Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-01-14
AS seen BY The SPEAKER
Hon. 7. P. COthfan Talks to Mem.
berS Of the House.
TAXATION QUESTION IS UPPERAOST


General Situation.
Following is the address that Hon.
T. =. Cuthran made to the house on
assuming the spcakrrship last Tues
day:
appreciate very deeply the high
honor which you have conferred upon
me and trust that my earnest efforts
TO discharge the duties Of that position
which ! sincerely pledge to you, will be
supported by the same kindly con-
sideratiOn.
BE To my faults a little blind
And TO my virtues very kind
have never known the light to beat
more ticrccly upon you than it does IL:
this particular time The eyes OF the
whole state arc upon you.
It is true, even though unfortunate.
that in discnrdant times, in the dis
content and depression Of clrcum-
stances, due to causes which you can
not control, the people turn to the law
making power for relief, at least 1or
exemption from Increased burdens.
There is little Of relief that we can
give, little We can do to restore the era
of prosperity in which we baskcd only
a few months ago. and whose blessings
we flung away Hs Il spendtlrllt wnu"'
l1herc is much that we can do IN pres
crving the state from greater burdens.
Many New Men.
Thr great majority Of this house are
now men, whose conception or the dll-
ticultics that lie ahead of them IS
necessarily immature and which the
rctrospcct will show strangely made
quate.
The most serious problem that VIII
arise will be to decide between the
Io,.icullv unanswcrablc demands OF the
states educational and charitable actif-
itics and the ability Of the people TO
respond to those calls. No one wants
to cripple them: every one recognizcs
the rrasunablcncss of their requests
we are drawn by the conflicting emo
,ions of responding to them and inc
cxpediency under present conditions or
doing 50.
We can run the state upon LESS
,,oucy iC we arc satisfied with the con-
ditiun which will result thereby.
If we adopt the niggard!y policy OF
onuroprintins just rs little us these IN
stjtutinrs can :ub#ist upon We very
naturally reduce the present appr"prEl-
tiuns but there will bc II" progress ana
ir no progress there will be decndcnce'
II we adopt tn" more liberia! policy
of Announcements. Of Improvement, ol
morrcss, we can not hope ln accom-
u,ish II sensible reduction.
If we adopt Il policy Of preserving
the. status QUO. nr marking time for Il
period, we still can not hope To accom-
pli.r Il sensible reductions.
These three CAUSES rlrc open to you:
personally do not hrlicrc That we VIII
or should take Il backward step.
Contrary to Constitution.
| In my opinion the state has contlnu-
cd fn, yrlrs Il policy that is condemned
by the constitution and has provoked
! much of the cvi! uf an excessive APP
prourln ton hill, and that is. t" pay Tor
permanent improvements out ~ 'h'
current taxes. car after year vast
sums of money have been appropriated
for nrw buildings at the hospital, VIM
thrup college. the university, the
4 f,,l a.
the fcrblcmindcd institutions. DE III
! Howe ana others. During the EiSt hVe
years the appropriations For permanent
improvements irIid out uf current takes
| approximate $2.0nGh0H.
The constitution provides, in my
opinion. the general assembly to apl'ro-
| priafc money Only for the ordinary
current expenses Of the state. have
more than once called attention To this
and ut thr last scSSiun prepared Il
resolution piuvilin:; for the submission
of Il proposition Ia ISSUE $30on.0o9 ~
hunds iu provide for such impruvc-
m.nts, as might hc necessary. for 3
,criud of ten years; il WAS defeated by
:, Errc ma aiurity in this house. | still
think that this should hc done.
Hears Many Complaints.
II is unfortunate. perhaps 'unmrrit-
oil hut I state what believe To hc Il
fact. that the people arc distruStlnE
these representatives in the matter or
Iappruprintiuls. hav" never heard a"
great complaints in my life, from III"
rcoplr upon this subject rs arc now
cumiur up from Ill parts of the state,
and while speak, n meeting OF tax
uIvrrS is hr!nE held in this city I"
uyutrSt against further increase.
il seems like Il dream To recall the
fact that in 1905 intrudllccd Il rr$n-
LUTON rruvidng for constitutional
limit IF the amount OF appropriations
Ito 81. o5u. 300, which sum at that time
had not hc,n exceeded. IL died in the
committee. In 1870 the appropriations
!amutIntrd tu oyer SGOhU.unO and re-
Quests are now in for over $9.0On.0OO.
II is not tnn late EUw tn put Il check
upon This outlay. and If the limit
should lr placed at $3.On0OOo far the
next len years, we r"ud liz" within II
ard restore Il feeling OF confidence ana