The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1869-06-23

which IS true, contrasted with the
debts Of other States. It seems
Impossible for SO small q debt to
ppress the people with taxation,
and when the interest past due is
paid such q result would be impos-
sible. But il is equally impossible
for the bonds Of the State ever to
be sold Mt par rs long as the in:cr.
est remains unpaid FOR number
Of years, Money can only be oh.
tanned for them at q ruinous dis
count, to be accounted for at some
future day by heavy taxation. So
to avoid putting the evil day off
and bcquea:hing to others a still
larger debt than we have inherit.
cd, the appropriation for the pres.
ent year was made much larger
than it would have been other.
wise. BY an examination of the
County Auditors books, it will be
seen that the taxable property of
this County will not exceed three
and half millions, another strong
evidence of our poverty and ina
bility to pay high taxes for Coun-
ty purposes. The amount Of taxes
for County purposes viii very ma.
terially depend upon the amount
of business that is carried to the
Court of Sessions in the form OF
State cases. BY the present ar.
rangement, it is made the duty of
all interested in tax.paying to be
peaccablc and law abiding citi-
zens and all are SO interested, it
matters not whether he owns a
dollars worth of taxable property
or motif he is O consumer he
pays indirectly all taxes. The
merchant may complain of high
taxes as a trick of trade but if
his customer did not pay the tax
and a profit on all articles he pur-
chased of him he would find many
if not all business houses closed.
Now it is generally the case that
the property holder makes the
greatest noise over tax.paying,
when the whole truth is lie is on.
ly the agent of the poor lahoring
man. He charges mp the amounI
on every article of sale or barter
, that is purchased from him. This
principle was thoroughly tested
during the late war. The taxes
so continued to increase until it
seemed at casual glance that all
business would be forced to cloee;
bnt the whole secret was, that 10
factory, no business man, paid any
tax whatever. When tax was in.
creased it only gave another op-
portunity for Il spccnlator to in
crease the prices of all necessaries,
and the sequel proves that all tax.
es levied by the Confederate Gov
ernment were paid by the soldiers
and soldiers families. The prin-
ciple Is the same in times Of peace
as in times Of war. Tie poor la
boring man in times Of peace, who
works for wages and is compelled
to purchase from others the neces-
saries of life, pay much the larg.
est portion of oil taxes. So the
idea that a poor man is not direct.
ly interested in tax paying is an
absurdity. Work it and twist il
as you will, the capitalist will
make the poor laboring man in
some way pay his tax. All this
blow and twaddle by capitalists
about high taxes is q perfect farce /;
the poor laboring man, the con-
sinner, 10 the one that has the
right TO crificisc and complain of
high taxes il any one has; but
strange to say that this class, tho
actual sufferers, seldom murmur
IL the tobacconists and whisky
dealers will sell tobaccn and whis-
Ky at such prico that the con-
sumer is not forced to pay the tax.
Then he has the rig, { to claim that
he has paid tax. If manufacturers
will reduce their price to O reason
able percentage and pay their own
tax on all manufactured articles,
then We will admit that they pay
tax also; If the farmer will cease
to charge mp tax on every pound
Of meat and every bnshel of corn
sold to o laborer, then we will ad.
NIT that no also bears the burthen
of the Government bnt until this
change is made We defy success
| full contradiction in assuming that
the poor laboring man and con.
sumer pays all expenses OF the
| Government. The points ] wish
to urge are that al, ricl, and poor,
are directly interested In taxes,