submitted his reasons for so doing
This bill was Unnecessary to meet the
exigencies OF the State government for
this year. IL 1t were necessary, II
should go into effect before January
1898. III there was deficiency at the
end OF this year when the General AS.
sembly met next year, the time for
collecting taxes could be extended and
the bill put In force then. This, he
submitted, disposed of the arguments
ther objected to the bill because it had
never been discussed before the people.
There was no demand for it, no expect
alton OF 1t. This bill should not be
thrown upon the people at the last of
the session. He was opposed 10 double
taxation.
Mr.. Pettigrew ayerred that this bill
was right and just and it would be bet
ter to meet the expected deficit than
to wait for the deficit to come.
Mr.. Mayfield said the question was
!.
at this session Mr. Henderson had not
spoken on the bill only as a uecossity.
Mr.. Henderson and he then had an ex.
change of remarks in which MIR. Hen
derson said III next year there was a
deficit he would vote Tor the bill
Mr. Mayfield continued that there
was nothing in the constitution to pro-.
hibit this tax. 1t was necessity.
The income from the phosphate ,iadus-
hn1 90
that 1T no longer furnished any revenue
for the government. Something had
to-Bs done. He submitted that the
poor man who paid taxes on $500 worth
OF property paid more in proportion
than the rich, There were many
wealthy men In the State who paid no
tax. IL was but just, fair and right
that they should pay for the protection
they received.
MIR. Ragsdale quoted the saying Of
benjamin Franklin tint we should not
put eff until tomorrow that which we
can do to-day, and also the saying of
Aaron Burr that we should not do to-
day that which we can put off until to-
morrow. He said that both sayings,
paradoxical as it might seem, when
rightly interpreted, embodied much of
wisdom. Franklin's idea was that in
dustry should be placed above all
things. Burr's idea was that in mat
ters. of grave consequence delay will
be taken. He thought this proper
case for tho application of Rurrs
maxim. The bill was one OF great i'm
porfance and it had not peen considered
by the peopls. Nothing could be lost
by continuing the bill, to the end that
1t might be discussed by the press and
the people. He said that he would
favor an income tax under proper linn
itations, ifitcould be shown to be nee
essary, but that incomes 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 q tax levied on incomes
was double taxation.
The vote to continue stood IA to IA
and the Lieutenant Governor cast the
The vote was as follows:
Yes---Brown, Buist, Douglass, Crit
fifth, Henderson, Mcdaniel, Miller,
Moses, Mower, Ragsdale, Sloan, Tai
bird, Turner, Walker--14.
Nays-Alexander Archer, Conner,
DnBose, Hay. Mayfeld, Norris, O'Dell
Pettigrew, Ragin, Sanders, Stack
mouse, Suudagn, WllllamS-l4
Senators Love, McCalla and Dennis
were paired with absent Senators on
this bill aed hence did not vote. The
two first announced that they would
have voted for the bill and the latter
against 1T If they had not been so
paired.
When the refusal to continue the
bill was announced, Mr.. Buist moved
to strike out the enacting words of the
bill and said; Never before the Re-
form party took control OF affairs in
1890 did | hear OF an administration
measure. That party secured control
by satisfying the public mind that
there had been extravaganza In the
State administration. But since 1890
there has been no reduction In taxes.
There have been additional demands,
the pensions and Clemson College, both
of which are proper and right" He
did not object to them, but the.tro1ble
was that the State has undertaken toe
much. Hereafter he would exercise
no more liberality, because hoa believed
pense. The levy had been increased
since 1890 and the resources of the 1T
tie State of South Carolina would no,
admit Of it. The day was coming wheT
the people would have word to SAY
on that question. This measure wa,
brought up within forty-eight hour.
of the close OF the session, when the
people were unprepared for IL: u meas
ure which was injurious to the interes
of the State. In 1860 the people VIII,
started a great revolution did not hay,
half the oppression and the cause b
irritation imposed upon them as th,
people of South Carolina were now suf
fering under. They were allowed {,
eat aud to wear clothes and tina
was about all. The insurance bill ha,
been passed and now the propositiol
was to put more burden furon tho pee
pie. The proposition wac TO rewftr,
the men who were building up Tn
State by a system odious, aud, In hi
Judgment, Unconstitutional. He kneS
that this was directed chiefly at 7th
city OF Charleston, but that made n
difference; IL was wrong for Greenville
3 it was wrong for everywhere. K.
Mr.. Mayheld regretted tho injectio
of factional Issues into the disonssior
This tax would bear equally upon al
factions. All the people should cor
tribute to the maintenance of the Stat
government. MIR. Bniet had spoken (
the dispensary system. All were "a
mlliar with tho history OF that bill
s;lnce It's passage IL had been Tough
relentlessly, but tho people had SUI
ported themin 1t. The'deorcaee.of th
ptiosphas3 business, owing to the tii
astsrs which Ii had suffcted, had cril