Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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COLUMBIA, S. C. Tneeiay Morning. AprilJH. 1874. Reform by P?ace?bie Means. The Union asserts that Gen Korshaw nsad these words, in his address to tho -^Ta&ieiary Committee of Congress: "The Tat-dPayers' Convention resolved, at its last -session, to submit to it no longer. ?There is no other mode of redress left no bnt an appeal to foroe." We branded thisss a misrepresentation. The Union, by declining to oorreot this, repeats it. The report that we have seen of Oen. ".Kershaw's remarks is different: "Gen. Kershaw followed on tho same eide, who, after recapitulating the evils .of the present Qovernment, said that the iniquity was so hard to bear, so op? pressive to the tax-payers, that it was the opinion of many that there was no resource left but forcible resistance by the tax-payers. There was a limit to human ondurance, and no one could say, knowing all tho fuels, but what that limit was at hand in South Carolina. They had oome np to Congress hoping for the relief they had vainly struggled for at home. Let them have a thorough inquiry by Congress into the wrougs complained of, and if nothing more should oome of it, the moral effect would be good. The memorialists were going home to do their best to conciliate public Bentiment in the State, and they ?trusted for all the support from Cou . gross that that body could feel justified ..In. affording." rIt will be seen that he did not say that anything had been resolved upon by the Tax-Payers' Convention. Ho did not ??- ejiy that there is no other mode of re ? > -dreflsibcA an appeal to force. His state? ments -are essentially different from these. ?fie hi-ated at trouble as likely - to oome ont of ike oorruption and mis -.:isoie prevailing here. This corruption and its poesible consequences were the grounds upon which he based his ap? peal to the Government for relief. He deayjei-io antioipate and prevent colli ^^i'X^a of any sort. He asked at least for thorough inquiry into the wrongs com /r/u/oed of, urging that some good moral -?fftet might result from it. What good motive can any one have for opposition to investigation? If the Constitutiou is so /peculiar since it has been tinkered that under it the Government can only interfere in the affairs of a State to pro? duce anarchy and misgovernment, but not to .remedy any evils, it ourely can ? dud no constitutional impediment to . 'ncciry which is invoked in the iute 9-rests of peaoe, and in order to seoure its moral influeuoe for good. General X orahaw declared, further, that the me? morialists would do their best upon their return to conciliate public senti? ment. There is nothing revolutionary or threatening in all this. The Conserva? tives are not amenable to the strictures of the Union in charging upon them a readiness to resort to foroe and indul? gence in threats. The militia clans are gathering in EJgefleld and other Coun? ties, as in 1872, but the desigu is to startle the rural colored mind, and make the race rally aud vote "solid" in the next electious. The Conservatives look ? on, and deoliue to give them any capi? tal, in the Bhape of abase aud threats. Bat they do mean to make an issue with this rotten government. They do mean to correct some of its abases. They \*f!iH cet submit forever to outrage. They ? will require the tax to be moderate, the assessments upon property to be ad va? lorem, aooordiog to the Constitutiou, aud the money to be expended for pub? lic objects, and not to pamper rogues. . They nail for no bogas reform. They demand the genuine article. Aud they will have it, too. If it comes through the means of the better olass of Repub? licans, it will be none the less accepta? ble. It is time they were showing their hand. The job is a heavy one. Those who mean to undertake it must bo up and doing. There must be reform in South Carolina. To Whil Dae. The Union dilates upon the prosperity Oi A?doiaou County, attributing it *'to the good effects of Republican ralo in this State." It ia comfortable to learn that there is prosperity somewhere. The peoplo of Anderson, aided by their ' Hue soil and olimate, know how to win success against the wind and tide of bad government. And they are somowhat out of the traok of its main influence. It tS'too thin to oredit Republican rule in this State with anything good. What says the Conservator, the Aodorson County Repnblioan journal, in italics? ''We must gel rid of tricksters?ue must be freed from the government of rogues.1' .Here is a difference of opinion, and most pooplo, including oandid Republi ' saus, will side with the County jonrnal. "The government of rogues" is as little likely to bring prosperity as to reflect .1 honor upon a State. m ?a ? > < The Louisiana planters are doing their best to dam the Mississippi wherever it overflows. Final Hearing of the Tax-Payer*' Case Before (he Committee?Sketch of What wM Said py Treasurer Cardozo and Hon. Thoa. V. Simons. The corrcspondeut of the Charleston News writes, ander date of Washington, D. C., April 16: A final hearing of the representations uf the tax payers' committee, and of the counter-memorialists on behalf of the State officers of South Carolina, was had to-day, before the 8ub Judiciury Com mittou of the House, Messrs. Tromainc, Eldridge and White, of that committee, being present. The fiuul argument oa behalf of the countor-memorialists was made by F.L. Cardozo, State Treasurer, who went over the question of taxation, saying that not only the basis, but tho system uudcr the recoustructcd State Govern? ment is new and strango to tho tax-pay? ers of tho State, though a basis and a system familiar throughout tho Northern aud Western States. lie denied thut the taxation is unequal or unjust, uud argued to show that the ratu of tax since the war is less than it is in the States of Alabama, Arkansas, California, Dela ware, Florida, Kansas, Louisiuna, Ne? vada and North Carolina; that thu en? tire levy for State purposes is only eight aud oue half mills to the ucrc for the past six years. He proceeded to 6bow that tho entire cost per capita for govern? ing tho Stato is less than in a number of tho States, aud gave from the census of 1870 figures showing that the cost per capita in Arkansas is 31.96; California, 31.53; Connecticut, $3 18; Kansas, ?2.22; Louisiana, $3.67; Maine, $2.15; Maryland, $2.20; MassaohuHctts, $0.08; Nebraska, $2.13; Nevada, $7.02; New Hampshire, S3; Rhode Island, $2.25; Virginia, 82.32, and in South Carolina ouly $1.87; and that the entire cost per capita for Carrying on the State for the six years between July, 1868, aud Octo? ber, 1871, was ouly $2.30 per annum. He held that under the circumstauces, the taxation in South Carolina is not so excessive as to be complained of, but that, on the contrary, it is reasonable. He referred te the charges of the tax? payers about the extent of tho public debt of the State, denying that it could bo equitably elated at over $10.000,000, and gave figures desigued to show that only $1,300,000 of the debt was partly attributable to the new State Govern? ment. Ho said the Legislature had de? cided that $6.000,000 of the debt is ille? gal, and have refused to pay either interest or principal, and contended thut of the remaiuing $10.000,000, $5,000, 000 had been fuuded before tho war, aud $3.700,000 of the remaining $5,000,000 was a floating debt left by the old and fuuded by the uew State Government. Iu respou.se to questions by Mr. El? dridge, Cardozo said the question of tho $6,000,000 repudiated by the Legisla? ture is one that thu courts will huve to decide, and admitted that he thought the courts would not sustain the Act of the Legislature in deciding thut they arc an illegal indebtedness. He also admit? ted, iu response to other interrogatories by Mr. Eldridge, that the uew State Go? vernment had accumulated a floating debt of $1,000,000, aud confessed that the debt of ther State, supposing all the fuuded indebtedness is legal, is about $20,000,000. He exemplified the financial calibre of the State authorities, by stating that SO.000,000 of the bonded debt was hypothecated in New York to raise funds to carry ou tho State, und thut, inasmuch as the money so raised was ouly forty per cout. of the face value of tho bouds pledged, tho Legis? lature have it in coutemplatiou to make the holders of those bonds (long siucd forfeited) exchange them, tivu for one, for uew bond:, thereby reducing thu volume by one-half. I do nut pretend to say what the sub committee thought of this financiering scheme, but there is no sort of question that it would be good for the State, provided the holders of the bouds so sought to bo attenuated would bo -consent iug parties to the trans? action. Cardozo closed by laying the entire blame of the present condition of the State upon the Democrats, who, he said, refused point blank to help the Republicans to make the uew Constitu? tion, or to take any part iu the recon, struoted State Government. He "pero? rated" by calling upou the tax-payers to sympathize with und aid the non-tax paying majority in reforming the abuses complained of, and which ho admitted exist, but aro as much chargeable to the Democrats as to tho Republicans. Hon. Thos. Y. Simons, in behalf of the memorialists, then closed for them in au argument of upwards of half an hour in length. He adverted briefly to tho action of tho Tax-Payers' Couven tiou of South Carolina, to tho causes which had led to its organization, and disclaiming for the convention that it wan assembled for any partisuu purpose whatever, or to efleet any political object, then proceeded to set out with some elaboration the mauy wrongs, frauds and outrages which have been committed under the name of law aud republican govorumout against the de? fenceless tax-payers of tho State, wrongs which, he represented, would not be tolerated iu any of the freo common wcal.ths of the North, and to ameliorate which the sufferers now invoked the sacred right of petition, that the Ameri? can Congress, the Executive of the na? tion and the people of thu whole coun? try might have their attention drawn to the subject, and their moral iofluonoe and discountenance be given to stay tho hand of the spoiler. He represented the condition of alTuirs in tho State us having reached a orisis whero not only ruin and bankruptcy threatens, but the very exiatenoe of freo goverumeut is without recognition. Referring to the i question of reconstruction, he sot forth how groundless is the statomout of the! counter-memorialists, that they appealed in vain to the intelligent and property owning whites of tho Stato to help them form tho new govornmcnt. Those peoplo had been deprived by the Con gross of the privilege of participation, They were undbr disabilities. They were denied all voice and audience, and the effect of this state of things was to instill into the minds of the enfran? chised freedmen that the property owners were under tbe ban of the go? vernment itself, and were not entitled either to confidence at home or at the foot-stool of the nation. He disclaimed any sentiment of reproach in alluding to these matters of history, and said they had been adverted to to repel the allegation that tho memorialists aud those they represent deolined to partici? pate in the work of reeoustruoting tho Stute, and to dispose of tbe appeal to political prejudice resorted to by tho counter-memorialists. Supptisit g their i allegation true, it was no nrgumont in favor of .spoliation and plunder under ! the form of law. It was sufficient, how? ever, to say that the leading meu of the [Stute wero under political disabilities by tho reconstruction Acts, aud that no j invitation was extended to them to par-1 tieipate. Referring briefly to tho main i causes of complaint in tho memorial, he showed that tho representations of tho other Hide wore based only upou the luxation for State purposes, omittiug tho separate County tax levies, aud also in cases of cities the municipal levies, all of which swelled the assessment to over twelve times what it was beforo tho war. He showed, also, that the assess? ment by the State assessors placed tho large area of unproductive land iu tho State, in many instances, ut five times its market value. Such lands wero taxed alike with tbe producing areas. Ho quoted from correspondence by lending Republicans and from editorials in lead? ing Republican papers in tho North, showing that the condition of the tax? payers uf South Carolina is snob as to excite iu the minds of the writers tho gravest apprehensions as to the effect of the unfortunate fuots upon the character of the Republican name aud the welfare of the country. Iu this particular con? nection, be quoted at some length from speeches of ex-Attomey-Genernl Cham? berlain and District Attorney Corbin. He showed by the history uf the legisla? tion under tho new State, that the State offioers bavo been governed by no law in the expenditure of money, but that they have squaudered it lawlessly, waste fully aud criminally. Referring to the promises made by the more thoughtful of the leuding State officers of reform, Mr. Simons showed that they were made but to the ear; that tho fatal experiences of the past six years has shown this, uud that they have no power uow to delude. True reform consisted iu taxation ulouo for honest purposes of government, an honest aud economical expenditure of the public moneys, aud the protection of the rights of property, iu the exist? ence of a Republican Government in fact. Tho return to right aud justice would be the eud of conspiracy; would result iu the termination of the rule of the rapacious spoilers, and reuder fur? ther spoliation of au oppressed people impossible. Knowing aud feeling this to be so, the couuter-memoriulists com ? up here with the cry of Peccavi on their lips, aud beseech CongreBS not to iuter fere, but to sanction, by non action, the enormous aud incossaut outrages which, under power of a combined ring, the very existence of South Carolina, us well as the welfare of every sectiou of the Union, is imperilled. Iu conclusion, Mr. Simons said: "Wo appeal to Congress uow, because there is not only a failure to protect property within its limits, but a conspiracy for its ruin aud practical confiscation, and which effectually prevents auy other re? medy or redress. All that wo now ask j is a committee of investigation, whereby | the true situation of atf.iirs in South Carolina may bu made kndwu to the wholo couutry; und it may be ascertain? ed whether this combination and con? spiracy, equally fatal, although under the forms of law, does exist, and then that the remedy commensurate with the evil may bo upplicd. To this, as Ameri? can citizens, we ure certainly entitled. We invoke the aid of Congress, beoauso there is no other power which those iu authority over us will recognize or heed. We invoku this aid, becanse the ring iu South Carolina delude their misguidod followers, and profess to have a charter for their misrule under the sanction of Congress, the Executive aud the admi? nistration nt Washington. We invoke tha honest and moral sentiment of every section of this broad land. We oan, God willing, do no less. We bavo exhausted every effort within tho limits of peaceable agencies nt home, we now make an honest and confident appeal to you. Whatever be tho result, we feel that we have fulfilled oue of those great duties which are superior to life itself, and which, while commending our course and ourselves to the judgment of all honest meu and lovers of true liberty, will stand us acquitted beforo God, our consciences ??d posterity." ?-??-? The TniDMPH of Love.?When Prince Fred marries an English girl, we shall have to pull dowu Bunker Hill monument, to be in tho fashion. From Woolwich, England, wo hear that, in consequence of the Duko of Edinburgh's splicing with a daughter of tho Czar, two Russian guns and carriages, tro? phies of the Crimean war, have beou re? turned to the Royal Arsenal from Col ohester, where they have stood as pub? lic monuments fdr about seventeen ' years. It has been noticed that several other trophiis of a similar cbaraotor have been surrendered by local au? thorities of other towns, and that they are on their way to Woolwich, where tbey will bo broken up. There are vory few Russian guns exhibited at the I Royal Arsenal, and these are, generally speaking, only such as are remarkable for some peculiarity?one having a can? non-ball from a British gun lodged in tho muzzle and jammed fast. City Mattebs.?Subscribe for the Phoenix. You oan buy the beat prints at R. C. Shiver's, for ten cents per yard. I Cad:: will be the rule at tbe Phcesix office hereafter. fiKea! laces reduced to one-half the re? gular prices, at R. C. Shiver's. Italian veil laces are going off rapidly, at 25, 35 and 50 cents u piece, at R C. Shiver's. The City Council meets to-night, for the purpose of electing officials.. The c indidutes can bo counted by the hun? dred. Now is the time to buy a stock of real laces; the entire stock in that depart? ment is tuurked down to half tho regu? lar prices, at R. C. Shiver'*. The PlicHNIX job office is complete iu every reypect, aud cards, posters, pro? grammes, bill-bends, etc., are turned out with alacrity. A largo quantity of stock has been drowned iu the lower part of Richluud, by tho high water. Planting is inter? fered with mnteri'ully. Put., at thu Pollock House, yester day, inaugurated the summer season, by serving okra soup for lunch. It tasted natural. The wings to the new Lunatic Asylum, upon which work baa been suspended for several years, uro to be completed at oueo. Messrs. Howie ?t Allen have the contract. Treasurer Cardozo has returned? much to the delight of the numerous holders of State paper; but whether or uot they will receive auythiug more than a blund smile, remaius to be seen. The ice cream season is approaching, uud Mr. J. C. Dial advertises freezers, water coolers, etc. Everything in the hardware line, however, cuu bo ob? tained ut his establishment. Mr. C. P. Jackson, the "lender of I low prices,'' is doing a driving business. He knows what the people want, and selects accordingly. Mr. Starke Porter, who has numerous friends throughout the upper portiou of the State, is to be found behind Mr. Jackson's counters. St. Nicftolaa?Scribner's illustrated magazine for the boys and girls?is one of tho best publications of tho kinjl pub? lished in America, Tho matter is va? ried?suitable for children of every uge. Send for a specimen copy. The sub? scription price is S3 a year. Tho handsome, and accurate portrait of Gou. J. R. Kershaw, painted by Mr. W. P. Hix, of this city, is to bo seut to Richmond, Va., at tho reqnest of a num? ber of prominent citizens of tho capital of tho Old Dominion, and will be ex hibitcd at the jewelry establishment of Messrs. Mitchell it Tylor, in that city. This portrait is universally admired. The weather, like business, is terribly out of gear. Tho rain poured almost in? cessantly Saturday night aud Sunday; whilo lute Sunday afternoon thero was a dense fog. Yesterday morning it wus muggy, raiuy and cold; later iu the day the sun came out; after which, rain and sun again. Passengers by the different railroads report the same kind of wea? ther all along tho various lines. De? spatches from the West reveal a terrible state of thing?, resulting from high water. SunrmsB Pabty.?Thero was a very pleasant social gathering, lust night, at the private boarding house of Mrs. S. J. Wyatt?the occasion lv;ing the celebra | tion of the anniversary of the wedding of Mrs. John Sanborn, of Boston, who has been spending the winter here. Tho lady appeared to be much surprised as well us highly delighted. Quite a num? ber of friends from the vioinity of "the hub" were in attendance. Refreshments aud musio by a fine string baud made the timo pass delightfully. The Phoenix.?Our name sake, the Phoenix Hook and Ladder Company, had a pleasant gathering, last night? ] the cause being the presentation of a handsome silver trampet to Capt. J. L. ; Little. The trampet is of bilver, tastily ornamented, the bell lined with gold. Tho incription is as follows: "Presented to C.ipt. J. L. Little, by Pluooix Hook aud Ladder Company, No. 1, Columbia, | S. C, April 20, 1874." Addresses were delivered by ex-Capt. John Jeaus and Capt. Little. Tho oompany have a fine apparatus, which is kept in tip-top or? der. The members expect to join in the firemen's tournament in Charleston, on the 1th of May. ! Tho state of mind of the inhabitants of Delta, a village on the Mississippi, opposite Vioksburg, on retiring to rost at night, can perhaps he better imngned than described, when it is stated that the level of the water is considerably higher than the level of tbe land. The town is hedged in by levoos so com? pletely that tho river is compelled to go around it for the present, at least. But to dream of crevasses and freshets must: provoke tho most horrid night mares umong tho people. Phoenix i an a.?There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness. Black silks can be bought for $1.50 a yard?a great bargain?at R. C. Shiver's. Asparagus for gout and celery for headache. A good axiom?let every man grind his own axes. The greatest glory is not in never fall? ing, but in rising every time we fall. Men would not live long in society if they were uot the dupes of each other. Let another man praise you. Don't praise yourself. Repentance without amendment ia like continually pumping without mend? ing the leak. Throw JoNAn Overboard.?The fol? lowing circulur bns been sent to tho local lights of "Tho Party" throughout the State, by some of the frightened ring-masters who are anxious to un? load: "Colombia, S. C, April 10. "Hon. - ?Hear iSir: Presuming that you are hostile to the thieves who are ruuuiug riot with the substance of the people, aud degrading the positions which iu the past have been preserved immaculate, we (a committee of Repub? licans) have taken the liberty to en? close you this circular, asking your at? tendance at a meeting to be held at the State House, in Columbia, on the 8d Monday iu May next, at 12 M., to de? vise means whereby an honest Execu? tive may bo secured. Advices from Washington any that Moses must be supplanted. Let us save the party be? fore it is too late. For obvious reasons, no names appear to this paper." List of New Advertisements. Meeting Independent Fire Co. John C. D'.al?Freezers, eto. Meeting Palmetto Lodge. Meeting Richland Lodge*. R. C. Shiver?Calicoes. D, C. Peixotto Sc Sons?Auction. Capital B. Sc L. Association. Hotel ARRIVALS. April 20, 1874.? Wheeler House?S Koppel, N Y; F At kisson, O B Warwick, USA; W Dud? ley, Charleston; A Pope, NC; F Q O Blake, A Wyman, Mass; Mrs Davis, Miss Davis, R I; C A Darling, city; W A Whitten, N C; W S Powell, Md; BF Hall, N Y; J S Browuiug, Charleston; F H Barnhart, USA; James R Aiken, Wiunsboro; E Leverick aud lady, Mrs White and maid, N Y; J M Westmore? land, Pa; W A Bradley, Ga; B F Bryan, NC; E S J Hayes, LextDgton; John M Ellis, Ohio; Mrs AB Nettleton, Pa; P Darmbeim, C L B Marsh, F M West, N C; J D Cathart and wife, N Y; John J Hemphill, Chester; Mrs S D Brawley, Charleston. Tornado ix Pickens County.?The Northern Beotion of onr County was visited on Thursday evening, 9th inst., by one of tbe most destructive tornadoes that bus ever passed through this sec? tion of country, except, perhaps, that of 18C5. The course of the storm was from the South-west to North-east, and was about a half milo in width, aud as far as we have heard, eight or ten miles in extent. We visited the residence of Mr. W. G. Field, on Friday evening, after tbe storm, aud found him, with forty-seven citizens of tbe neighbor? hood, hard at work repairing his da? mages His fine young apple orchard of 2U0 trees or more was entirely de? stroyed; the large and stately shade trees, topped and trimmed years ago by the venerable head of tbe family, who bus since passed away, were all, with one exception, blown down, two of them on tbe dwelling. Over 1,000 p nels of fencing nronnd tbe plantation were blown down, and every building on the place, save the dwelling, was on roofed. Corn to tbe amount of over fifty bushels was blown out of the crib, and several hundred bundles of fodder carried off, and was not found at all, and everything presented tbe appear? ance- of destruction and ruin. Huge trees were piled in every oonceivable direotion. There was a knoll of several acres where there wbb not a single tree left standing. Mr. F.'a loss in his orchard and timber is estimated at $1,000. Tbe storm paBsed over Davis' Mountain, on tbe West side of Twelve Mile River, and over Reese's, on the East side, and struck Porter's Chapel, a new Methodist Chnrcb, carried the whole top, including wall plates, dear off, and prostrating all tbe timber in tbe vicinity, passed on to Major Ambler's, where about 1.000 panels of fencing and many of his fruit trees were blown down, but fortunately no buildings were damaged. How much farther than Mnj or Ambler's it extended, we have not been informed, nor do wo know the ex? tent of damages done by it. [PicJcens Sentinel. -0 ? ?. Expensive Funerals.?One of the cariosities of New York is tbe mania among very poor people for expensive funerals. The Star states that a fane ral took place a few days siLoe, from a shanty in Ninety-Sixth street, at which there was a grand hearse, containing n handsomely-mounted coffin, and some thirty well-appointed hacks. It is cal? culated that tbe funoral cost 8600, while the shanty from which it proceeded was not worth 8200. Tho old soldiers of the First Empire hold their annual banquet in Paris on Maroh 20. The traditional loaf of army bread was on the table, adorned with a branoh?this time entirely budless?of the celebrated chestnut tree of 20 Mars. Of the 3,000 who were alive in 1852, scarcely a hnndred remain. Toasts were drnnk to the memory of the great Emperor, to the Army of Austerlitz, to Marobai De MacMahon, and to the re? surrection of tbe glory of tbe country.