The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1869-07-15
STATE TAXES.

We publish in another column. ;
letter from Governor SCOTT, in answer
to several gentlemen who addrcs>cd
him on the subject OF the State Take
which will doubtless prove intcrcsiin"
to our readers. IN lieu Of any cumuenrs
Of our own upon the letter of tiovcrnul
Scorr and the illegal and unjust as'
sumption Of powcr BY his mini"ns, the
State Beard of Equalization, wcsubmir
the following from the Charleston Dali,
Neus: "The letter Of GOV. Seutt, (says
the Ncus) does no. meet the one g'cai
complaint made By the tax paying cili,
Gems of the State. This is, that while
the constitution and the tax law require
that all property sha | be taxed at its
value, the State B,urd of Equalization
have, in whule counties, dubbed and
trebled the taxable value Of the prep,
erty. The returns were made, in the
FIRST instance, on oath, and the assess.
mcnts were " cqualizcd" by the County
Boards. Then the State Board stepped
in and increased the assessment twice
aud thrice the original amount. II is
not pretended tha. the State Board had
any Information TO warrant their arbi.
trary conduct. There was tliffrrcncc
in value OF rlahd in the different counties
neither this nor what Governor Scot,
calls "thc caprice aud irregulari'y" oI
she official assessors can justify pro-
eccding which compcls the honest tax
payer to pay $4,000 or $1,000 where OF
right he should pay but $1,000. Gov.
Scott may be ofopinion that the proper
" of the State should be worth $500,
100000. This, at one time, was our
opinion; but sufficient allowance had
not been made for depreciation Of values
and We are willing to accept the sworn
statements Of our citizens as showing
the selling price, the real value of their
property, at the time the returns were
made. No pra,ing about expenses, OF
tic price of State bonds, or the credit
Of the State, can make the conduct OF
the State Board any other than tyran'
nical, infamous and unjust.
There is no objection made to the
system of taxation. We are willing
aud ready to pay taxes in proportion te
our property SO that every county may
bear its proper share Of the burden O.
taxation. The. system, in theory, il
the best that VIC have ever had, and
VIC do not wish to see it changed. W.
cannot, however, quietly submit te
having the value Of our property as
sessed according to the caprice of
Board of Equalizers, who assume at th'
start that every taxpayer has perjurct
himself, and pile on additions right aut
left until the taxable fabric is high C
nuush to bear the wcightto be imposed
upon it.
Governor Scott is unwise, to say tn
least, in, threatening so many terrible
things, "if factious attempts be mad'
to embarrass the government, by th'
courts" We know to our cost tina
any appeal to the courts which inter
feres with the maneuvring OF the tad
ical party is styled ga factious attcmp
to embarrass the government. Bu
the courts are still open, and there ma.
be found judge sufficiently free iron
party spirit to decide not according t.
party ozpodiency. Our people ave tn
right to apply to the judiciary for pre-
lection. The taS law itself contemplate
such an appeal in giving as q suthe'e' e
cause for not collecting any tax "th'
tScction s3) such taxes, assessments
penalties were eDjoiucd by q competer
court" And when We know that undo
the law all real and personal propert
mus. be taxed cat its true value j
money" ard that our property has bee
valpsd fox taxation at far above 'ss sru