Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1852-11-17
the Maine storm soon begins TO rage in the State
and Legislature, of which the Temperance Adj
rocate," in Charleston, gives frequent signs.
TEMPERANCE BUT LICENSE.


TEMPERANCE BUT LICENSE.
Correspondence of the Sumter Banner.
OUR TAXES.
Mr.. EDITOR: AS experience has provcr
that all governments whatever may by thei
peculiar features or under what names So
ever they may be called, require money tc
keep their political machinery in motion, OIL
in other words that pecuniary resources arc
indispensable to their very existence, the
question naturally arises, who should con
tribute to the support of government!
The following proposition, which think
fow will deny, appears to me, to be the prop
er answer, viz: That all who enjoy the blcs.
sings and advantages Of good government
should contribute to its support.
The revenue for the General Government
is raised upon this principle, but it is not So
in the States; and as it is now evident that
we must remain part and parcel OF the Union
in spite of all our clamor and bragado.
ca, it certainly becomes the good citizen
and prudent legislator to turn his attention
to the relormoion of many of our old laws
and customs, not blindy following in the
tracks Of our ancestors, but wise y proGting
by their experience and endeavor to render
own State laws,a model Of perfection, not
losing sight, however, at the same time, oil
our rights under the Federal Constitution;
nor BIZ blind to abuses from what quarter
soever they may come.
Our State taxes are levied almost exclu-
sively upon property, and if the proposition
have laid down be true, certainly those
who have no taxable property, or profession
should likewise contribute Il portion towards
the support Of that Government that throws
around them its protecting power, guarding
life and health, and furnishing injuries done
them.
Ny own opinion, which l have formed,
after mature consideration, is, that IL poll
tax should be paid by "every free white
man" who is entitled to that incstimablc
privilege Of lrecmcn, The right Of suffrage.
There is injustice in the principle which is
at present acted upon III this State, that a
man, because he owns no property, or 4" lear.
ned professien," should be exempted from
contributing ono cent to the support Of that
Government under which he lives, and which
Government would "avenge him upon his
adversary" who should dare to molcst him
in any way; though said adversary should
cast his thousands Into the treasuryz:of the
State, and he none; and yet tsre1oice that
such is the case, that the poorest citizen is
under the especial care and protection of
State sovereignty, and hope the time may
never come, when it will be otherwise. The
proceedings of our Courts prove to the most
careless observer that our code of Justice
is no rcspecter of persons, but that the rich
and the poor alike resort lithcr for protcc.
ton or redress, and that the rich cannot
oppress the poor with impunity, that the
man Of property aud the pcnnycss are
equals under our well. .organizcd institutions;
aud yet the man of fpropcrty or ''proIrssion
supports the pondcrous burden of govern
mcnt, while he who has health and strength
and perhaps lcarning and capacity to real.
izc handsomely from his undivided eXerlion
is exempt from any taxation ut all.
4 few familiar examples may serve it,
lustratc my views and position more clearly.
Here is my neiyhbor, Il man with 4 small
tract Of land and one or more negroes, some
aged or decrepit perhaps, and h. contributes
annually so much ad yalorcm for his land
and SO much per head for his negroes, whc-
ther they benefit him or not OF course that
is all right. On the other hand there is an
oversecr, schoolmaster, Il clerk in 4 store,
public officers and employers in general,
whose income may he hundreds or thousands
as the ease may be and live in comfort, per-
haps anluence, and enjoy all the blessings OF
q wel-regulatcd government, and yet they
never pay one per cent into the state treas'l-
ry,-never called upon to offer one dime of
their incomes upon the altars of their State,
which secures protection 10 all and therigh,s
Of suffrage to all; but the man who OWNS
an acre or acres of land or negro or ne
groes, no matter whether thip property sup
ports itself or not, or whether he is in debt
for the same property, he must pay his taxes.
or his property is sold for him, and yet he
enjoys no higher privileges than those wl;o
pay nothing with perhaps the simple one OF
being eligible to scat in the legislature.
My proposition is that the Legislature
should, in passing the bill "to raise supplies,
insert Il clause of the following purport viz
that every free white man, between til,
ages Of twenty.onc and fifty, who is entitled
to vote for representatives in the Legislature
and every free white man not Il citizen q
this State who shall have resided in the State
six months previous to the time Of collecting
taxes, shall pay Il poll-lax OF -" (uot les:
would say than the tax levied upon Il slave
with this proviso, that any man who shal
refuse to pay his polltax and who shall b'
returned "uulla bona," into the Shci!f's OF
fee upon an execution to collect said tax
shall be Ineligible TO vote for any Distric
officer, or for members of either branch .
the Legislature or Of Congress, or for Pres
idential Electors, provided the election o
Electors be given to ihe people, and prnvi
dcd further, that the poor man wEo shal
upon oath before Il magistrate or the Tax
Collector, say that he feels himself too poo
to pay his tax, he shall be exempt from pay
Ing the same, but he shall also be ineligible
to vote as above mentioned, Oh the SAM
princi pie that paupcrs are denied the right o
suffrage.
And close this communication by repeat
ing the proposition set out with, viz: tha
all who enjoy tho blessings and advantage
Of rood government should contribute 10 it