The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-03-04

sumo to address the people at large OF the
United States. On looking into these
statistics, we learn that the property,
real and personal, Of the United States,
as assessed in 1870 for purposes of taxa
ton, was valued at $l4, ,178, 1886. 1872.
On this assessment there was levied for
State purposes the sum Of $68. .051, ,298,
being nearly 4.5 mills ON the dollar.
In South Carolina the assessed value for
1870 was $183, ,9l3. 1897, npon which there
was levied, for State purposes, a tax OF
8 mills on the dollar; that being nearly
100 per cent. higher than the average
levy in the United States. But tho real
value Of property in the United States
for 1870 is given at $50. .06S, q 1867;
being more than"-do1ble the assessed
value, upon which valuation the tax
collected for State purposes amounted
to only 1926, say pa mills on tho dol
lar. In South Carolina the real value ia
put for 1870 at $208, 146. $50, which. in.
stsad of being double the assessed
value, as Was the case in the United
States. taken in the aggregate, was ouiy
q fraction more than ID per cent. above
the assessed value; and upon this valua-
ton there was collected, according to
the census report, o tax, amounting in
the aggregate. to 1921 1897, being at
the rate of 6.35 mills on the dollar, or
very nearly three times as much as the
average tux of the United States for the
yoar 1870. And yet our South Carolina
Solons affect holy horror at the COM
plants OF the Taxpayers as being almost
gro1ndless. "Stop your olamor," they
say, In substance; Eve only charge you
S1.G7 per capita for governing you. "
Consoling, truly. But let lis look q lit
tie further into this matter, by compar.
iog, or rather by contrasting, individual
States. In New York. the assessed
value of property for 1870 was Sl,967,
00l 1856, while the real value is given
at S6,500,8 264; more than three
times the assessed value, and upon
this assessment was collected, for
State purposes, S8.720. l5G, being 4.43.
not quite ~ mills to the dollar; while
the amount collected was only in pro-
portion to 1.34, say rs mills on the
dollar OF the real value. Thus it is see n
that the Empire State of the Union,
bioated with wealth, as she is, collected,
for State purposes. in 1870, only 81 "a
on the thousand dollars worth OF pro-
perty, estimated at its true value, while
the people of this Impoverished State
had wrung from them Sc 35 on the
thousand dollars worth of property,
estimated at its true value. In other
words, our beneficent Government re-
quired US to pay. in 1870, s4.73.o of tax
for every dollar that the citizens of New
York had to pay, in proportion to the
true value of the property. But We seem
to henr the sonorous voice of our State
Treasurer commanding us to he silent.
as we are only required to pay 81 6Z per
capita for our blessings, while the peo.
pie Of New York have to pay 50 per
capita. How little the people of. New
York seem to know about the allied
sciences OF government and political
economy.
From the empire State of the Union,
let us turu to Ohio, the empire State OF
the West. There, in 1870, the assessed
value of property was $l,167, 731 ,697,
and the State taxation 81. 727, ,318, being
in proportion of four mills on the dollar
not half what it was in South Carolina.
hetrue value ia given at 81, go, 430, 800,
upon which valuation the tax levy was
in proportion of 2 10 mills on the dol
lar, being only one-third what it was in
South Carolina on the actual value.
Look. now. at M"ssanhrec..:. .r..
the assessment was 81, ,59l, ,983, 112, and
the taxation S7.4OS. .962; being at the
rate Of 4.65 mills on tho dollar-ouly
half what it was in South Carolina. The
true value is given at 50, 1872, 14S, TAI; the
taxation being again only about hall
what it was in South Carolina on the
same basis, it being ut the rate of 3.47
mills on the dollar.
But we feel that this is enough, in al
conscience, to justify the complaints o.
our people, and to justify the profound
disgust manifested by the people of the
North, of all shades of political opinion
at the terrible perversion of all the
principles Of correct and honest govern
ment, manifested in the workings O
the monstrous engine of fraud, corrnp
iion and oppression which is the legiti
mate offspring of the measures con
cocted by few malignant spirits tha
wero brought into power by the foarfu
convulsions which resulted in the con
solidatioa Of all political power in th'
hands Of the General Government. II
order TO disabuse tho minds of til,
authors tho "Reply to the Memorial o
the Tax-Payers' Convention" of an,
erroneous Impressions that may arise il
l