The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-05-28

49,O46, ,O6o to the original return Of real
property, bringing up the total, as before
stated, to $164.022, ,342. M
The percentage of the amounts added by
the Board of Equalization show wide va
ration. In Orangeburg the assessment
was raised from 81, ,444,O69 to $4,332, ,2O7,
or 800 per cent. In Kershaw and Marl-
boro' the assessment was doubled. In the
City ofCharleston the increasei is rs per cent.
We have no means Of knowing at present
whether the increased assessment was made
by simple rule Of thumb, or whether it was
founded on information in possession of the
board. Upon this branch Of the subject
the country papers can doubtless throw
some light.
After all, the most important question in
this connection is, what will be the effect
Of the new system IN distributing more
equally the burden Of taxation This We
may be able to ascertain. For tho year
ending Oatober /, 1867, the aggregate taxes
were $474, ,849, Of which amount the City
Of Charleston paid $157, ,197, or 80 per
cent. For the year ending October 1, 1858
the aggregate taxes were $459,27 Of which
amount the City of Charleston paid $1lO,-
lO7, or "a per cent. For the present y ear
the total tax will be $1,23O,168, Of which
amount the City of Charleston will pay
$277, ,1S4, or. % per cent. Riohlend, inclu-
ding the City of Columbia, paid in the year
ending October l.. 1868, the sum of $11, ,629
for taxes, or 2.63 per cent Of the whole
In the present year, Richland will Fay
$48.504, or 8 81 per cent of the whole.
Without going into any further details,
we may remark that the rate of taxation,
thrse-fourths of one per cent, is far higher
than we had reason to expect, and far
higher than it would have been if the State
had had an honest and economical govern
ment. The convention which framed the
constitution under which we live cost the
State $ll5,O00. The special session Of the
Legislature. the srst held under that con-
stitution, cost $4,000. The estimate Of
the supplies required for the current year,
as reported by the Comptroller General,
October 81, 1868, was but $500, 400. But
Pl,AC W,
which is $4,000 more than is au-
thorized to be assessed by the Appropria-
tion bill itself, which says: "Provlded there
shall not be assessed and collected under
the provisions Of this act an amount ex-
ceeding one million dollars"
These are the things to which we object.
We fetl that it was necessary to resume the
payment Of interest ON the State debt, and
are willing to be taxed in whatever degree
may be necessary for that purpose. But
We continue to protest against the shame
less policy which creates Office after Office
that hungry Radicals may be appeased;
which kee FPS in session week after week the
negroes and b, brids who make up nineteen
tw:ntie.hs Of TIE Legislature, for no other
purpose than that the members may live
upon the State; which treats South Caro-
lima as; . mine in which every knave may
dig, and has no other object but to make
rich The, aesdy politician and unscrupulous
New England -dsmagogns. For the present
our hands aie'tisd; but we have the conao-
iation OF knowing that the State 10 beeon-
ing stronger daily, despite the stealing and
lying of ths Radical piioials, and that as
soon as the government is returned to the
keeping Of upright men the rates Of taxa
tion will be lowered, and there will be NO
barrier between our people and substan-
tial and enduring prosperity. ,.s.. ....,