Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1873-08-21
Murmurings From Saiuda--IneG-
cient Tax ASsessOr--The Negro
Militia. &C.
For the Advertiser.

Mr.. ED1ToR,-It is rare thing
for us to see any thing from our Sec
tion, by way of news, in the Aduerti-
ser. But the reason, we judge, is the
great distance. and poor mail facili-
ties. Although we live in the bacN-
woods, good distance from the chan
nels of busy life, still you will have
to find more retired place than here
to be FREE from Tax Collectors, Asses
sors and negro militia. And as the
acts of the first are SO fragrant, and
the others likely to become SO, they
shall form the theme Of my commu
nication.
When the County Auditor made
his announcement, that his office
aould be open between certain dates,
the goo'l people Of our section thought
they would promptly attend his call.
But in calling upon that cc'y co1rte-
ous oentlen,a,s, they were told in
brief manner, filled with oaths, that
lie would send around in this section,
some one who was a better Judge Of
property than the owners seemed to
be. OF course we have learned to
obey our masters, and there is not
even Tell,with us to protest.
Iii due time the gentleman who
was to be the judge of our property
made his appearance. The following
is an example of the assessment in
the Huiet Township.
A widow lady's house-old and
dilapidated-roof all rotten, panes
out of the sash, c ing rotting from
leaks,-the Assessor endeavored to
assess at one thousand dollars, but
finally put down at six hundred. A
gentleman neighbor, who lives On one
side, in the best and costliest house
in the whole Saluda country, was
assessed on his house three hundred
dollars while on the other side of
this lady, a dwelling much better
than hers, was valued at one hundred
and fifty dollars. We know gentle
man, who was absent from home,
whose dwelling was put at fifteen
hundred dollars, and his gin house,
an old rotten thing that will barely
stand up on its posts, was put at eight
hundred dollars. No man in his right
mind would say that this gin house
was worth twenty-five dollars.
Such has been the assessment OF
the man, who was to be the Judge f
the value of our property. We
would not complain at a lair assess
ment Of our property, fit were unl-
form; although our taxes are high
enough, considering its misapplica-
ton, to drive any but slaves to rebel
lion.
Now if there was uniformity, even
in the Huiet Township, it would not
be so bad. I am acquainted with the
assessment of the Coleman Township,
and I affirm that on some species OF
property the assessment is not more
than one-fourth, and in some instan-
ces not more than one-tenth OF the
valuation in the Huiet Township.
The valuation Of the property Of the
Coleman Township is similar to the
old assessment, and as far as I am
able to Judge, there is uniformity in
the valuation of property. I hear it
intimated that they intend to bring
all property up to the highest valua-
tion of any mans property in the
Township There will be as much
injustice in this as there is in trying
to make sorry house worth as much
as good one. Some mems buildings
are worth more than others, and good
stock are worth more than inferior
stock. What sense Of justice is there
in making man pay as much tax on
house TogSEAA y ,gEA QRs taausand dollars
az .oneMortht ten thousand? :,
:. We demand that thc assessment for
the Huiet Township be made uniform
and the property be assessed like til{
property Of. the the, other tis Townships Y ! ;
and we are further tl h Of the Sopln{Ol
that the present assessor should re-
ceive no pay for his malfeasanoe, i