The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1874-02-05
An Organization of Taxpayers.

| We copy the following very remarkable ar
| ticle from the Port Royal Commercial, Re-
publican paper. Surely those of our people
who fold their hands and cay the cause Of the
country is hopeless and advise acquiescence in
the most intolerable evils, may learn a useful
lesson from this Republican journal. The
movement of the people against official corrup-
ton is striking its roots deep in the public con-
science. It commends itself to ali classes, ir-.
respective of party politics, color or creed:
/ On the 18th of next month, taxpayers
convention will meet in Columbia. A great
responsibility will rest upon that body: If its
members meet to indulge in TRADES like that
delivered in Georgia by Toombs; if they meet
to pass few windy resolutions and then ad-
journ into apathy again; if they feel too
discouraged, too poor, too lazy to engage in
hearty campaign against official corruption and
official insolence, their meeting will be a seri
Gus damage to the cause of good government.
The effect of cold or inefficient convention
will be to give renewed confidence to the cum
ming rogues who divide the revenues of the State
among themselves. Those who are now MEM
bers of the convention ought to be cutting out
the work to be DONE Of the first Importance
is plan of organization. We suggest some
thing like the following:
Let the convention resolve itselfinto aleague;
let its members be authorized to form subor-
dnate leagues in their respective Counties
any thirty taxpayers on real estate to consti-
tute a subordinate league. The basis of these
leagues should be pledge, to be signed by ev-
cry member, soemnly pledging himself not to
from the promise by the central league and fur
ther5 that he will not buy any property sold for
taxes at tax sale, and that he will use all law
full means to convince those not members, that it
is inexpedient for them to pay taxes or buy at
tax sales All this should be done openly. No
oaths, grips, signs or passwords. Each man
should be made to feel that he is engaged in
patriotic effort to free himself and his State
from horde of despicable tyrants 1t should
be made so universal that it would be dishon-
orabe and shameful not to have taken the
pledge. 70. 80 .., 3. -..at
If even one-haf Of the real estate owners of
the State could be brought ~ sign such
pledge as that, it would be enough. The moral
influence would do the work with the rest.
There would be no rush to pay taxes, even
among the inert, the cowardly or the unfriend-
ly; for even the man who has gained fortune
by stealing in Columbia does not like to pay
taxes any better than the honest toiler. When
the Treasurer advertised the delinquent list,
instead of its embracing as it now does, only
the widow ans the orphan, the embarrassed,
the ignorant and the careless, it would
show every real estate owner in the Coun-
ty. When the day of sale comes, let all
be present. The most shameless appointee of
a shameless administration would quail before
such an assomblage, and the heartless specua-
tor who should feel inclined to buy property at
that sale, would come to the conclusion that
the climate was unsuitable to his constitution.
The delinquent land would probably be bid in
by the State, and no taxes could be, again
assessed upon it. In the face of such deter
mined people, the robbers would "fold their
tents like the Arabs, aud as silently steal
away"
Unless some plan of the kind is adopted to
prevent the annual filling of the Golfers i'll Co.
lumba no reform is possible As long as two
millions year are sent there by the taxpayers
to be divided, the same parties will be on hand
to take it, County and municipal taxes might
be paid. The proper expenditure of these can
be watched, and in great measure controlled,
and the continuance of the functions of local
government is necessary to secure our comfort
and the good order of the community. But
the State Government is simply nuisance. 1t
would be a blessing if it ceased.