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v ^ 1 'V \ * V ‘ \ Thursday, January 14, 1960 THE CLINTON CHRONICLE By SPECTATOR... * COMMENTS ON MEN AND THINGS W'-4‘ What is a Constitution worth? Why have one? Frequently a Consti- tion stands in our way and holds up a stern, forbidding hand. That is ' why we have a Constitution; it for bids some-things and it requires certain things, at times. Who reads or studies our Federal and State Constitutions? I wonder. Our State Court will pay respectful attention to the Constitution when it is invoked; and the Federal Judges in South Carolina are al- * ways guided by the Federal Consti tution, unless the Federal Supreme Court bases a decision on some sociological theory. That, of course, must be .ednskiered by all Federal Courts. ® > ;■ ’Our natioq began interpreting the Constitutionlyears ago, and now no- body knows exactly what the law really is. We are, they say, a gov ernment of law by law, but that is highly politicalized.' In the South Carolina State Constitution we have many clear provisions which are now entirely disregarded. Perhaps the Constitu tion cihould be amended, but it should not be strained or strangled by its friends. ~ Consider this: Section 19 of Ar ticle 3 prescribes; “Each member of the General Assembly shall re ceive five cents for every mile for * the ordinary route of travel in going * to and returning from the place where its sessions are held; no Gen eral Assembly shall have the power to increase the per diem of its own * members. The members of Con gress, I think, collect for only one trip each way. That-was clearly understood from the year 1895 until about 1930, or thereabout. Members of the General Assem bly received five cents a mile going and returning once a year, as the Constitution explicitly provides. But sometime in the heyday of construc tive intellects it was interpreted to mean so much a mile going and coming every week. So there you are: You don’t have to amend the Constitution, you may construe it, or interpret it. That may be a small matter, but it is just one of those small matters which develop into large matters. There are many other sections commonly disregarded, but one or two will suffice for this time. There is Section 29 of Article 3, which says: “AH taxes upon prop erty, real and person (personal) shall be laid upon the actual vajue of the property taxed ,as Ihe jmme shall be ascertained by an "assess ment made for the purpose of lay ing such tax.” I may remark that Section 30 of Article 3 has some little interest for us... ~~ Notwithstanding the clarity of the law this was disregarded and re sulted in suits or threats of suits to compel observance. But why was it disregarded? Does no one read the Constitution? Yet good men ad vocate a new Constitution. I could agree with them if we could compel respect for it. Now we have Section 13 of Article 10, which has recently been submit ted to the Attorney General, result ing in a ruling that it means what it says. Here it is: “The General Assem bly shall provide for the assessment of all property for taxation; and State, County, township, school, municipal and all other taxes shall be levied on the same assessment which, shall be made for State tax es.” Tru jt is that the State does not now assess general property, but certainly a county within itself may not have varying valuations. I’ve always been interested in a note I read in a booklet on the Con stitution. published in 1M5j It says of Section 32 of Article, 3: “Stricken from Constitution by Joint' Rqgplu- tion and an Act 1944 (1945). How can that be? Since when may the General Assembly strike out a section of the CbhstitutionT • '“'■fhinking of constitutions, much of ment is based on strained interpre- the activity of the Federal Govern- tations of the Federal Constitution; and some other activities seem to be gross perversions of the prin ciples of American history. The Income Tax, for example, is based on the _ 16th Amendment, which reads: “The Congress shall have the power to levy and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, etc.” But nothing in that authorizes or justifies a general imposition based on net worth. It would not require a metaphysicist to prove that as sessing net worth is not strictly the same as a tax imposed on income. Furthermore, the graduated in come tax is utterly unsound and un-American because it taxes cit izens on different bases, instead of taxing all on the same basis. .The idea of an imposition of 20 per cent one some incomes; 25 on others; 35 on others,; and up to 91 per cent is utterly mischievous and confisca tory. If a man pay 20 per cent on an income of $10,000 he will pay $2,000; but if he pay 20 per cent on $100,000 he will pay $20,000. Now why should that man pay $40,000? Of coarse I am understating H. If a man pay 20 per cent on an 1 income of a million dollars he will pay $200,000. Why should he pay $600,000? All this is part of our trend to ward Socialism. Again, why should a corporation pay 52 per cent of income to the Federal Government? TTiat is m6re than half^ Without any investment and without any risk the Govern ment takes 52 per cent And there are other taxes. At least the uniform 52 per cent avoids the viciously discriminatory tax as on personal incomes. Suppose the Government should tax a farmer 52 per cent of his profit as^farm tax, and then sub ject him to the. discriminatory and confiscatory personal income taxf That is what it does to Easiness. For example, the Government col lects 52 per cent from the Cor poration and then collects per^opal income from the stockholders Abo, already paid 52 per cent? ' * In South Carolina we are begin ning to see the light; our State of ficials are eager to welcome new and expanded busines operations. We would do well to compare our State with others and then remove' alny obstacles our taxes may im pose. Our -first need is profitable em ployment for all our people; then the whole state will benefit. We should not think in terms of more taxes, but fewer and less taxes. A spending and taxing spree must be avoided; we must attract people and business by reasonable taxes. Anyone cap readily imagine more and more spending, but we can’t compete with other states except by offering a better climate for bus iness. j Since most enlightened citizens are advocating and urging new in-' dustry, with due regard for those which have served us so well for years, let us base our recommenda tions with facts before us.. Study these figures:'. What 100 new industrial workers would mean to your community; 296 more people; 112 more house holds; 51 more school children; $590,000 more personal income per year; $270,000 more bank depos its', 107 more passenger cars regis* tered; 174 more workers employed; 4 more retail establishments; and $360,000 more retail sales per year.” * * • ‘"Duke Power Company has an nounced that it will build a huge multi-million dollar steam generat ing power plant about 20 miles southwest of Anderson. It will, when complete, be the second largest plant in the entire Duke Power Company system. The' plant will be located on the Savannah River. It is most pleasing to note that this company, as well as other com panies, realize the need for more Thrifty Shoppers The Chronicle it b is is- > ■ f r he Supervisor BEFORE THEY BUY Mr. Merchant Your Local Paper is > Way Out in Front WHEN IT COMES TO GIVING YOU THE MOST FOR YOUR AD VERTISING MONEY-THATS US! SMART SHOPPERS MAKE IT THEIR THRIFTY RULE TO MARKET BY “THE CHRONICLE” ADS. DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR’YOU GET GREATER VALUE IN YOUR WEEKLY NEWSPAPER IN TERMS OF: ♦CIRCULATION ♦READERSHIP ♦COVERAGE ♦FLEXIBILITY ♦IMPACT ♦SALES si The Clinton Chronicle power generating facilities in South Carolina. The fact that private capital is still being used.to build huge gen erating plants in the face of gov- emriient competition is noteworthy. We feel that private capital can do the job better and that so long as it is willing to do the job the govern ment "Should stay out of the power generatingliusiness.” „ / That wa§ an editorial in the Lee County Messenger of Bishopville. I have no information about this proposed dam but it will cost thirty- five million dollars I should think, purely as a guess. What does that mean 0 That-will-be an increase in investment in Anderson County; it will mean money for the schools, for the county government. It will mean tax money for the state and for the Federal Government. It may not be altogether ,a wild guess that this new plant will pay” two million dollars a year in taxes. Men have invested their savings to build this great plant. Not one dollar of your money, or Govern ment money will be used for this This is no government project; this is private investment for the public service. Haven't you read that our South Carolina Electric and Gas Company paid twelve and a half million dol lars in taxes last year? And its tax payments are greater every year. All this is an investment— more than 250 million . dollars—by our citizens who by faith invest their money, for the development of the most necessary service in mod ern busines sand living * * * The differences in the penitentiary matter are especially unfortunate because all those gentlemen are ex- tellent men, good citizens and of the highest rectitude. Moreover, all are of splendid purpose. The Governor is right in referring this to a Legis lative Committee The Richland Grand Jury is not the proper author ity. Mr. Stackhouse, naturally thought of a Grand Jury. All these gentlemen w en: e understandably correct in purpose. Mr. §tackhouse is a citizen of high stahding, a man of patriotic zeal; Col. Manning is an old comrade of mine for whom I I cherish great respect jind affection Laurens County To Get $12,030 From S. C. Forest Funds Laurens County is scheduled to receive $12,030 91 as part $442,- T 0 *? in receipts on the South Gar olina National Forests during the past > a" The federal g v i, sued a ' ~" r ’; to tb: v : total amount. Forest Paul H Russell said The sum represents 25 per cent of the total $1,771,192 received from the sale of timber and other special uses in South Carolina National For ests during the past year. Counties where these lands_ are located receive 25 per cent of the proceeds of timber sales and other earnings each year, allocated oh the basis of the acreage of National Forest within their limits. Payments this .year amount to about 59 cents per acre on the Sum ter National Forest and 98 cents per acre on the Francis Marion Nation al Forest. South Carolina counties due to re ceive payments, include Berkley, $183,548.73; Charleston. $57,568.85; Abbeville, $12,497 88; Chester, $6,- 952.56; Edgefield $16,906 08;* Fair- field, $7,286.79; Greenwood, $6,125.- 55; Laurens $12,030.91; McCormcik, i $28,007 17; Newberry, $32,441.35;-[ Oconee, $42,893 64; Saluda, $2,499 -; 58; and Union, $34,038.86. Paul H. Russell said that the South Carolina National Forest lands'now include 245,650 acres in i the Francis Marion National Forest area and 341,624 acres in the Sum ter National Forest area. This is. a total of 587,274 acres in South Car olina. Honor County Boy Earl Robertson, 18, of near Lau rens, was honored at the 38th 4-H Club Congress as 4-H tractor win ner from South Carolina. Earl won the state tractor crown on the basis of his outstanding rec-. lord of activity and leadership in ! the 4-H tractor program. He was awarded an all-expense-paid* trip to the congress in Chicago by the American Oil Company, sponsor of the tractor program for 15 years in South Carolina and 21 other eastern and southern states from Maine to Florida. Highlights of the week in Chica go for Earl were his crowing Us the state tractor winner by a petroleum centennial queen and an honors ban quet attended by all state winners, their sopnsors, and 4-H leaders. Earl lives with hris parents, Mr. and Mrs. R. E. Robertson, on their 420-acre farm in Laurens county He has been in 4-H club work and the tractor program for six years, serving as dub officer for ^ three years and a junior leader for one. Winner fo the state tractor driv ing contest in 1958, Earl was laso chosen to represent Laurens County in 4-H tractor contests for the past three years. He has also won 18 blue ribbons, seven red, and one white ribbon at the county fair in the last six years In addition to his many 4-H activ ities, Earl graduated from * Ford High School this year, where he was sports editor of -the school paper, business manager of the yeaihook, and vice-president of the senior class. He has also served as pres ident of the Greenwood-Laurens FFA and as a member of the 1968 Palmetto Boys’ State. '— Clinton Boys Top Whitmire Whitmire and Clinton split even here Friday night in a basketball double-header The Clinton boys drubbed .Whitmire 69-2fc; and the Whitmire girls triumphed 2T-24 Girls: Whitmire (27)—Lemmon 7, Atkins 9/ Sparks 3, Gilliam ; 8. Collins, Moore. Foster, Cochran. Clinton (24)—Bodie 7, Pri .e, Hill 15, Boyce 2, Barron. Bender.baugh, Morse, Davenport. Thackston and Nichols. Boys: Whitmire (22) — Evans. Nelson. Jones 2, Brassel, Alexander 5, Montgomer> 3. Grant 3. Wilbanks 8, Hendricks Clinton (69)—Whitman 17. Price 2, King 7, Sanders 4. Gaffney 9, Sur ratt 2, Cox 3. Littleton 10, Batiey 10, Byown 2. SENSING THE NEWS By Thurman Sensing Executive Vice-President Southern States Industrial Council THE NO UNION’ VOTE TIDE • Southerners just won t be sold a bill of goods by the big unions Ed win A. L^hey, Pulitzer Prize win- nining reporter of The Chicago Daily News, recently pointed out that the “no union” vote tide is ris ing in the South. i “Unorganized workers," sarid re porter Lahey, “seem to say in the privacy of the National Labor Rela tions Board voting booth that the AFL-CIO has failed to convince them of the wisdom of joining a un ion." As a case in point he cited ^ recent NLRB electioft among em-j "ployees at a blanket factSi-y near Asheville. N. C. The employees vot ed 1,345 to 244 against any union, representation^ , The hostility aganlsl union rep resentation by the.workers them selves." Mr. Lahey asserted, “ap pears to get worse every year in the South " It's a fact that Southern ers are voting* aghinst unions in in creasing numbers Look at North Carolina! Of*a tot^l of 7.332 votes ■cast by North-Carolina workers in! 1958 . 4.626 were against union rep resentation Mr Lahey made the statement that the figures foV the fiscal year' 1959 will show an even heavier “no. union vote than in fis cal 1958 While Mr Lahey correctly do senbs Southern disa-oprtnal of un. lonism. he fails to understand why the people of lie Southern states re sist the Reuther Meany-Hoffu axis The Chicago reporter takes t h e word of AFL-CIO boss Waltee-Reti- ther that "Ihe labor movement has gone soft ' He admits, however, that the middle cla'<es of :he South "have not been sold on the respec (ability’ of unionism." In making that statement about reifpectability. Mr Lahey edmes close to the truth about unionism in the South Southern attitudes tow ard unions aren't what thin- are because as Mr Lahey says, employers "have taken a tougher stand against unions :hnn ever '• Plenty of employers in every region of the country ha\e taken a firm stand against the hoodlupi tactics of big unionism Neither is it eorrect to swallow the Reuther me .bout unions get ting soft Vctualh they • .ire as had as nails and as heartless as the power hungry men who dom inate them The union bosses time abd again have been willing to take men away from their jobs in the hope of building up the union power in the South The unions are ready to use the 4 same tactics of boycott and brutality to win a strike The difference is that the South is more determined to meet big unionsim s hard tactics with hard resistance. .Southerners have a long heritage of independence and love of per sonal liberty. They aren't mass men from big city slums-with ancestral memories of being bossed m Euro-* pean cities TV working people in mam Southern communities h^ye a personal pride that won’t let them be forced into line by goon squabs or the political propaganda experts of union bosses .Southern communi ties .ire .fortunate in that the pol- ucians and police forces aren't cap-, fives' of the lai*>r bos yes And, as Mr Lahey admits, union ism ;sn t respectable in the South The people in this region still want to do art honest day’s work for a day s pay. They still have confi dence m the people—their neighbors —for whom they work They know that the progress of the region cohies from more industry that op orates continuously, without the in terruption of ^strikes called by far- off bosses They .jirenj about to join with people like.Ji'mmy Moffa. To be <ure: unions win -onrif elections and have a hold on certain indus tries But, by 4tui large, big union ism. as Mr Ljihey asserts, is not making headway in the Southern states \n<l as standards of living and "respectability’ 'rise in this region, the tide of no votes" against un ionism also will rise All the gouges indicate that to be the truth. USE CHRONICLE WANT ADS Come See—Golden Fresh—Salad Perfect CARROTS Lb. Bag F\NK I’MihKR SI.ICKD RYE BREAD • 1 . - 2 1 Lb. Loaves 31 c Mild and Mellow 8 O’clock COFFEE Bflfl 53t 3 Bog 1*0 / . . 4 Special! Aristocrat Brand Saitine CRACKERS f Pkgs » ■ * : • •• Special! Ann Page Creamy, Condensed TOMATO SOUP sZ 10v?oz Cans i Prices In This Ad are Effective Thrwagh Saturday, January, lb