The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-03-26

p0HS. NO Other klnQ OF taxes were even
thought of by the craftsmen of the constitu-
.tion; and while it cannot be said that license
tax Is forbidden, 1t is more than clear such q
law is not authorized, and hence, tor the rea-
sons already stated, law imposing such q
tax is unconstitutional.
In the second place, would maintain the
unconstitutionality of the license tax upon o
columns, to wit: That no object bas been de-
cared TO which the tax is to be applied. See
Art. TX, Sec 4, which is In these words: mo
tax shall be levied except In pursuance of q
law which shall distinctly state the object of
the same" It is true an appropriation act
has been passed at the same session which the
license law was passed, but this appropriates
the money then In the treasury, together
with that afterwards collected, but all from
the previous levy; whereas this license money
Is not to be appropriated. That Is, no
object, for 1t is TO be stated till the ses-
sion of 1872. Is this not reversing
the plain provision of the constitution? In
other words, Is 1t not stating the object IN ptr-
s1lonce of the levy rather than leuying IN pur
suance of the object previously declared This,
it seems to me, is too plain TO require argu-
ment, and why 1t is that the executive COM
mittee OF the Taxpayers Convention have not
long before now brought the whole present
unjust system Of taxation before the courts,
upon this ground alone, II no other, Is more
ary. every tax levy made since the new
regime might have been set aside and declared
unconstitutional.
But In the third place. This license tax Is
nothing more nor less than species OF poll or
capitation tax. The constitution, already
or capltation tax shall be levied In the State.
nor ehall the amount assessed on each poll
exceedn one dellar. And In the fourth and
last place, the constitution plainly provides for
only an annual td.r, (see section 3, article y,
above quoled.) The annual taxes which
the LegsauTTee saw 1T aIrsaGv 70 besy levy naS
and they have no right to require other taxes
to be pald, either upon the same or other SUBJ
iects. for the same period Of time. The con-
stltutiou authorizes the Legislature to levy
annual taxes, end annual taxes only. The
Legislature bas the sight to fix the time at
which the t1xes shall fall due. At first. March
time thai body has seen f1t to say that the tax.
PAYERS annual tax shall be paid. The tax
payer hos paid the annual tax which was
levied upon him and fell due on the 2Oth No
vember, ls7l-lherefore he cannot be required
to pay any more taxes, which are even IN
every other respect constitutional, unul the
20lh November, 1872; otherwise the taxpayer
might be compelled, under the speclous plea
that the Legislature Is all-powerful and may
do as 1t pleases, to pay two, or three, or even
a dozen taxes In one year.
I throw out these suggestions, although
written in the midst of other pressing duties,
and, therefore, not in the style In which /
might under other circumstances have pre-.
eented them, hoping that they may In some
measure aid those who are engaged, or are
about to engage, In an effort to teach that
shameful but shameless body of men who an-
nually huddle themselves together In Column
bia under the once honorable title Of "The
General Assembly of South Carolina" who
spend their time and the peoples money In
concoctng schemes for their own selt-sggran-
dizement, and the ruin aud destruction of the
property-holders OF the State, that there ID q
written constitution In the State by which Its
pretended friends and trainers as well as Its
so-called enemies shall be governed, and that
they will not be allowed 10 bend and twist
that constitution just when they please 10
suit their own party purposes. If some such
lesson as this is not taught these vampires,
and that sooD, the State and lis inhabitants
will take their departure 10 the manner indi-
Gated, though not elegantly, yet laconically,
by Ramsay. of Sumter, when he voted against
the validating bond bill, to wit: 81 votes
'gainst dis bill cause de whole State and ebery-
body In 1t is gone up" 3. A. III.