Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1869-07-07
From the Chester Exporter.
To His Exceilcncy Il. X. Scott, Cover
nor of South Carolina:

OF the State of South Carolina, to address the
Chief Magistrate of the Commonwealth, l
trust that shall be adjudged guilty of no
breach of propriety or OF duty. since no one
goes further :han myself in acknowle dg;ng
the Scriptural injunction, (" Let every soul be
subject to the powers that be-" so long as
those powers exercise their authority for
the best interests Of the people. If, there
fore, any apology be needed for this my act,
let i, be found in, what seems to me, the ur-
gent Importance, of the subject which | would
bring to yohr notice.
Under our form of government the right to
petition for redress OF grievances" is guar.
aatced 10 all. The grievance which shall
form the theme of this communication, IS the
recent action of the Board Of Equalization"
The duty" Of this Board," | suppose, Is
to regulate ur " equalize" the returns OF prop
erty througbou, the State, SO as TO. ascertain
the rate TO be levied for taxes. This subject
of taxation, OF tue transfer of portion OF
the products Of people, from their hands 10
those of the government, is one OF the most
intricate aud delicate in all the wide range OF
Political Economy How to devise plan q Of
public reven-c, >ghich snail secure the EN-
Glen. administration Of law, and at the same
time, least embarrass the prosperity OF the
State, is question which has perpieXed the
wisest statesmen in every age and country
The essential point ilsll taxGtlonis the value
which, the momentsit, Aeaves the taxpayer \
lost 70 him, ard whenit leaves the hands d
the government is lost to the world eternally
Taxation either deprives the payer Of the
( qualification he might have in consuming hl'
product or prevents its increase for that par
which is lost cannot produce 10 him again
The tendency Of course, then, is to lessen In
stead of increase the wealth of people, ant
when pushed 10 an extreme, impoverishe
the individua. without enriching a State. His
tory furnishes examples Of his fact.
| object 10 the plan Of taxation adopted
by this "Board of Equalization" because i
is immoderate in its rates. From recent ad
vertisement of the County Treasurer of ,hi'
County, / see the rate inc!uding County Tax
is fixed at ore dollar and five cents ($l,O3.
per hundred d9llars. In the years of ou
highest prosperity, the rate varied from tit
teen cents to thirty cents per hundred dollars
Now, with three-fourths of the productive
capital destroyed, thousands OF the people
bankrupt, and our labor seriously dlsorsan
lied, the rate is quad.upled. Must not thi:
very greatly c,noarrass and retard recupera
ton? ohice; to the pan of he Board be-
cause it d es not fall equally on all classes
While the returns OF real eSaie have beer
increased GO per cent, being raised iron
S7G.l25 020 to Sl25, Isl ,OSS, the valuation
of personal property has not been augment
ell? Why this partially towards personal
ty? Is there any valid reason why he whose
possessions consist in merchandise, bonds,
stocks, &c, shond pay less ior The pro;ecfi IN
and security Of his property than ne VINO IN
vests in lands and houses? 1t would seem
the part of wisdom tnat all taxes slon!d De
SO levied as 10 do The least possible injury to
production. Then land, constituting as 1t
does, an essential natural agent IN the pro
duction of. prime necessities, should not
be heavily t.ammeled with burdens oi taxa
tion.
object to the present system Of taxation
hecause it Discriminate In favor Of the negro
;.ace This it were idleto deny. Else why
tLe cyemptioo,from taxation of more than
an average anouut of the only property usu-
OILY ov.ne1 by this race? And why the sus,
,,ons;on5sf the eapitation tax? To these
Huestiors there can be but one answer =
tj'be negro shall have the benefits of the gov
eminent without contributing to their cost.
.;'Eis distinction, | argue, is in violation of
the Civil Rights Bill That enactment. con
fers upon all persons, equal legal and civn
Fights ana privilege, or, asit is usually term
ef, :; perfect equality before the law" There
can be TO right Without 2 paralisl dn' FIR,
rict. s;1-e:S r.-.3 ~. tasS Se
;as~ Carrie "'sh it, .Se 49,, ~
slat.'-s 4
.sasiiretAcl IS. What service
rhsfe reasonable than that he should trans
FER to the government some portion of the
proceeds of that industry, whose fruits this
government has secured to him? And when
they who enjoy almost absolute immunity
from taxation have at the same time, the
authority to impose taxes, (asis aow the caee
IN South Carotna), then danger is added to
iIlegality. Surely harmony and stability are
i,nperilled III any government whose law
makers have 10 sease of ponsibiity-no
community of interest With those for whom
they lagislatc-their cupidity. and greed, an6
vengeiul tempers being the sole measure OF
their reckless extravaganza. They make
heavy burdcaa and grievious TO be borne and
bind ,hcm upon mems shoulders, but they
.sil not move them with ore Of their fingers
object 10 the 'tBoard of Equalization"
because lis very existence entails upon the
Treasury o. the State an additional, and
will say, useless expense. have not seen
the Act authorizing the Board,n ard de-
filming its powers and privileges, but l pre-
snme its services are not gratuitous.
The valuation of all taxable property was
made Nv Assessors, who were paid three
dollars per day for their services (?) and now,
poor fellows! aye to be snubbed by having
.heir labors supervised, and the result set
aside by q Board" not one Of whom, in a.
probability. has ever visited one-half the
Counties Of the State
Again, the action of this Board Of Equal
ization," is sefstultiication Their righ;
20 occupy this position must not be called in
Question IN this age Of liberty" To this,
then, ] Aaso no objection to urge. Bu. do
earnestly object to the low estimate placed
upon the Intelligence Of our people. 10y an
act having the solemn ranction OF law and
authority. An attempts made to hood wnl;
our people into the belief that their taxes are
'essened by increasing the estimated value OF
their property, ard decreasing the ratio Of
taxation in :! corresponding degree For ex-
ample, this Z" Board'' wonld teach that it is
Caster to pay taxes on twenty thousand dol
lars, at the rate of fifty cents for every one
hundred dollars, than to pay on ten thousand
dollars at the rate of one dollar fer every one
hundred dollars Let me say TO the g Board"
that their little game" will not succeed
well. The great mass of the taxpayers
whatever liay be said Of the vole's-possess
fa;- etiucaaot r.s,,i-,s,,t, ,i-oeISt-r rr
this shameful .rickery. Why, the vcriest
juggler would scorn such q sicl;ly effort at