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

dicious expenditure for public purposes of
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-
minshcd expenses OF transportation, and
curly for lir, and property"
Taxatioa IS not therefore an unmixed evil,
which every one should make it his duty to
avoid. The la: ga,hercr snoi, as some assert
the natural enemy OF the tax payer
In the eloquent language oil Deems
Il do not look upon taxation IA an unmixcd
evil; the clouds that gather above us in the
heavens, dark AZ they may seem, dense as
they may hc, nave yet their golden edge aud
silver lining These clouds are tho taxes
OF the earth To support the great economy OF
nature. They suck up the exh,lalious from
myriad fields and itill,iies they absorb the
mistS OF iuoru'ug and the deWs of eve; but
they do nnt rob the earth, they despoil not
HE meadows which they assess for through
the wonderful chcmislry of the skies they re-
turn i'll fcrtilzing showers they are dispensed
IN rivulets and rivers, to make the wilderness
blossom ~ the rose, and tho harvest fields
laugh with iltncss"
EVen SO. under wise economy OF public
administration, tho revenues of government
applied faithfully, legiiimatcly and honestly
may return seven fold, and produce new fruits
OF general prosperity
But says some tax payer, . admit the
necessity Tor taxation; admit that il is de-
sirablo form of expenditure. But oar repre-
sentAtlvea coming, ~ majority of them do,
from tho non-property holding class of our
cltlzena, have beeu inconsiderate aud cureless
III the levy OF nm excessive and burdensome
rate OF taxation. Taxation has increased at
an e.inrmons rate since the palmy days
dnfs be'tUD, and 10 far greater extent than is
necessary to meet the public requirements"
Lot us onquire how fir this tax payers
assertions are. correct:
Under tile aiiomaous system OF taxation
. in vogue during tho palmy days ante BEL
ium," real estate bore but an nconsidorable
portion of the public expense That species
of property which paid the largest annual
premium upon the capital invested, could best
aford To bear the burden oil 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 10 pay the tax imposed,
as in 1860, OF 81 90 upon l,is negro slave.
In 1860, according to the census Of that
date there were ia South Carolina 402, ,4O6
slaves, yielding to the State tax of $l.26
per head, or $60T, 03l56, and 9,9l4 free
persons of color, paying tax of $500 per
head, or $29T42, making total revenue
from taxes upon slaves and FREQ persons of
color of S536,17 or nearly nine.tenths
OF the entire amount necessary 10 carry OH
the governments.
The practical working Of this system was the
fostering and building up of large aud pow
crful landed aristocrucy n mans title TO rank
and social position depended upon his princcly
acres. The greatest boast of tho South Caro-
landed possessions the hunting grounds of his
fathers, the pride of his children
The comptrollcr-general, in his report to the
General Assembly for 1850. ctated that "tl,e
tax on all the land of the State. amounting to
i7,55S,40l acres, produced only $s2,6l5.6l,
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 ohatteis have
been swept out OF existence with single
stroke Of the pen. Some other spccies of
property niust bear the expenses OF the gov.
ernment in its stead. Wlich is it? The ex-
periencc of the civilized world answers that
tho true basis Of taxation is real and personal
estate, and tlic ,iew regime IN conformity TO
that experience has adopted that system for
the now order OF things
The practical operation of this new and
equitable systom in South Carolina is the ssmo
as that experienced in tho North a half century
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