The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-11-27
Reckless Taxation.
The amount (sixteen mills) of tax lev,

The amount (slXteen mllls) OF tax levy pro-
posed by the Committee on Ways and Means
strikes us as enormous, in the circumstances OF
the State at this time. The minority report
of the committee, in making levies for specific
purposes, and keeping each separate and apart,
to be applied only 10 its legitimate and pre-
scribed objects, is better: Otherwise, it is
equally Objectionable. These bills call for
about 81, SOC, 600, a sum large enough to carry
on the affairs of five such States as this. we
do not preceive anywhere the slightest regard
for the distressed condition of the people, or
the faintest tendency towards economy in the
management of our political affairs. Leaving
aside, for the present, the question OF the eX-
orbtant amount about to be levied, there are
some contradictions and discrepancies in the
proposed bill which are worthy of notice.
This bill has section which levies three mills
for County purposes. Besides this, there are
Joint resolutions to raise a special tax of three
or four mills in nearly all the Counties of the
State Take it at an average of three mills,
and the two will swell the amount to be appro-
priated in the Counties to q most extravagant
sum. What is it for? Experience has demon
strated that the larger the amount intended for
improvements, &C., in the Counties, the fewer
and smaller they are. :,
Again. The bill requires that the taxes shall
be paid in gold and silver coin, United States
currency, national bank notes and bills receiv-
ABLY. The bills of the Bank of the State, which
so frightened the legislative soul when the
decision of the court which made them good
for all dues to the State was announced, seem
to have lost their terrors. Perhaps it is now
supposed that the decision only affects the case
of the relators which came before the Supreme
Court.
Again the extra printing bill, which appro-
pirates 1925, 900 to the Republican Printing
Company, and which has passed one body, and
been favorably reported on and received Its
first reading in the other, has clause which
provides that certificates OF Indebtedness, re-
ceivabe for taxes, shall be issued in payment
of the claim. There is conflict OF Legislation
in this matter Bills of the Bank OF the State
and certificates of indebtedness are good tor
taxes, but no provision is made in the supply
hill to absorb them. Besides, We find nowhere
in the bill any provision which looks to meet
ing the interest on the public debt, although
there is one or two mills for this purpose in
the bill to reduce the volume of the public
debt. And to crown the absurdity OF the
measure, it leaves out in the cold the floating
debt making no mention of it whatever
The bill is evidently crude and unsatlsfacto-
ry. It is put forth before any proper estimate
of the expenses of the State Government has
been made, and before the amount OF taxable
property has been ascertained. 1t is liable to
be thwarted in the way we have shown, and to
tie be brought into conflict with other measures
which have been adopted. 1t does net follow
any honest effort to reduce expenses 1t goes
upon the snpposition that the poor, halt-tam-
ished State of South Carolina, should have
magnificent establishment, costly and iuxu-
rious government. 1t utterly ignores the
stratened circumstances the actual destitution
of the people. Such legislation as this in such
times as these demonstrates that the General
Assembly is every day growing more incompe-
tent to discharge its proper duty. Corruption
and proaigacy still run their fatal and giady
rounds.
In speech delivered at the emancipation
celebration in Hartford, Connecticut last sum-
mer Congressman Rainey enunciated policy
which the Legislature now seems bent on car
rying out. "Land is cheap lin South Carolina,
he meant,) and we like to put on the taxes, so as
to make it cheap" This the Legislature is
doing, just as surely as if they had Rainey's
ideas of con6scation repeated to them every
morning. 1t is assuming with them the shape
of settled scheme. 1t looks almost as if they
were logically obliged to pursue it. They can
only founder and blunder on till the end comes
of collapse or revolution. What think the
| Taxpayers OF the state OF q tax OF TZ,ooV,Ooo,
now that land has been made CHEAP" and
everything else shrunk in proportion2 Land
cheap, cotton at twelve cents, the wolf of
famine at the doors of the people, men out of
employment children without bread-that is
one side of the picture.
We turn away from viewing the other, COW
cred all over with extravaganza and corruption
of officials, reveling in the proceeds of a 81
500,0 900 tax. Are not these things significant
of great change p Columbia Phonir.