698 



SOUTH CAROLINA. 



and the county commissioners of the several 

 counties to levy a tax, not to exceed three 

 mills on a dollar, on all the taxable property 

 in their respective counties, for the fiscal year. 

 Other important measures which were framed 

 provide for the consolidation of the Green- 

 ville & Columbia and Blue Ridge Railroads, 

 and incorporate the Columbia, Walterborough 

 & Yemassee Railroad Company. The latter 

 road is to connect Columbia with the Savannah 

 & Charleston Railroad. The Governor, in 

 his message to the Legislature of 1871-'72, 

 which convened on the 22d of November, 

 charged this Legislature with gross extrava- 

 gance. He stated that the sum of $202,556.34 

 was expended in printing alone; that $29,- 

 814.05 additional were drawn on the orders 

 of the President of the Senate and Speaker of 

 the House for " contingent expenses ; " and that 

 the appropriations, including those vetoed by 

 the Executive, aggregate a total of $480,000. 



The financial condition of the State is repre- 

 sented as deplorable. The bonded debt has 

 increased several millions since 1868, exactly 

 how many is a question of dispute, and the 

 revenues of the State are inadequate for its 

 support. In May, a convention of delegates 

 from at least two-thirds of the counties of the 

 State, representing almost the whole of the 

 tax-paying portion of the population, and com- 

 posed largely of those belonging to the dis- 

 franchised class, was held in Columbia, at the 

 State capitol, in accordance with resolutions 

 of the Charleston Chamber of Commerce, " to 

 take into consideration the deranged condition 

 of the finances of the State," and "to devise 

 means for the State's redemption from her finan- 

 cial embarrassments, to place her in the posi- 

 tion she has heretofore occupied unbounded 

 in resources, exalted in credit, and unsullied in 

 reputation." It was called "the Taxpayers' 

 Convention," and was in session three days. 

 Committees appointed to investigate the finan- 

 cial condition of the State examined the books, 

 records, and papers, of the Executive Depart- 

 ment, and heard statements from the different 

 State officers. On the former they reported 

 that nothing appeared to impeach their cor- 

 rectness, " though the door is wide open for 

 errors and disputes." The grand total of the 

 debt they found fixed at $8,869,108 ; and the 

 sum total of unsold bonds $1,800,000. They 

 discovered an over-issue of $1,000,000 in 

 bonds, but subsequently found that $900,- 

 000 had been returned. The State expenses 

 were reported to be far in excess of what 

 they should be. It was shown that in 1866, 

 when the new regime was established, the 

 expenses of the Stato government were nearly 

 $20,000 less than now; and that the legis- 

 lative expenses were then $45,850, while in 

 1871 they amounted to $^00,000. The State 

 taxes had also rapidly increased. Before the 

 war they were about $400,000, but now, in 

 1871, they reached $2,000,000, while the value 

 of taxable property is diminished by one-half. 



On the report concerning the over-issue of 

 bonds, the following resolution was adopted : 



Whereas, By the act of the 26th of August, enti- 

 tled " An act to authorize a State loan, to pay inter- 

 est on the public debt," the Governor was author- 

 ized to borrow on the credit of the State, on coupon 

 bonds, a sum not exceeding one million dollars, or 

 so much thereof as may be necessary to pay the in- 

 terest on the public debt ; and 



Whereas, It appears that, instead of one million, 

 two million dollars of coupon bonds were created, 

 the one with the words "For Interest" engraved 

 thereon, and the other without those words ; and 



Whereas, Although it is now stated that $900,000 

 of the two millions thus issued have been recalled : 

 therefore 



Resolved, That this convention cannot but deem 

 this transaction as uncalled for, and without legal 

 authority, and as exhibiting an irregularity and ca- 

 pacity for fraud, which merits stern condemnation. 



The following was adopted as the platform 

 of the taxpayers of the State : 



The delegates to the Taxpayers' Convention now 

 met, and sitting in Columbia, South Carolina, desir- 

 ing to be fully understood by their fellow-citizens of 

 the State and of the United States, declare : 



1. That they meditate no resistance whatever to 

 the Government of the United States, and intend, in 

 respect thereof, to conduct themselves as peaceful 

 and law-abiding citizens. 



2. That we regard the reconstruction measures as 

 finalities, and recognize them as a portion of the es- 

 tablished laws of the land. 



3. That we look to time and peaceful agencies 

 only for the solution of any difficulties that now or 

 may hereafter exist in the administration of the pub- 

 lic affairs of this State ; and we entertain the hope 

 that all the changes and modifications that may bo 

 desired in that connection will be effected by the 

 quiet influence of an enlightened public opinion. 



4. That the exigencies of the times demand from 

 the people other efforts than those intended to pro- 

 mote the success of any " party," their true interests 

 consisting in uniting with good citizens of any and 

 all parties in advancing the welfare of every section 

 of the State and all classes of the people. 



5. That certain measures of reform are essential to 

 the peace and prosperity of the State ; that promi- 

 nent among these are: 1. The adoption by the Le- 

 gislature of some method of voting, which will se- 

 cure a representation therein of a minority of the 

 voters. 2. ^Retrenchment in the expenses of the 

 State government by abolishing every office that 

 can be dispensed with, reducing the salaries of pub- 

 lic officers, and requiring strict economy in the ad- 

 ministration of the several departments of the gov- 

 ernment. 3. That the public debt shall not be in- 

 creased; and that his Excellency the Governor bo 

 requested to prevent, if possible, the issue and ne- 

 gotiation of the bonds authorized by an act of the 

 Legislature, "to create a debt of the State of South 

 Carolina, to be known as the sterling funded debt." 

 4. To be relieved from paying two annual taxes in 

 one year, as is now most oppressively provided by 

 law. 5. To have the various offices in the State 

 filled by competent and trustworthy incumbents, so 

 as to secure the prompt and efficient execution of 

 the laws, instead of the mode now adopted of select- 

 ing them from the dominant party, without regard 

 to their_ qualifications. 6. Such an amendment of 

 the law in regard to elections by the people as will 

 protect them from fraud either in the control 07 

 counting of the ballots. Y. That the pay and mile- 

 age of members of the Legislature be reduced to the 

 limits prevailing previous to the adoption of the 

 present constitution ; and the duration of the ses- 

 sions of that body be made to conform to the ab- 

 solute necessities for legislation. 



Believing that the principles above professed real- 



