The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-08-02
THE HIGHWAY TAX.
It is to be Enforced Throughout the
State.
TO TIE EDITOR OF THE NEWS.

II is to be Enforced Throughout the
State.
TO TIE EDITOR OF THE NEWS.
LANCASTER, c. H., 8. C.
The discussion 10 your paper In regard to
the Highway and bridge tax" Is Interesting
especially to US of Lancaster, which of all the
counties in the State has alone been made TO
feel the burden Of this Radical mOnstrosity.
Your correspondent, IA Subscriber" writ
Ing from Kingstree, after review OF the law,
concludes that there s.Is no authority to levy,
or, II levied, no authority to collect, road
tax"
You, on the other hand, take issue with "a
Subscriber and express the opinion that the
act of 1871, authorizing road tax, is still In
iorce-"Tha tax being payable In money or
labor, at tho option OF the taxpayer"
do not propose to discuss the point made
between you and "a Subscriber" Assuming
that you are correct, then the law in regard TO
8 road tax stands thus:
l. The county commissioners may assess "a
tax of eighteen cents, If 80 much be necessary,
on every ONE hundred dollars OF the lists OF
the county, to be paid In money or labor, at
the option of the taxpayer, and to be laid out
| In repairing bridges and highways"
2. The taxpayers must be notified OF 1.-THE
amount of their taxes, and of the time aud
place In which, and the teams, carriages and
tools with which they are required to pay their
taxes In labor
8 If any taxpayer, after being notified,
ssshall neglect TO work ont his lax he shall be
liable to pay his tax In money" The money
(under the act of 1872 to be collected by the
county treasurer. In the same way and at the
same time that the general taxes are collected.
Now what are the facts In regard to the as
sessment and collection Of this road tax In
Lancaster County? No taxpayer was notified
of the ''amount of his taxes" OF OF the time
and place when and where he was "required
to pay his tax in labor" No taxpayer has
had the 'optlon" of paying his tax "in
money or labor" No taxpayer has refused OF
neglected ''to work out his tax"
The county treasurer simply gave notice in
the usual way of the times and places when
and where he would be present to receive the
highway tax In money; and the people, with
their known obedience to what they supposed
to be law, have generally paid Without In
auiry. And those who have not paid are
threatened with executions and sales of theiI
property. The treasurer claims to have aU-
thority from Columbia for what he Is dong,
and says that the same tax is soon to be en-
forced in ether counties of the State.
., If the assessment was really intended for
highway purposes, the amount is excessive;
but nobody believes that 1t was ever 30 In
tended, or that the roads will be benefited by
the money collected. It will 60, II 1t has not
already gone, where three.f0urths OF the TAX
money gOes-"Where the woodbine tWlneth. u
So much Tor Radical rule and ruin. So
much for Governor Scotts selection oil omcers.
So much for the late infamous election law,
and the notorious frauds on the ballot-oox
committed In this county, by which set OF
not really elected by the people OF