The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1869-07-14
Shall the State Taxes be Paid.

| manu- tnaC tnc laAaDlc Faluc OF tnelr
property should have been doubled
and treblod without any sound rea-
son; and in more than ono county
there is disposition to try the ques-
tion, whether the sworn statement of
the propcrty-holder is not better
evidence of the true value Of his pro-
perty than the arbitrary decision of
Board of 50 called Equalization, hav-
ing its sessions in Columbia. The
State constitution declares (article |,
section 36) that call property subject
to taxation shall be taxed in proper
tion to it's valuo," and the tax law Of
1868 provides (scction 13) that GALL
real and personal property shall be
valued for taxation at its true value in
money, which, in all cases not other
wise specially provided for in this act,
shall be held to be the usual selling
price of similar property at the place
where the roturn is to be made -
Undcr this last clause the sworn re-
turns were made to the district asses
sors. They wcro then examined by
the State Board of Equalization, who
added total amount of $49,O46,0G
to the returned value Of the real pro.
perty alone.
This addition presses upon the diff
ferent counties with very unequal
weight. In Orangeburg, for instance,
the revised assessment is three times
the original assessment; in Kershaw
and Marion twice, and in Chesterfield
and Edgefield one and half times.
In some cases, lands had undoubtedly
been given at less than their intrinsic
value, but it is very questionable
whether any returns of consequence
were made at less than the price which
the property would then have sold for
in open market. The worth of the
thing is what it will bring, and it was
not incumbent upon the holder to as
sess his property at one cent more
than its market price, however low
that price might be-. And, besides,
if any returns we're improperly made,
what justice is there in taxing whole
county for the shortcomings of ono
man or ten men? The whole action
of tho State Board of Equalization
was tyrannical and arbitrary. Tyran-
nical, because they took advantage of
the terms of an incomprehensible law
to double and treble the amount of
taxation and arbitrary, because they
made their additions by rule of thumb,
having no means of deciding whether
the returns had, indeed, been fraudu-
lently made. The effect OF this
Equalization" must be disastrous.
Mon who had laid by enough to pay
taxes on $4,000, The true value of
their property, now find themselves
called upon to pay taxes on $l0,000'if
they live in Kershaw or Marion, and
on $4,000 if they live in Orange
burg. This is enough to daunt any
people, however Industrious, and it is
not surprising that moro than one Of
the county papers advise their readers
to resist the payment Of taxes, or to
refuse to pay upon more than the
original assessment of their property.
In so serious matter the people will
not act without deliberation and re-
fection. We are in the hands Of q
goddess crew who have no interest in.
the general welfare of the State, and
who would find room for profitable
iobbing in any movement which might
lead to tho sale of large tracts of land
under tax executions. A square and
open resistance to tho collection of
taxes Of any kind would probably
bring the Radicals to their senses, but
this cannot be had. What is now
needed is to test the legality of the
action Of tho State Board Of &Guaii-
cation, and this can surely be done.-
Charleston Ne,0s.
In connection with this matter of
Southern recuperation, the Philadel.
phia 1merican and Gazette says:
ga Frenohman at Natchitoches,
Louisiana, intends to raise poppies
this year on several acres Of ground,
and to make opium. Ho says that an
acre Of poppfes viii make fifty pounds
Of opium, worth fifteen to twenty
dollars pound, and that the cost Of
manufacturing is less than four dol
lars a pound. His crop would am ount
to six hundred and ninety dollars an
aero of this estimate, from which the
cost Of cultivation is to be subtracted.
Ten, acres would accordingly crop
about seven thousand dollars gross.
"Tho Knoxville ,(East Tonncsscc)
Press is our authority for saying that
a farmer there. has for some time
grown his own tea, and that he is pre-
nnri1in and hia nninhhnra nrn nntannd