The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1917-01-31
representative LESESNE WRITES VERY
INTERESTINGLY OF LEGISLATIVE MATTERS
His Letter This Week of More Than Ordinary Interest
to the People of Clarendon-Explains Some
of the Bills He Has introduced. s

whereby the land owners of the State
and County will pay their just pro-
portion Of taxation. There are hun
land right now in Clarendon County
which are renting for, eight and ten
dollars per acre, and that same land
owner is only paying taEes at the
rate of five and six dollars per acre,
and the land owner would not take
forty dollars per acre for the land.
No bond issue for mo, until there is
more equality in taxation. This tax
question is something want our peo-
pie to go to thinking about. l con-
slider it the biggest question in the
States government economies today,
notwithstanding all the talk about
prohibition and woman suffrage and
homes for feeble minded children, etc.
These people are trying to stampede
the legislature and dig into the State
treasury, but the State wants and
needs an equitable tax system. If
l were ten years younger and had
the strength once had I would make
this my life work, but l fear it is
too great an undertaking for me now
Nevertheless it is great public ques-
| tion, and is on my mind. / cannot
60 into any details how as to my
views on it. have no idea whether
I will be in politics at all any more,
and want to say to some people who
are imputing political motives to me
for writing these letters, that / have
ma designs on Mr.. DuRant's Job
whatever, or any other job. ] went
to the House free and unhampered,
as representative Of the masses,
and if am providentially permitted
health and strength through the
next session Of the General Assembly
l mean to at least make some efforts
at partial reform on the tax question.
Is it right for the three or four hun
dred thousand dollars which is in,
vested in land mortgages in Claren-
don county to 60 without paying
taxes? The poor fellow who lives
on the land and claims to own it is
at least paying some taxes on the
land. But the man who really owns
the land, the capitalist who holds the
mortgage, does he pay any taxes?
These matters can be worked out, and
they will be worked out in time. These
are things which make possible and
bring; about what some folks speak
Of reprehensibly as Bleasism.
There are many matters of i'm
portance coming up this week, but
cannot begin to enumerate them. My
proposition to hold a constitutional
convention in 1920 or 1921 will likely
60 over until the next session. This
will suit me, as it cannot be sub
mitted to the people at the polls any,
how until the fall Of 1918. have
real hopes Of securing the passage
of my measure to restrict the lien
Of landlords to the crops grown on
the lands which they rent to tenants
for farming purposes, and thereby
stop this abuse on the part of land
lords to their tenants by distraining
everything that is on the place,
horses, cows, hogs, chickens, and
everything in sight, even whether the
property belongs to the tenant or
someone else.
I also have introduced, and it has
passed through the judiciary commit
tee, and is now back in the House
and on the calendar, for second read
ing, measure to amend the criminal
section in regard to obtaining prop
erty by false pretenses and the one
in regard to disposing of property
under mortgage, so that the party
making the affidavit to obtain war
rant under these sections shall state
In his affidavit that he is not making
it for the purpose of merely collect
ing debt. This is strictly in ac-
cordance with the constitution Of the
State and is endorsed by several
solicitors. This custom Of jailing
people for nothing but debts has come
to be such an abuse that many mag
istrates Offices are nothing but COL
lecting agencies for a few people, and
the time is coming when, some of
these people who are always swear
ing out warrants for these two Of
fenses will be on trial for perjury.
A great many magistrates are to
blame for this condition of affairs
They ought to remember what hap
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