The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-06-09
COLUMBIA. s. G.
Sunday Morning. June 8, 1872.

veral Counties OF the State, with o view
to exonerate himself from the responsi-
bility Of closing the free schools. The
letter is very suggestive in many re-
spects. In the first place, it admits the
closing of the public schools-a state
ment of which by Washington paper,
some time since. the truthful Union pro-
nounced democratic lie" We pre-
sumo the Union will hardly deny the
fact longer.
In the second place, the reasons which
the State Treasurer assigns why the
school appropriations have not been
paid furnish food for very extensive
comment According to Mr.. Parker, oil
the money received for taxes since No
vember last, and principally in January
last, was expended before the appropria
tion was made for school purposes on
March 13. This tax was for State pur-
poses alone-seven mills on the dollar
and should have realized in the neigh
borhood of 81, 100000. Since. as stated
by Mr.. Parker, neither the appropria-
tions for the Lunatio Asylum, State Or
phan Asylum. Deaf and Dumb Asylum,
State University, salaries OF officers, &C.,
have been paid, the query naturally
arises, where, in the name of common
sense. has this 81, 100000 gone?
The assertion Of the State Treasurer.
that not more than two-thirds of the
taxes have been collected for the last
fonr years, is rather thin. Tho amount
OF taxes levied for State purposes during
the lest four yeare sums up about
100000. One.third Of that amount
would be $4,000, 900. which. if Mr.. Par.
ker's assertion be true. is now due for
taxes. The idea that one-third of the
taxes have not been paid, is absurd.
Some time since, when the Radicals we're
desirous Of bulling their fraudulent State
bonds. their organ, the Union, published
statements and made comments nearly
every day, showing with what prompt
ness the people were paying their taxes.
There is long list of delinquent tax
payers published. it is true; but it is
well known that the greater pa-t OF
them are reported incorrectly. In
stances without number have been
brought to our attention in this County,
where property has been advertised for
sale to pay taxes, when the owners have
the receipts from the County Treasurer,
showing that they have paid their taxes
long ago. Hundreds of other cases we
hear of, where the property is advertised
in the wrong PERSONS name. The owner
OF the property has already paid the
taxes, but the identical property is taxed
again in the name Of some person to
whom, perhaps, it belonged years ago.
A great many poor sand-hill white peo-
pie and oolored people, who had only a
small tract OF land and no other pro-
perty, have been sufferers by these de-
linquent sales. But the rich have not
been hurt, except in some rare instances,
where there was some question about
the titles to the property. 1t is the poor
man-the poor white man and the
poor colored man-whom the Radical
party profess to care. for 80 specially,
and whom they promise to provide with
homesteads, that have lost what little
land :hoJ had, blythe enormous taxation
levied by this same party. Why is it,
We should like to know, that the State is
compelled to make an absolute sale Of
real estate. or to try to do it, in order to
secure the payment of taxes? If the
yearly rental value of land is more than
sufficient to pay the taxes levied, then
the State is doing its humble citizens q
wanton injury in selling the fee simple
to his lands, when less estate would
answer all the purposes. If the yearly
rental value Of land is not more than the
taxes, then it is plain the land is worth
nothing, or rather the rate of taxation is
insolesable. The State officials can take
which horn Of the dilemma they choose.
The reason why we have no public
u