The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1872-03-07

The next form Of tax is the proposed IL
censc laws. Under heavy penalties, to be
enforced by the Criminal Courts, it is pre-
hibited to pursue any of the employmcnts
named, without first having paid for and OBJ,
tanned license from our masters, permitting
the people Of this happy land of freedom to
transact their lawful business. Is it not cyi-
dent, Mr.. Editor, that this tax also must be
paid, or the burthencd employment be ADAM
doned?
This brings us to the regular, direct tax
upon prapcrtY, real and personal What will
be the effect Of refusing to pay this tax? AS
to personal property. the question is soon
answered. 1t is seized by the tax-gathercr
and sold to the highest bidder, and the own
er is at once deprived Of his property. As to
| this kind of property, Then, the proposed plan
will not work.
Real Estate of delinqucnts would be ad-
vertised and sold, as required by the tax law
Town property, as a whole, AID other lands
in fractions, according to the amount of the
tax. If there be no bidders, the property
is forfeited to the State. 1t is an error to
suppose the purchaser to have no immediate
right of possession. lie will unquestionably
have this right, as may be seen by reference
TO tie tax act Of September, 1868, Sec. 1l3,
III. If there bc no bid: the property is for
felt d to the State, and then there il no right
Of re mmp'iom o/J'~/cihd Mnds. If there
was general djIermSa i on the part of
land holdcrs to pay no tax, of course it would
involve The additional resolve to refrain from
bidding ut tax.salcs. The radicals would
not bid, because they could d. better. as |
shall show, consequently the lands of the cit
izcns would be, as whole, icri ed and
vested in the State Government, without liza
hility to redemption. What would the gov
ernment do with the lands? In the first
pace, the astutc, corrupt and unscrupulous
rcr sons who are sustained in power by the
party of pure morality controlling this State:
would make those lands the basis of extensive
financial operations, whereby they would
raise more money for their purposes than
they have heretofore done by taxation and
the fraudulent issue Of bonds. They would
dispose Of tlem to their political partigans
and corrupt adventurers, who would swarm
hithcr as vulturcs to Il carcass of fostering
f;.tncss. The old Carolina families would be
turned out as homeless and pcnnilcss wan
dercrs on the face of the earth This is the
"consummation devoutly to be wished" by
the radicals of South Carolina and their
Washington friends. C1EfscotioM is their
object, and they will be rejoiced if We can be
eatrappcd into assisting its accomplishment.
These rulers have prepared the way for it
diligently. They have stimulated the prcju-
dice Of race; inAamcd the malignity born
of slavery; poisoned the ears Of the masses
with the doctrines of the commune; taught
them that all accumulation of property 9Nas
rightfully theirs; and that the property hold
crs were but successful plundcrers of the la
borers whose toll enriched them. Could
anything more delight those people than our
voluntary surrender Of the rights of proper
ty, to fill their pockets and insure the means
Of pcrpotuating their own wealth and power:
think, Mr.. Editor, that yru will agree
with me that yoar plan will not work What
then, can We do? 1t is proprs d to tax us
this year at the rate Of about frc million NJ
doALars-say sixty thou-a bales of cotton
more than the value of the rent Of all the
arabic lands Of the State. About
one half the interest at scvan p"r
cent upon the whole assessed value Of all
property in tho State, liable to taxstinn.-
Shall we pay it? Yes! it must be paid; or
We arc ruined, and our tyrants rejoicc.-
They will be gladly sustained by Federal
bayonets and negro militia if VIC resort to
open cs,s'ance, and your passive policy will
not work There is but the one alternative
Let the people. therefore. pay the robbers
their subsidy. until reason and justice resume
their sway. Prepare for it Low. Estimate
the needed sum, and then turn to the narrow
mc,Hye Of home affairs and personal eXpen-
SIS, rctrcnch aud cconomi:c and save the tri-
butte money. Dispense with Yankee whis-
key. clothes, boots and shoes, silks, satins,
vclvcts, trinkets and gcwgaws Of foreign
make. They arc but the gldcd chains that
bind us in slavery. They constitute the
medium of taxation less obvious, but tequal-
ly iniquitous and CALLING as that of the State
Government. 1t would be easy for the most
of us to save enough from these sources to
pay the ether plundcrers. Let US live as
our patriotic people did during the war
The duty is quito as imperative and sacred
Thus the plain garb of hcncst industry, will
h morally distinguish our people, from their
successful plundcrers, clad in purple and
fire linen. badges of their infamy and shame
Thus we will largh at the tax-gathcrer, and
defy the poverty which threatens U.S. Thus
l. IL ..rnro a.,,ulnta tlo ii G., lios