The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-10-05
That Terrible Taxation.
supply,


The State taxes now collecting, for the
year 1868, amount in the aggregate to about
81 200 OOO and the State taxes for the. year
1869 are due and must be paid On or before
March lst. next. 1t is not likely that the
expenditures for 1869 will be set down at
less than $3.50, 900; so that the people OF the
State. within a period Of less than nine
nor lhs, will be called on to pay into the
tire asury at least two million OF dollars.
And this is without taking into account the
taxation Of the. cities and counties, which
win swell the total taxation to the neighbor-
hood of three and half million dollars.
OF this enormous sum, the chief part will
90 into the pockets of Radical officials who
hold their positions, not for the public good,
but for their personal aggrandizement; and
it is no wonder that our people should cast
about for some means OF equalizing the tax
alton and of making every class bear its
share OF the common burden.
The State Constitution forbids the levying
Of any poll tax except for educational pur-
poses, and if it were not prohibited by the
organic law our misrepresentation in the
State Legislature would not be eager to di-
minish their waning popularity with their
only stay and support, by imposing tax
upon the colored people. From the State
Legislature we need not expect either econ
omy or equity, and the taxpayins citizens
must look to their own efforts for redress
and relief.
One suggestion made by a country con-
temporary is, that the land tax be equalized
by making the .colored laborer who works on
shares pay o proportion of the land tax
equal to his interest in the crop. Under the
existing arrangement, the laborer's one
third OF the crop is net profit, while from
the two-thirds of the land owner must be
deducted the expenses Of the farm, in order
to show what is made by the years risk and
trouble. The idea is that he who shares in
I the profit ought also TO share in the expense;
and if the planters in the different neighbor-
hoods act with unanimity, they can undoubt-
edly make the laborer bear his part of the
load of taxation. % -''
The whole question is a very simple one.
AS the expenses of the farmers increase their
profits decrease. They expect to pay State
taxes; but when the amount of the tax is
four and five times as much as in any pre-
ceding year. the probability of profit be-
comes particularly small. Their corn crops
may fail; their cotton may be cut down to a
third of crop; but the tax-gatherer goes
his rounds as usual, and makes no difference
in his demands whether the season be good
or bad, successful or unsuccessful. The
planters then, when they find that exces-
sive taxation eats way their profit, must
increase their marg.r or the coming year by
reducing their other expenses. Labor, as
an important element of cost, first demands
attention. The planter first carefully es.
Inmates his working expenses, on the basis OF
a crop Of the average Of the last three years,
to be sold at the average price. If he finds
that in consequence Of the increased taxa
ton he has little chance OF doing more than
make both ends meet, he must in some way
reduce his outlay without diminishing his
expectation of crop. There is no room
for making less his personal expenses; they
are small enough already. All that he can
do is to call his hands together and tell them
frankly that they must accept less compen-
sation for their work. The hands can be
made to see that this is done in no spirit OF
grinding or oppression, but because the
planter cannot pay more and make money.
They will understand this readily enough;
nor will they fail to comprehend their situa-
ton. They will seeg that it is the Radical
Legislature Of the State which Injuries them;
while the planters desire to give the
laborer the highest compensation they can
afford. The same ssasga.e course Of action applies
to laborers who are hired by the month; and
the result Of the plan must be to convince
the laboring classes that their only hope of
llsS5ticf Wages, dilu iuOtC SOuiiOib iUi tuOi
families; is in electing TO- Office upright and
capable men, iii the place Of the knaves and
tricksters who now impoverish whites and
blacks alike a - ..ae .aa..t
u The value OF labor is determined by the
demand, and the demand is determined by
the profit to be derived from its employment.
Excessive taxation, therefore, in diminishing
the profit Of the employer lessons the de-
m md for labor, and forces the laborer to
work at lower rate or starve. We hope to
see wages advance; for than this there can
be no better sign Of a solid improvement in
our position; but while taxation, is as high
as it is now the laborer, however worthy of
his hire, must expect to see his yearly profit
grow steadily and surely less. -
ThE population Of Horny County, accord
ing to the census just completed, is as fol-
lows: Whites, 1878; blacks, 1889. Total