The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-01-19
TAXPAYERS ARE
IN EARNEST
Demand for Reduction in Ap-
preparations Cannot BE Ig-
nOred by Legislature
Mr.. Edi,Or'

Mr.. Edi Or
When | left Columbia "Wednesday
afternoon, | felt that We could safely
count ON I reduction in the appro-
priatiOrs. Today see that the House
laid on the table Il resolution TO
limit the appropriations to five mil
lion dO!larS--fOrgcttinE i'm three short
days the sound advice OF Speaker
C0thran to say nothing of the very
rcasona BILE requests Of the Taxpayers
tOnvcn. ion
And Senator Mason introduces "A
resolution TO receive no more dcprcs-
sing or pcssimiStic resolutions or bills
Listen at this scion: And whereas.
still the farmers and other classes Of
citizens while feeling depressed are
not yet broke Il wonder if he pro
poses to wait until we are all broke
before considering relieTD "Thcr,.-
fore that like resolution bcforewith
rejected and not considered" And
the Senate. instead of promptly lay
ing his resolution on the table, held il
over until Monday. "Of what meat
doth this would be Caesar eat" that
he would deny what is guaranteed
to the people by the Constitutions
the r. ,ht to meet and to. present to
he General Assembly their griev-
tnccs?
Listen to Mr.. John T. Eoddey in
1aily paper Friday: Cannot a peo-
pie 50 tax themselves as to lead to
"tate bankruptcy?"
Gentlemen who joined me in the
cal for It taxpayers convention have
called my attention TO tho press no.
ticei Of the meeting. emitting the
greater part of the resolutions and
all or the tax comparisons submitted
" former lieutenant governor Rethca
They think it means Il suppression of
facts that would give the people an
intelligent view of 10 wthe taXbur-
den has grown / trust this is a mis-
takc-but to make sure that the peo-
pie have the information. ! am haV-
ing prepared copies for every paper
in the state.
At the risk of making this letter
TOO long, l quote from Speaker Goth
rams speech of acceptance, and COM
mend his speech TO the lawmakers.
and warn them that the recent tax
payers convention was gentle May
zephyr compared to the storm that
viii sweep them into political obli-
Won if they continue to treat with
such seeming Indifference the protests
that have been filed with them.
Speaker COthran says: 1T is un-
fortunate, perhaps unmerited, but I
state what | believe TO bc Il fact, that
tn" people are listrusting these rep
r"Sen ativcS in the matter Of appro-
pr.auon. ! have never heard so great
complaints in my life. from the peo-
Pie on this subject as are now COM
.rg up from al parts oc the state,
and while | speak. Il meeting OF tax
PAYERS is being held in this city to
protest against further increase.
IL seems like a dream to recall the
fact that in 1908 | introduced re-
solution providing for constitutional
unit or the amount of appropriations
10 $l,2oQ.O00, which sum at that time
mad not been 'Tceeded. 1t died i'm the
committee. In 1920 the appropria-
lions amounted TO over $6.O0O.00O:
ana requests are now in for over So
600. 900.
1T is not too late now to put a
check upon, this outlay, and if the
limit should be placed at S5,OO0,OOO
Tor the next ten years. we could live
within it and restore "A feeling OF
confidence and rcstfulness.
Il believe too that such a course
would secure a fairer and more eQui-
table return ard assessment of prop
erty for taNatiCn. The real underly-
ing reason why men do not return
their property at full value is the
fear that with full assessment. the
psychological effect upon the General
Assembly would be to increase ap-
preparations and it seems reasonable
that if these appropriations continue
to pile up as they have done upon a
scant assessment the result will he
appalling upon fun one, unless there
were a constitutional limit"
l. ] wish these words of soberncss
and truth which fell from the lips OF
Speaker Cothran last Tuesday could
be burned in letters Of fire before the
faces of ever member of the lcgis-
laturc.
II. w. Dabhs
Chairman Committee, TaXpaycrs' Con-
Vcntion.
Maycsvillc. 5 c., Jan. 1G. 1921. {