Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1854-05-11
Our Taxes.

ORR worthy Ta1-collector has just made the tour
OF Edgefed his final trip for the blessed year le'i
He has now doubtless the largest 'pile' in the Dis
,rict enough to makesevcral of lis rich II the Stale
would say So But the State has 10 be supported
nnd the States officer will be found at an early day
,rot,inr along down towards Capital, with his
pockets full of cash help pay the current expenses
of our body polite. True, many and many dime
will thereby bid adeu TO the hollows and hlsides
which produced them. But the good old Ship must
be kept in sailing order, and he is an unworthy voya-
ger who begrdges his share Of the funds required to
Keep her bravely up against the breeze with topgal-
liant lut,ering high and every rope tightly drawn.
Such, we are sure is the sentiment Of the vast bulk
of our fellow.cilizens. But there will be grumbng
and ill-natured spirits among every people, always
ready to carp and snap any thing that touches them
Akin 10 these. il not one Of them, is "TAX.rArER,
who writes for the present number OF the Advertiser
For him and his like, we assume the task OF pennng
few lines OF information the subject Of our in
creased taxes
The State tax is verMlite larger than it was last
year We have not referred to the Act and do not
remember the precise difference; but We feel confident
in saving that it is nconsderaby small The District
tax it is winch has given such alarm to snarers
This is higher than it has been for many years The
Road tax alone is 50 per cent upon the State tax
Then the Commissioners Of the Poor have caused to
be assessed tax of u per and the Commissioners
Of Public Building of per cent upon the State tax
making in all q m.tota Of near IS per cent From
this brie fstatement, TAxrAyER" may discover Of he
choose 10 do SOY that the Commissioners of Roads,
Bridges and Ferries mainly chargeable with these
heavy taxes, iC it be charge at all But we are far
from regarding it in that light. These District officers
are bound to supernend that portion OF our District
affairs committed to their care and TO see that every
thing in their department, as far as practicable, be
kept continually in good condition. 1t is we'll known
that the reshets and heavy rains last year were very
destructive in their effects especially as to the bridges
throughout our District A considerable public ex-
pense was thus unavoidably incurred or else our
Commissioners must have attempted no repairs for
the public convenience. Would this have been ,olera-
ted! Would "TLX-PAYER" even have sanctioned
such parsimony We hope not. Our Commissioners
of Roads are generally respectable men and men of
substance and of course in assessing any tax they
krow that they too must come in for their full share
of the burden, whatever that may be. Is it probable
then that they would exercise the least e1orbitance in
this matter or step one inch beyond what the actual
necessities of the District required Something they
are bound do, if they would avoid being returned
10 Court. And we commend them for doing that
something efficiently. The may be said of the
other sets of Commissioners and Of their acts. 1t is
then neither Legislators, the Commissioners,
nor any other individuals who to blame for this
increase of ta1alion-but stern Necessity and, iron
though her rod may be, he is poor philosopher who
cannot take her lessons patiently. In this particular
matter however, her rod has been laid upon US light
w. We are doing finely compared with some other
Districts. Take Pickens for instance. While Edge
field has had to raise only so per cent upon her State
,a, for road purposes, her smaller sister of the noun
taips paid last year nearly 100. "TAx-PArER" and
his followers would do well to go and try Pckens for
year or two. They might come back satisfied with
old EJgefeld.