The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-10-22

dlciouS expenditure fur public purposes Of a
fair percentage OF the general wealth, raised
by nn equitable system OF taxation. The
fruits ot such expenditure nre general ctlucu-
tinn, and general health. improved roads. di-
minisiicd expenses of transportation, md Sc
c"r!ty Tor life and property"
laxatIos IS not therefore m un'nixcd evil,
winch every one sll,nili make il his duty to
avoid. The tux yathcrcr is moi, MS some assert.
the natural enemy OF the lax payer.
In the eloquent language ol Deems:
do not l"ok upon ta1a,icn ny I'M uumixcd
evil the clouds tina, gather above us in the
heavens, dark as they may seem, dense as
Hey may br, have yet their golden edge aud
silver lining. These clouds nrc tho taxes
OF Tie earth I" support the great cconnmy Of
nature. They suck up the cxhalations from
myriad fields and !iili,idrs; tley absorb the
ln'sts OF mormng atl.l The ,ltws of eve; hut
they do nut rob the earth, they dcspoil not
the inral"ws which they assess: for through
Tie wonderful chemistry uf tho skies they re-
tnrn ia lcrt'llzing showers, they are dispensed
III riv'll"'S aH'l rivers to make the wilderness
hlosSoin nS the rose. and the harvest fields
laugh with inUss.'
Even 80. under wise economy Of public
administration, the revenues of government
nppi'ed faithfully, lrgilimatcly and honestly
may return seven Iuli, and produce new fruits
Vi general prosperity
But says some tax payer !. admit tho
necessity Tor taxation; admit that it is IL de-
Hiratlc torIn ut expenditure. But our repre-
schtnlitcS coming. us Il majority OF them do
rom Tho oirr"Ucrty holding class Of our
clt,Zus. have hrcn intunSiluratc and cnrcless
IN The levy OF MtI excessive and b,irtcnso,no
rate oi taxation. Taxaii.n has Increased at
All en"riIl''is rnlc since the !mmy days
ante "e'i"m and to fnr yrcater extent than is
n
Let us enquire how FIR tllis tax pavcr's
assertions arc correct:
Under the anomalous system of taxation
:" IN vogue during the parny days ante bel
lam. renl estate bore but M incousdcrnilc
portion OF the public expense. Tlnt species
OF property which paid The lnrgcst annual
premium upon The capital invested, could best
Afford TO bear the burden OF taxation, and
hc'cc the revenues "f the State came chiefly
from tho tax on slaves and M arbitrary tax
upon tree persons Of color
For instance. S60D invested in a healthy
male slave would realize yearly at least
Si7O upon tho investment. The owner could
therefore well afford 10 pay til" tax imposed
as IN 1850, nt : 2i upon his negro slave.
In 1860. according to The census cf that
da.e. there were III South Carolina i02. 400
slaves yielding to the Stale tax of Sl.oG
per load. OF Si07 OF: ST, and 9,gll free
persons OF color. pHying Il lax Of So 90 per
head, or S?!, 74?, making II total revenue
from taxes upon slaves and free persons OF
color of 1886 5i or nearly nine tenths
Of the entire amount necessary to carry on
the government.
The practical working OF Ibis system was the
fostering and building up of large and pow.
crtu landed ariStocr;my; 4 mans title to rank
AMI social pnsiti"n depended upon his princcly
acres. The greatest boast Of the South Caro-.
lima gentleman was his Inheritance of vast
landed possessions. the hunting grounds of his
fathers, the pride of his children
The romptrorr-gcncral. IN his report To tho
t'"ncral Assembly itr $50. stated tha, .t the
tax on all the land nf the State. amounting to
l7,5aSto acres produced only $S25i5.5l,
Which is less tlian I'M ave r;,go of five cents
per acre!
Valuable cotton lands which tie owners
would not have sold loi hundreds of dollars
an acre, We're valued Tor Tho purposes Of taxa
ton at ike cents per acre
Now, human slavery is abolished Millions
of capital invested in human clmttcls have
been swept out Of existence with n single
stroke "t the pen. Some other species of
property must ear the expenses nf the gov
crnmcnt IN it's stead. Which il it? The ex-
rcricnc" "i the civilized world answers thai
the true basis o. taxation is ,rui dmi JcySoaai
'ahit", and the new regime IN conformity to
that experience has adopted that system for
tho now order Of things
The practical operation of this now aud
equitable system in South Carolina is the Same
as that experienced in tho North half century