The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-04-06
COL|lNllMl! 4 I! BI AZ. iqS. 20.
Friday Morning, april 8 1915.

wealth and Public Debt OF tn. state.
Yesterday, We published an Article
showing the comparative rate Of taxation
in the several States CT the Union. The
figures were furnished by the United
States census reports of 1870, from
which they were oulled and arranged by
the Nation. From these figures, il was
seen that in 1870, when our general
State and County tax was not above ten
mills on the dollar, South Carolina was
ninth on the list OF the thirty-ssven
States of the Union in the rate of taxa
ton. Nevada had ct that time the un-
enviable honor of heading the array,
paying in the way of taxes 1864 on
every thousand dollars Of property;
Louisiana next. $21. .85; Arkansas 1883,
and on to South Carolina, which paid
$3.50. Ten mills being added to the
State and County taxes this year would
Of itself raise the rate to $3.50; and
when we add to this the license tax,
generally estimated to be equal to a
general tax Of not less than six mills on
the dollar, we will have $29. 80; or So. 90
per thousand more than Nevada, the
highest State. Furthermore, we feel
confident in asserting that the various
town taxes in the State have been largely
increased since 1870, which would throw
the general rate up still higher, and may
we'll be considered burdensome by the
"shiftless, idle, lazy, vagabond farmers"
as the Union terms them. But to the
wealth of the State.
The wealth per capita in the various
States is as follows:
New York, 81, 483. .27; Massachusetts,
1,468 .03; Connecticut, 1.441.30; Rhode
Island, 1,366.28; California, 1,14O.15;
Pennsylvania. 1,O81.31; New jersey,
1.O38.4 40; Ohio, 838.73; Illinois, 835. "a;
Maryland, 824.37; New Hampshire,
1886; Delaware, 777.35; Indiana,
754. 58; Missouri, 746 48; Nevada, 1872. 70;
Vermont, 711.99; Wisconsin, 665. 90;
Michigan, 607.41; Iowa, .03; Oregon,
SGT 06; Nebraska, 563 .26; Maine. 555 35;
Minnesota, $4,000; Kansas, 518. SO; Ken
tucky, 457.46; Louisiana, 444. 81; West
Virginia. 431. 80; Tennessee, 395 80; Vir-
ginia, 1874. 81; Arkansas, 322.S1; South
Carolina. 294.99; Mississippi, 252.67;
North Carolina, 243. 80; Florida, 235. %;
Georgia, 226. At; Alabama, 202. .46; Texas,
194.3O.
In this list, South Carolina stands
near tho tail end, being thirty first in
the thirty-seven States. But it must be
borne in mind. that in this State, the
freedmen stand nearly at the rate of two
to one, compared with the white people.
AS general thing, the freedmen have
no property at all; and if they were not
counted in. as they should not fairly be
having but lately been freed, and
having had but sorry chance OF that to
accumulate wealth-the State would
come in among the first ten or twelve
States in point Of proportional wealth.
Furthermore, if the value of slave pro-
perty which has been lost were taken
into consideration, we think that the
property per capita in this State would
rise to among the first. These consider
ations suggested by us, though. OF
course, they do not affect the truth of
the figures rs given, serve to show. at
least, that it was from no lack of energy
on our part, or want of natural re-
sources in the State, that our present
poverty exists.
The ratio Of public debt to population
in the several States is given as follows:
Louisiana. $500; Massachusetts,,
47.49; Nevada, 46.74; Virginia, 1864;
Tennessee, $3.50; Maryland. 81 .lS; New
York, 36.46; New Hampshire, 1904;
California, 1929; Connecticut, 31.79;
North Carolina, 30.31; Rhode Island,
27.32; Missouri, 27.25; Maine, 1852;
Pennsylvania, 25.27; New Jersey, 25. %;
South Carolina, 1853; Georgia, 1887;
Kansas, 17.68; Nebraska, 16. .98; Illinois,
1851; Kentucky. 14.34; Alabama, 1881;
Florida, 11.64; Vermont, 1887; Arkan-
sas. 8.57; Ohio. S.34; Iowa. SIS; Min
nesota, 6. 81; Michigan, s. 68; Wisconsin,
5:6O; Indiana, 4.65; Delaware, 4.21;
Mississippi, 8.18; Oregon, 2.4O; Texas,
1.97; West Virginia, 1.27.
It must be remembered again that the
etatistics from which this tah1a "a drawn