The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-11-19
Country VS.. Ctty.-Discrimination Against
a Charleston.


Charleston pays far more than her just share
of fhe whole taxation Of the State There is
no desire upon the part of Charleston mer-
chants, and Charles - business men, to advo-
cate any addition to the taxation upon any
class or set of people, but self-preservation'
and a desire to strengthen the vital energy OF
the Metropolis of Carolina, make it necessary
to uroe a reduction of the taxes which are now
emptying the pockets of her tradesmen, and
forcing old and intelligent merchants either to
give up business or to do it at loss.
The people of this city are taxed in every
imaginable form. THERE'S tax on Incomes
tax on sales,-a payment to be made for GER
tain privileges an assessed tax upon articles
of luxury,-a tax upon telegraph, gas and ex-
press companies which comes out of the purse
of the general public, But the most fatal and
Objectionable of the whole is the tax upon the
amount of sales of goods, wares, and merchan-
disc. This tax, under the tax bill of 1866, is
ftty cents on each one hundred dollars of sales
for the year ending January l, 1868. To this
is to be added tax of forty-four per cent OF
that fifty cents, to provide for the free schools,
free roads and public buildings This makes
the present tax seventy-tUo and one hcg cent?
upon each one hundred dollars. Upon this is
heaped the city tax of ,eventy:fUe cents making
total taxation of nearly one dollar and gts
cents upon each one hundred dollars
Now what is the condition of taxation In the
country. There, lands are assessed at low
rate; and, as we understand it, improvements
on the land are not assessed at all. 4 planter
may build house at q cost of one hundred
thousand dollars, but he pays no tax upon 1t.
Estates worth ten or twelve thousand dollars
are assessed at two or three thousand dollars.
The whole vil,,ge of Graniteville, with Its COT
ton mills, cottages and other improvements is
only taxed at so much per acre; while the same
property in Charleston would be made to pay
ten or fifteen times the amount that Is PAID oy
it in the country The country has had the
control of the taxation, and this city has suf-
fered in consequence. In the country the taxa
tion may not be too low, but in the city the
taxation is far too high.
What is wanted is large reduction IN tne
tax on sales of merchandise. Of course II
would be best to abolish the tax entirely, ane
impose new tax upon income or nett profit.
This may be impracticable; but it is not i'm
practicable to cut down The fifty cent tax to
FIVE or ten cent tax,-to convert tax that Is
killing trade into one that will allow 1t to live
and prosper The business of this city cannot
be revived, while taxation remains at its pres
ent rate. Economy is the cry insgthe house.
hold and in the store; economy is Impressed
upon men of every condition; but where IS the
use of economy in personal affairs, II 1t Is
wholly insufficient to counterbalance State
taxation and make both ends meet j?
Our merchants should urge these facts upou
General CANDY, with all the force that the cir
cumstanoes allow They can prove to him that
these things cannot go on, without closing the
doors of our stores, and turning the streets of
Charleston into wilderness. They can show
him that the State is now living through Char
lesion and that a policy W. h drives custo-
mers from our merchants, and ships from our
wharves must, in the end, increase the depres-
sion of the whole State, and prevent the growth
and improvement of even the interior Of South
Carolina.