Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1871-11-16
Total taxation payable in three

years. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, ,552, ,S09
To put it in another shape, the taxes col
lectable in the three years are very nearly
twice as much as the whole ofthe State debt
at the breaking out of the war.
And while the State Treasury is empty
and without credit, the county treasures
or many of them-are no better off. These
county treasures have received the enor
nous taxes levied for county purposes In
Charleston County the county tax for 1869
alone was 100000. And yet Charleston
County pays not a cent of the large claims
outstanding and long overdue. Colleton is
bankrupt Beaufort is bankrupt. Other
counties, doubtless, are in the same impecu-
NOUS condition. Taxes are levied sufficient
to pay the honest expenses Of the State
three and four times over, but the money
does not 60 to the public creditors. The
hard earned money Of the people is wasted,
given away AID stolen.
This is the first situation; and we see one
practical defensive measure which the peo-
pie can adopt. That is, to refuse to pNY tie
State and County Ta,ces mo'c falling due,
uatH a trustworthy echiJH Is made Of the
entire liabilities ofMe State, and mtH fur
homore, satisfactory guarantees a'e airea
that the money cftHe people wW, hereafter
be houoroJW spent. We cannot at this
writing, explain at length the reasons which
lead us to believe that withholding of taxes
is practical measure, which Will bring out
the truth, expose to the people, without
disguise, the financial condition Of the State,
and protect Them in large measure, from
further extravaganza and fraud We cam.
however, lay down these propositions: |.
The State is without money and without
credit ,, Financially, the State is so rot
ten, that State officers cannot sell its bonds
(T any are hcld rhich are not fraudulent IN
character and cannot borrow money upon
their security. g. Hundreds ofState officers,
of high and low degree, are bowling for their
pay, and, when the Legislature meets, at
the end of this month, the members(to all
of whom per diem is due for the latter part
of the last session., will join in the mourn
full cry 4. The collection of taxes, under
the letter of the law, be enfor ed before
January Is, up to which time there Is no
penalty for payment. 5. The taxes, un-
der the law may be paid up to February Is,
with penalty of twenty per cent, 6. Gov
ernor Scott stands pledged to the people Of
the State to defer the collection of taxes,
without penalty, to March /, 1872, and the
people having made arrangements accor-
dinghy, have the right to act upon that
pledge. 7. Before the coming Of either
February or March, large liabilities of the
State, for interest and for current expenses,
will fall due, and the creditors-especially
the law-makers-may be induced by their
necessities to come to terms with the pro-
perty holders and taxpayers Of the State.
This is the outline of the plan of cam
paign 1t can be carried out successfully,
and without injury to any honest man,
whether in private Or public life. We shall,
hereafter, indicate what general measures Of
protection the people may demand as con-
sideration for the resumption of the pay
ment of taxes. And we do believe that the
rascality of the Ring may be made the
means of redeeming the whole people, rich
and poor, from the clutches of pack Of ras-
Gals, under whose rules no class ofhonest
citizens can prosper and be safe.