American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-03-14
South Carolina.

In the address Of the President of the
6outh Carolina Tax-Payers' Convention
he made the following startling state
nents:
The hrst Of these facts is:
That the voting population of the State,
that which wields the political power, is
divided by Q broad, distinct line into two
great classes-the one property holding
and tax-paying, the other non-property-
holding and non-tax-paying.
The second 10:
That the great preponderance of politi-
cd power = IN the hands of the non-tax-
payers, constituting large fixed major
lily, who are banded together and persist
emily refuse to the taxpayers fair repre-
sentatton for the proportion of their prop
erty interests.
The third is:
That the people who pay the taxes have
substantially no voice in laying or expend-
ing them, and that those who lay and ex-
pend the taxes neither contribute to them
nor feel the weight of them.
The sum and substance of all this is
that the great property interest, repre-
senting over Sic, 900, 600 of value, is taxed
0d li6itusn, without its consent or due
representation, by those who do not feel
any part of the burden, but enjoy all the
fruits of the spoliation.
Is not this condition of things without
its like or parallel, whether in theory or
practice, wherever representative govern
ment exists. Could a similar condition
Of things be maintained for any length of
time in any free State of this Union, ex-
cept by military force? Let any candid
free government give conscientious an
swer to these questions.
The logical result is just what might be
expecfkd Those who are to levy, expend
snd enjoy the taxes cannot lay them too
heavily on those who have nothing to do
but to pay. Capacity to endure is the
only Limitation they recognize. The
becoming daily impoverished by the proc
ess of confiscation and legalized plumber;
while the favored leaders of the nom
property holders, who levy the taxes,
comparatively few in numbers and grown
suddenly rich. flourish in purple and in
fine linen, ride in stylish equipages, and
are dwelling 1uxuriously in sumptuous
palaces The former have not even the
poor privilege of resisting an illegal tax,
for the Legislature has closed the doors
Of the courts till the tax be paid, when
resistance would be useless; while the
former hedge their officials round with
validating acts and Legislative confirma-
tons and notifications to shield them from
responsibility to the law for illegal official
acts.
The statement of few facts and figures
will demonstrate how utterly regardless
of all property interests are lawgivers
who neither feel nor acknowledge any re-
sponsibility to tax-paying constituencies !;
nay, who have been taught to believe that
it Is q virtue to despoil them.
The taxable values of the State have been
reduced by war and emancipation from
near $50O,0OO, 900 to about $175, 600, 900,
while the annual tax levy has been raised
from an average of 100000 to over 3d.
100000.
1t has been calculated that, taking into
consideration The loss and depreciation of
property, the exaggerated assessments,
the Increased rate of taxation, and the re-
duced ability of property-holders to meet
the demands, the people of the State are
now required to pay at least twenty times
the amount of the tax they paid before
the war.
In six years our bonded debt has been
trebled, while there is fearful apprehen.
sion of a floating debt, and unacknOwl.
edged bonds to an underlined extent.