Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1869-07-02


iliandt that willynovor sell for the enormus tax
cs imposed upon them by the State Board of
Equalization. No wonder that one SO igno,
rant should "Hfall to SEQ that the Board has
placed an ttexageratod' c~stimaseupon the
value of tho property in Marion county.
This intelligent and imported official, de,
~olares that there is no LawSundssS he aathori-
ty of which Ga new valuations ~ be order.
! 3D." and we'll might he have added That there
is no Law authorizing the State Board to III.
crease the value of our lands 200 per cent.
above tho value as rendered under the onths
of those who alone know their tue yciuss
But this accomplished ay ofaail instrdcts
the "individuals who feel aggrieyed" to bow
at h!s shrine with petition in hand, and he
will "make an abatement wherever it il de.
manded by justice" This petition miustSfrst
DO "considored favorably or unfavorably'' by
the County Auditor, imported "buro" domo-
crat1hair Of tho same. dog--4hiat no upa,ay
"recommend such abatement asAhe thinks
JUST; This is insult added!to insult, when
tits known that w. Il. Lockwoodi,sthsi Copn-
ty Auditor, intimatcd at notwithstanding of
the County Board, of .Equalzatiis&e tho same
charges of perjury that IIsssnhssfF sEolnlinsoh
has' dono, dHo, Lockwood, adsNsated nm ,int
crease Of the lvaluation Of ,peiaoaak property,
thereby charging that some Of our citizens
had, made, under oath, false return. lie in
timated at this meeting what he would not
dare proclaim on the Court IIoues stops, and
through him who. like the balance Of his
olan, would vampire.like suck. thelast drop
of blood from our impoverished citizens, we
must humble ourselves before relief can be
had. We say don't do it. Appeal to the
strong nrm of tho law for, redress,aad let us
see whether or not it will decide that our oiti.
zens have made, under oath, ,fplse retarns,-.
In the mean time if We have to go to tho dow.
il, lot us all go together,
The following is tho letter ofAteee accom-.
pl!shed ~ Reuben A.
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT. J
OFFICE OF AuDrroH'o OF SpAEs,
COLUMBIA, Sc, June IL, 1889. }, Z
Messrs. John W1coa, YIN. Evans, and 9th.
crs, Marion, Sc:
GENTLEMEN The Governor has referred
to mo a statement from you relative to the ac-
tion of the State Board Of Equalization, to
which i have tho honor to make, the following
reply. y L..s5. a,gro8
First, as to the alleged exaggerated csti.
mate, placed upon tho Real Estate of Marion
| Ho,,pkx, br thn 1}o,,1 =. Who lool 3N,t,Ao &c
Marion County, as returned by tho County
Auditor, was valued at $1,299,037, while
that of Darlington, the adjoining County,
was valued at S 3,5SS,9 s At the same time
Marion returned 10000 acres more than OAR
lington. The ,yalne of Real .pWperty in
Cd ad's8' 58,SuS ys ssl Sl less t Sso- Msfie5:e The "a,
NC of Real property in Williamsburg was ST..
6l2,695, while she returned $1,000 acres
less than Marion, The value of tho Real
property in all these Counties, except Oar.
! lington, was raised and the value of.propcr-
/ sy in Marion County was raised to what was
thought to be its true value also.
fail to see that the Board has placed an
'fexaggerated" estimate upon the value of the
property Of your County.
can very readily understand, however,
that this increase will bear hardly upon indi.
yiidduals whose property, was properly assessed
in the first %instace. If the people Of your
County, Tith the assessors, and County Board
! Of Equalization had all done their duty, the
necessity for the action of the Stata. Board
would not have existed. / a
You ask that a new valuation may be or.
dercl. There is no authority uador. Pie Law
for such au order, The only remedy is for
individuals whoifcel aggrieved to send through
tho County Auditor I, statement showing the
value q, their property--such statement to
be supported BY afidavits. This statement
should gives full description Of tho property
suohh ams7-the number Of acres Of arabic,
meadow, or wssodd lappddFa aNsr the case may be,
together with q description of gtthe, improve.
ments. The. County A~sditorshould consid.
or the application fayosably OF unfavorably
and recommend sicii@ 6Gf1 ab5atoan10nt as he
thinks jnst,ertI will then tothss best Of my
abilitysact 10 thel m~atter,!and you may be
sure thatGI will gladto make uh abatemeht
In tbeaassessniens s8hereveriti III 1l~emehdedib by
EinsfscalYGiuaf ~ uuijraWtf, Ia ~ 4 ig,