The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-03-31
An ooen Letter to Hon. ". n. Rush.
Manning, s. c., March 26th, 1915

Manning, .. W, AdiSn "oon' 1o1o'
Hon. W. N. Rush,
Sardinia, s. c., -,
Dear Sir:-I note your published
statement relating to the Timber Tax
Bill" YOU state that "Senator Applet
moved the withdrawal of the Bill from
the Committee of Fish Game and For
e,try and that it be referred to the
Finance Committee You also state
.The Bill was in the Finance Commit
tee for ten days, when the writer got
10 behind the Chairman OF the Finance
Committee lSenator Christensen
whereupon the Bill was placed on the
Senate Calendar without reference"
You also state clarendon County
loses annually from Three to Five
Thousand Dollars in taxes"
Ihave no objection to your making
statements of fact, but when you deslate
from fact you are liable TO create I'M
pressions which you cannot verify oy
the record, and it is calculated to be
misleading TO the public.
There is no foundation 10 fact for
your statement that 1 moved the with
drawal OF the Bill from the Committee
on Fish Game and Forestry and that IT
be referred to the Finance Committee, -
The Bill was in Committee several
days as YOU state, but you will recall
that YOU came to me and asked that ]
ascertain when Mr. D. W. Alderman
could be heard on the measure, as YOU
stated at the time you had promised
him an opportunity to be heard. When
I learned that it would be inconvenlent
for Mr.. Alderman TO go before the
Committee, I requested the BIZ 70 De
placed upon the Calendar as a matter
Of courtesy 10 you, informing the Com
mitsee at the same time, that regard
ed such legislation wrong IN prloclple
as it was double taxation and could not
be enforced, and, so believing l would
oppose it. ,o,
Your statement that "ClarenGou
County loses from Three to Five Thous
and Dollars in taxes'' surely must be
based in imag ination rather than fact,
however. if you can demonstrate or
verify such statement I would be
pleased to have the Information. say,
it is the opinion of reputable lawyers,
that under the Act you attempted TO
remove Clarendon from the exemption,
and Clarendon is one of 36 counties ex-
empced from its operation, it is inop-
erarive and unconstitutional, because,
were it operative and constitutional, it
would haye the effect of double taxing
the owners of the land who sold their
timber under a contract TO pay The
taxes. and not one cent OF such tax
would have to be paid by the parties
who bought timber under such con-
tracts. II you can show to the con-
trary will be pleased to have the 10
| formation.
This timber tax proposition was used
in the primary in which was Q cacd:.
date for reelection to prejudice the
minds Of the electorate against me, but
answered the arguments, and the
people endorsed me by the largest
majority have ever received since
have been in public life. The masses
are not led astray as easily as politica
antagonists hope or imagine, they have
been trusting my Judgment for man,
years, and they will continue TO trus
me long after my antagonists have
ceased their chickering's, and, until an
shown that my position IN thls or an.
other matter is wrong. Clarendon
County, so far as it lies in my power
will remain along with the other 3;
counties exempted from the provisions
of an. Act that in my opinion, can onl.
involve it in useless litigation.
| Now, Mr.. Rush, since you have as
sumed to make statements which
claim are not justified by the facts ant
the records, l will be pleased to pub
lish your answer to this comuunica
ton, and especially shall be please'
to publish any facts that may sub
stantiate the reckless statements 20,
have made in your published letter.
1t is always best to keep the recor'
straight, and this is all I seek to do.
Yours respectfully,
LOUIS APPLET.