The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-11-18
All . Muddle.

u
This ta1 question is terribly niuddled. In
coming officials and outgoing officials en-
gage in inky war. Petitioners and res
pondents keep up cross fire Of afldavits,
and ipjunctions are as plentiful as elackoer-
ries In June.
As ioreshadowed In our Columbia tele-
grams several days ago, Comptroller.Neagle
has issued instructions to the county audi
tors to levy tax OF six mills to meet ap-
preparations for the year beginning No
vember l, 1871, two mills for the support
Of the public schools, and four mills to
| nav interest on the public debt This,
with. three mills county tax, making an
aggregate State and county tax Of fifteen
| mills. This as already explained, was
hardly as bad as wss anticipated; When
ten mills ought to be enough, and twenty:
six mills are proposed, q tax OF flteen
| mills is a pretty good compromise. Now,
| however, Secretary of State Cardozo, the
Treasurer elect, appears on the scene, and
obtains from Judge Melton temporary In
junction restraining the State and county
treasurers from using any part Of the forth.
coming tax for any purpose Whatsoever,
except the payment OF the appropriations
made. In the general appropriation bill
passed last session. This iorbids the pay
melt OF the pay-certincates, and OF the huge.
mass Of other claims against the State which
speculators have bought up, at Q heavy dis.
count, with the hope that their friends in
the capital would 80 fix things as to give
them their money in full before any spasms
OF reform barred the treasury doors. Thoy
are disappointed, and Il, as ia hoped will be
the case, the Injunction be made permanent,
host Of .ill.goiten obligations will be re-
duced invalue to the price Of waste paper
at q junkshop. Secretary Cardozo appears
to have acted with firmness and discretion.
His explanation Of his trip to New York, In
company with the Great Seal Of the State,
has not been satisfactorily explained, but
against this may be aet bis intrepidity in re-
iusing to sealbatches Of conversion bonds to
be used In boIsterlng up 'the credit OF the
State" And his last act Is his best The
people loathe the very name Of pay certia-
Gates, and they will not be sparing In their
thanks, IL the treasurer elect, the most
highly educated colored man in the. State,
should prove his practical devotion to the
welfare OF the place Of his birth by folling
the 'tshavers" and claim-jobbers, and giving
the people the certainty that no claim is
paid except for services honestly rendered,
by authority Of law, at fair !dce. 1t is
good beginning, and We have no right to
cast about for other motives than those
which lie on the surface.
Judge Melton, the Attorney General elect,
granted the temporary injunction applied
for upon hearing the argument OF the pssi-
tioner, and requires that cause be shown,
on the 21st instant, why the injunction
should not be made permanent. What the
final decision Of the court will be no one can
know in advance But we have full conf
dence that It will express the disinterested
aud deliberate convictions OF the court.
Judge Melton has proved himself to be an
able lawyer and an upright Judge; and it is
not doubted that when he assumes the duties
OF Attorney. General he will continue to be
vigtlant guardian Of the interests Of the
public. There is plenty Of important work
TO do aud TIE NEWS believes that Judge
Melton is just the man to do it
The Columbia conservative papers ad-
wise the people, in view OF the pending liti-
cation and the subtlety Of the outgoing
officials, to withhold the payment OF taxes
until the. lst Of. January, which can be done
without incurring any penalty. 1t is to be
hoped that the action of the courts will
make it unnecessary to consider seriously
this proposition. Unless the taxes are paid
with reasonable promptitude, money will be
borrowed, at exorbltant rates, to meet the
current expenses Of the Government, and
the commissions and interest, as high as
the State credit is low, must come, at last,
out OF the pockets OF the people. Soon or
late, the people pay the piper,