The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1874-10-24
Tho Nominations for tho State
Board Of Equalization.

The paramount issue of good govern
mcnt before the people has moro parti-
cuar reference to tic property OF the
citizen. The burden the government
falls upon the property and the amount
OF taxation advalurcm, the disposition
OF the tax after collcstion and, above
all, the regulation Of the rate of assess
ment, ,arc the great questions with which
the republican party has to d al in the
redemption Of this State The legi>la.
turc levics the rate of taxation oa Il
certain basis of assessment The assess
mcDt IS fixed i'll this way; the tax payer
make. his return to the county auditor;
the auditor accepts or increases the re
turn. II an increase is made, their the
tax payer appeals to the county board
OF equalization, ard if that board decide
against him, then he has fit cen days;
to make good his return, and then he
carries his case before the State board
OF cqualzatlon, which makes the liual
decree As ut present constituted the
county board is appintcd by the Judge
OF tile circuit, unl his IIonor Y. j.
-Hackey, has, wc believe, the credit Of
originating this change in the Law
But it 10 clear that the court Of last
resort in this matter is the State board
Of equalization under tho recent statute
aud hold Office for four years. The
State convention failed to make the
nominations, aud tho State executive,
committee have nominated The follow
in= gentlemen, who, ifccc;c;l, with tn,
governor, State trcasurer an | cromptrol
Ter feneral, will compose the 5oarl.
The committee will place upon the rcsu
lar State ticket the following n,m,s
,'or the li:s;s! district --B. d. Town
sand darlington.
For the sccon,l district w B Smith
Char!e:toh.
For the third district W D Mars.
Abbevillc.
Forlhe fourth district-G " Melton
Chester.
For the fifth Districts j Lee, Al,
ken
lfphis ticket is elected, and it most
ccrtiiiSaly will be, than there will be four
! cn,sS$ representing tho Tx pay
ing cifizcns oI tho opposition - e
|
prrty will thus control tEc assessment
N property all over the State. The
tax unions would be dcfus,:cs oGico, with
their turbulent occupation, gone. The
ncminatinn. therefore, Of thcs, d.no
cratic gentlemen is an evidence of con
flcncc 10y the re. ular republican ory,n
zation and an evidence, under the fro yn
ing shadow Of the Tux union ors,aiz,-
,ion, not often witnessed in Political
affairs Wcsry this bac,nse, aIsho,sh
the republicans Of tn Stat; n. ,ra lu,l
y acquiring property anil bccamir5 tax
payers. still the lnryc DO ly OF tic tax
payers are Of the opposition, AM in re
turning their property can se:tle the
basis OF ssc'smcnt UPON their oTl val
ua.ium
What may be regarded as valuation
is Fixed 10y the constitutional aud stat
ute law. Section SO of article says:
All property subject to taxation shall
be taxed in prDporiion to It's ruinc:
Section OF article Q says th,t ':thc
general assembly shall provide by law
Tor uniform aud equal rate Of asses,
mcnt an taxation, ana Shall prescribe
such regulations rs sh,!! sccure jrst
r0'Huiion f,r htrdiiDH.
What, then, is to be regarded n the
.j"af valuation Of property We arc not
left in the dark rs to what the law re
CARDS as II just valuation Of property
during the last session Of the lcgisa
turn an assessment act WIS passed con
soiidating al other acts rclatiAg to hat
subject, and in section 80 says that the
true valnc Of any property shall be helI
to be the usual selling price Of similar
property ut tie place where the return
is to be made, and il there BE- no usu II
selling price, then Il, what is honestly
believed c,uhl b. obtained for the san.
at fair sale ut the place aforesaid
Scction 81 Of this act provides that
none but 'in':l.iy,it tax paying citizens
shall be put upon the board. Now al!
that the taxpayer is expected to do in
making his return to the aud tor under
oath is to assess his property at what he
honcstly believes to be its 'uslll selling
price ut fair sale [ the anlitor dis
agrees with him, then the final appeal
lies to the State board; and for that
board the regular republican party have
nominated four conservatives on. OF tn,
five to be elected. In the midst OF an
excited cnmpai IN, when ! the opposition
is doing his bcs. to draw the lines as
close as possible, this is liberal, wise an
generous