The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1915-04-02
L. L. wAGNON COMES AGAIN
Answers Critics of License Bill. New
Law Prohibits Nobody; but Places
Peddler, Vender or Dealer on
Footing with Merchant
and Farmer

Mr.. Editor:-I came across this
few days since: "There is a bar
against all information Condemnation
before investigation and judging
from the letters of my friends Nep,
Harris and Orr, l stand condemned,
and judging from the nature of the
condemnation, there certainly has not
been any investigation on their part
at least.
have long since learned that any
action of public nature, by public
it deserves it, to condemnation; for
such criticism and condemnation l
have no complaint to make, am will
ing always to improve by any mis-
takes that may be pointed out and
realizing that when you serve the
people it is case of be "cussed if
you do, and be cussed if you don't"
and having a clear conscience and
firm conviction of the justice, equity,
democracy, constructive and pro-
gressive nature of the License Bill
which has provoked so much of the
"cussing" from my good friends, |
am unwilling to believe that it comes
from any source other than lack of
knowledge of the principles and pur-
poses of the bill, and to that end,
permit me to answer few of the
arguments and criticisms.
Neb says "there is lot of COM
plant about the bill, forbiding non
residents of Union county from
bringing their produce to this county
to dispose Of" the fact is that the
bill does not forbid anybody from
bringing anything at any time or in
anyway, and selling it at any time
or in anyway, but it does provide
that the nonresident, mont -taxpayinc
"dealer, peddler and vender" shall,
for the privilege of so dealing, peo>
ding and vending, do as the balance
of the democratic farmers, producers
and merchants of Union county, do
pay a reasonable license for so doing.
Anything wrong about that? Any
thing to forbid anybody from selling
anything in that?
Again, Neb says, chow much of
such produce does the farmers of this
county raise? I will leave that for
Neb to answer, by asking to whose
shame is it, that the farmers of Un-
ion county do not raise all the pro-
duce it can consume, and thousands
of dollars worth for shipment?
There is not an item mentioned by
Neb but that can be grown as abun-
dantly and practically and as sue
cessfully here, in a few short months
of time, as anywhere in the South,
unless it be apples, and l have yet
to be convinced that with few years
effort and patience we could not
grow as good and as many apples
as North Carolina Or any other State.
He also asks, "is the law for the
benefit of the poor, etc., is it dem
ocratic"? and then proceeds to quote
Holy Writ for the authority that
we will always have the poor with
rs, I am glad Neb put this as he
did, for I believe he is fair, and I cal,
say without fear of contradiction,
that this law is fully as much for
the benefit of the poor as any other
tax that was ever levied since the
beginning of time; the fact is, taxes
and licenses are not levied excep,
incidently for the poor, at all, nor
against the poor or rich either, for
that matter; they are levied for the
purpose of running the government,
and in these days, for schools, COL
leges, roads and the thousands of ad-
vantages of civilized government that
the poor and rich enjoy alike. And
as to it being democratic, the very
foundations of democracy is to tax
all alike and to let all share alike in
the benefits paid for with our taxes.
One of the prime purposes of this
bill is, to stosSa special privilege
enjoyed by the few at the expense
of Neb and every farmer and mer-
chant of Union county. Do you be-
lieve in special privilege? Do you
advocate taxing and licensing the
masses, and they your home people,
your own fellow farmers, merchants
and citizens, and subsidizing the
alien and stranger, allowing him the
graft of doing free of charge what
your fellow citizens have to pay for
every time they turn around? If so,
why don't you go a step further and
advocate bringing in the Dago, the
Pole, the Hun and the Chinaman, re-
move all taxes and because they will
live in novels, like beasts, to compete
with and run all our native sons of
South Carolina out of the mills and
all other jobs and businesses, because
they are relieved of all the burdens
of taxation, and living like beasts,
(Which, thank God, our people will
not do) can work cheaper than our
people can? Is that democracy, if So
I have missed my calling, for l am
democrat, first, last and all the
time, and if any man objects to this
bill when he understands it, then he
has got to abandon the rock-ribbed
foundations of democracy from the
time of Jefferson to this year of
grace, 1915, which says tax all OF