The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1873-10-21

djcinus expenditure for public purpoces of n
fair percentage OF the general wealth, raised
by AN equitable system OF taxation. The
fruits OF such expenditure are general educa-
ton, aud general health. improved roads. di-
mn;shcd expenses OF transportation, and Sc
cur.ty Tor lls and property"
TaXntioR is not therefore an unmixed evil
which every ono should make il his duty to
avoid. The tax ga,herrr isuo, NJ some assert
the natural enemy OF the tax payer.
Ia the c.Uqucnt language ot Deems:
= / do not look upon taxation as uumNCd
evil; the clouds that gather above us in the
heavens, dark IA they may seen dense AZ
they may he, have yri their golden edge and
silver huing. These clouds ARE tho taxos
OF the earth To support the great economy of
nature. They suck up the exhantions from
myriad fields and iiilI,iles they absorb the
mists ot rnormimg and the dews OF eve: bur
they do n"t rob tho EARTH, they de>poil not
the meadows which thev assess: Tor through
tlie wonderful clIcmiSIry ut tbs skies they re-
turn III tcrtllizing showers, they are dispensed
IN rIvuletS and rivers, 10 make the wilderness
blossom ~ the rose, and tho harvest fields
laugh with iatnoss"
Eveu So under wise ccOu0my OF public
administration. tho revenues of government
applied faithfully, legi,imatcly and honestly
may return seven fold, and produce new fruits
OF general prosperity
But says some lax payer = admit the
necessity Tor taxation; | admit that it is n de-
sirab!o form Of expenditure. But orr repre-
s.ntaIives coming, ~ n majority Of them do
from tho non-proporty holding class of our
Citizens, inre been iuconsiderate and careless
IL the levy OF nn excessive aud burdensome
;ite OF taxation. Taxation has increased at
an onoTmons rate since the palmy days
an: beIiUIn, and TO Tar greater extent than is
necessary To meet the public requirements
Let ms enquire how far this tax payers
assertions are correct:
Under tire anomalous syatem of taxation
= in vogue during tho palmy days ante bel
iaN. real estate bore but mn inconsiderable
portion OF the public expense. That species
of property which paid the largest annual
premium upon the capital invested, could best
afford to bear the burden OF taxation, and
hence the revenues of the State came chiefly
from the tax on slaves aud an arbitrary tax
upon free persons of color
For instance, $500 invested in n healthy
male slave would realize yearly at least
$l70 upon the investment. The owner could
therefore well afford to pay the tax imposed,
as in 1860, OF 81 26 upon his negro slave.
In 1860, according To the census Of tlot
date, there were III South Carolina 102, 400
slaves, yielding to the State tax of $l26
persons of color paying n tax of $500 per
head, or so, Tag making a total revenue
from taxes upon slaves and FREQ persons of
color OF 1886. 1886 or nearly nine.tenths
OF the entire amount necessary TO carry oil
the government.
The practical working of his sy stem was the
fostering and building mp of large and pow.
crtul landed aristocrncy; mans title 10 rank
and social position depended upon his prinCc!y
acres. Tho greatest boast of tho South Caro-
lima gentleman was his Inheritance of vast
landed possessions, the hunting grounds of his
fathers the pride of his children.
The general in his report to the
General Assembly for 1860 Ctated that the
tax on all the land of the State, amounting to
l7,55S,4Ol acres, produced only $S2,6l5.5l,
which is less than an average of five cents
por acre |"
Valuable cotton lands which the owners
would not have sold for hundreds of dollars
an acre, wero valued for the purposes of taxa.
tion nj Ave cents per acre
Now, human slavery is abolished Millions
OF capital invested in human chGttels have
been swept out Of existence with single
stroke Of the pen. Some other species of
property niust Sear the expenses OF the gov.
ernment in its stead. Which ia it? The ex.
perieucc Of the civilized world answers that
tho true basis of taxation is real aud personal
estate, and tie new regime in conformity to
that experience has adopted that syslem for
the now order OF things
The practical operation Of this now and
as that toxperiencod in tho North half century
= ~