The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-07-10
IN, s. c.. SATURDAY MORNING, JULY TO- 1869
THE STATE TAXES.

THE STATE TAXES
THE TEMPER AND PURPOSES OF TIE PEOPLE,
Spirit OF the Country Press.
The following extracts from articles in the
state papers on the subject Of taxation justify
the anger of our people, while they shiver to
pieces the chief statements made by Governor
Scott in his last long letter.
FA1aFIBLD ADVISES REsIsTANoE.
The Wnnsboro' News advises the people ito
pay only such portion OF the tax as ths
real value Of the property calls for, and carry
the question to the courts 1t says further:
There is not even the appearance of Justice
IN the present manner OF assessing the value
Of property. The Board OF Equalization can
tax just as they see tit, if they can exercise any
such power, as they have presumed to do in
Orangeburg, as raising the assessment 500 per
cent. Under that decision the house OF gen
s!eman returned by him at $1,000, aud surely
that a 1 is high value, will have to pay a tax on
$92, ,OoO. In Fairfield, land for which the owners
have been anxious to get 81 an acre, has been
assessed by the County Auditor at Sc, to which
6O Der cent, or So, has been added by the State
Board OF Equalization, making 50 per acre in
al: Is this justice? Another tract Of land
belonging to the estate Of N. Wlrick, was re-
turned at 500, at which price it had been sold,
and which those who are acquainted with the
naked old field say ls m )re than It's real value.
has be en- assess ID at $500.
And just 40, there are thousands OF honest
men who have made q fair retur.l OF their pro-
perty, who forsooth, are to be doubly and
t1lply taxed, because suspected it is that
many others, impoverished by misrule and q
moDgrel state governments, ~ not returned
their property fairly. Resist the injustice.
Refuse to pay. Trust to the future for a
remedy.
SUMTER APPEALS TO THE COURTS.
In Sumter the feeling is very strong. The
News says:
But the ques tion is as to the remedy. Should
this tax. based upon q fcutious assessment,
be quietly paid-without effort to mitigate
the wrong? We answer emphatically in the
negative. Let this be quietly paid. and II
would but be accepted as license for the i'm
position OF yetmo unrighteous and excessive
demands. ..~ '5,jS,
termiDed upon, 80 far as the present is con-
cerned, by :he meeting of taxpayers on Mon
day lsst at the courthouse. Committee was
appointed to wait upon the authorities, care
ask an abatement. Should tho COMMITTEES fail.
however. in securing relief. then appeal to the
judiciary was determined upon. We believe
this to be the true course. The opinion has
existing authority. the present tax cannot be
forcibly collected previous to March next. and
the further OPINION has been. with equal confi-
dence. expressed. that the decision Of the iu-
dietary would be adverse to the legality Of the
present assessment. I m
sPARTANBuRd CLEARS FOR ACTION.
In spartanburg there has been great excite
ment. The Gazstte shows the way that the
tax muddle works. 1t says:
Nowhere in the State, we believe. have the
people yielded more ready and cheerful COM
Pllance with the changed state of affairs than
the people Of Spartanburg. Very few com
plaints were made with the assessments,
able value. For months our people have been
preparing TO meet the expected demands OF
the County Treasurer. When,it became known
that the State Board Of Equalization lad
people cbeerfully acquiesced in the decision
anu sought means to meet the additional de-
mand. What each had to nav vas matter op
simple calculation. He knew the amount ofhis
knew the value Of his personal psopsrtHye pxstHe ewu,96
he had returnad under oath. With these data
the calculation was simple and the total amount
our farmers came to town in response to the cali
of the County Treasurer. At the Treasurer's
office, however, they found their calculations
all at fault; their real property had been not
only doubled, but in some instances quaAr1-
pied. while their personal property had mystic
r1ously increased in value since they made their
sworn returns. They found themselves ulex-
pectediy much better off in this worlds goods
unfortunately they we're Obliged to pay hand hand.
some!y for the pleasing discovery. Fer the
fist few days much Rrumbling was heard upon
our streets, and payments made under protest.
In almost every store group Of men could be
seen soliciting our merchants to 20 over their
calculations and see wherein the error lay.
Grumbling soon gave way to righteous ndigna-
tion, which threatened for time to terminate
in something far more serious. Wiser coun-
forfr fnlv S0nl
our larger taxpayers are withholding payment
until some sat.sf f4ctory solution OF the problem
can be given.
FIGURES do NOT LIE.
In the mountains the people are Justly in
dgnant. The Walhalla Courier has an inter.
esting articls on the subject of taxation, from
which we take the following:
We show by facts the fair valuation Of our
lands. The arabic lands in OcOnee were or1gi-
nally assessed at So per acre. IN Pickens Sc 48,
IN anderson at $6 80. in Greenville at IS a. IN
Laurehs at $555, in Union at IS Al, and in
Newberrv ct IS a. DO these facts exhibit an
unfair valuation OF the lands OF our county :?
II SO every one must admit that the valuation
people who have returned their arabic land
above any Of the nine adjoining counties be
likely to depreciate their Wild lands Is the
doubling OF our lands under these circum-
stanceS lar ana lmpartlal equalization? We
challenge the State for better record Of od
o0torens re;urns. But our average value ls
below all these counties, says the Aud tor.
Let us show why this is true. The proportion
Of acres Of arabic land in Pickens to the whole
number Of acres is as one to seven, in Oconee
as one to twelve, in Anderson as one to Ave, In
Abbevllle as one TO tour, and 80 on. Again,
Oconee is the northwest Y county Of
the State, bounded by and terminat-
ing In the mountains in northerly and
westerly direction Three miles north ~ Wal
halla we strike the mountains. and for dis
tance OF fifteen to twenty miles in different
directions. there is an unbroken succession Of
rocky hills. IAN area OF fifteen, miles vide by
Of less than 400 souls. These are men. who
have settled IN tho little coves along the mouu.
tain branches. The remainder OF this large
area is useless except as q woodland pasture.