The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1871-07-06
.CO0IMILITQ.
OUR TAXES

WHAT A NORTHERN MAN THINKS OF THEM.
Mr.. Copeland, the correspondent Of the
New York Journal Of sCon'mserce, writing
from Columbia, under date Of the 17th ult.,
says :-
/, Ihave examined into the state of taxation
and discovered the reason why there has
been SO, much grumbling about the rate
The fact is there has been surprisingly
large amount of corruption, both in the levy
and collection offthe taxes. / was shown by
one of your subscribers who has been in bu-
sinessh here and in Charleston for many years.
tax receipt in which the tax was legiti.
mately in accordance with the levy, $3.50.
The extras added swelled the amount. to
SAL. He protested, and the tax collector
struck off the extras This was on small
piece of property. He says he has seen bills
calling for 40 and 30 cents, upon which the
extras amounted to s2.25 and $3.50. These
little collections are generally made from the
negroes and poor whites, who do not know
any better than to pay them, but the tax-ga-
therers are learning better than to afix per-
quisites to bills rendered to intelligent men,
because their game is beginning to be un-
derstood. AS | said above, the citizens of
South Carolina have always been aristocrat-
ic. Their aristocracy was of the landed Or
der, and to encourage the ownership of lands
in large bodies the State did not tax them.
The taxes on negroes, on buildings, on mer-
chants and professions, paid the debts Of the
State. When the war ended the negroes
were free, the buildings burnt down, and
nothing was left to tax but lands, and even
they were worth much less than before the
war, for the reason that they were over
grown with shrubbery, cane &C., during
years when their cultivation was neglected.
The accounted average assessment value Of
all lands in South Carolina before the war
was Fifty eight cents per acre. Now they
are assessed and taxes collected at the aver
age value of five dollars per acre. Many
persons who had no money when the war.
ended had their domains sold for taxes.
When the fact is considered that only one
tenth to one-fourth of each land owners pos
sessions is cultivated, (Which however, is a
greater average than was worked before the
wal, } it is not wonderful that there should
be, considerable reluctance or grumbling
when the planters are called upon to pay
taxes on the whole amount of land owned at
rate of assessment frequently beyond the
market value. The result is that good
portion Of many of the large estates is offer
ed for sale. South Carolina has not been
developed to an extent that causes all her
citizens to feel comfortable, or they would
not part with any portion of their estates
Still they are doing remarkably well under
the circumstances. Every man stands bravo
ly up to the responsibility Of the State debt,
without regard to the outrageous additions
to it, and not one of them would lower his
pride to breathe whisper of repudiation in
any form.
The taxes levied for this year are seven
mills on the dollar of assessed values, and
the estimated total collections at that rate
will be 81 100000. Of this 100000 for
the support ofthe State government. Iwould
advise gentlemen who are interested in the
financial affairs of South Carolina to preserve
these statements, as they are well authenti
Gated and trustworthy.