The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-11-14
ABBEYILLE,s ASSESSMENT.

Board of Equalization, and more partic-
ularly for our esteemed townsman, Col.
]. N. Brown, who represented the Third
Congressional District on that Board, for
no other reason than that Board, which
was composed of as able fnanciers as the
State of South Carolina possesses, deemed
it proper, in the faithful and impartial
discharge of their sworn duty, to raise
the valuation of real property in that
County, outside of incorporated towns
and villages, to the amount of so per
cent. on the valuation fixed by the Audi
tor and approved by the County Board
of Equalization. On first thought the
casual thinker would justify the COM
plants msde by our contemporary, whose
opinions, IS general thing, ere pretty
correct about most matters. But in this
particular instance we are inclined to
think that it has not only committed an
error, but has also done the State Board,
and particularly Col. Brown, a great in
justice, which the just and fair-minded
citizers O: its own County, We honestly
believa will admit, when the facts of the
case s.e given to them, and which the
Press an Banner so far has failed to do.
The facts are simply these, which We
hope our contemporary will give to its
readers, since it has seen proper to CEN
sure so severely the representative from
this district: When the State Board met
they found that there was great falling
off in the valuation of real property in
some of the counties, while in others it
had been returned at about the same
valuation as heretofore. The counties
in which the largest decrease was noticed
were Beaufort, Williamsburg, Abbeville,
Chesterfield and Chester. The only al
ternatives for the Board to adopt, in
order to equalize the valuation of the
real property in the various counties of
the State, was either to lo,cer the assess
ments in those counties where they ap-
proxiulated those of former years, other
things being equal, or to raise the assess
ment in those that had fallen behind.
One of the two was necessary in order to
give justice to the landowners of those
counties in which the real estate had
been assessed at its former value, that
the burthen of taxation might be equally
imposed upon the whole people. We
believe the Board acted wisely in pursu-
ing the latter course, the hue and cry Of
the Fress and Banner to the contrary
Notwithstanding. We do not believe the
assessment of the real estate in asingle
county of the State is too high, and why
there should be SO much dissatisfaction
and grumbling at the Board for the man.
ner in which they have discharged their
duty is more than we are able to COM
prehend, unless there is a wilful desire
on the part of some to avoid paying their
portion of the taxes. For the sake of
argument, suppose the other plan had
been adopted, and the assessments of
those counties in which the property had
been returned at an approximation of
the former valuation had been lowered in
proportion to the others. Would the
taxes have been any lighter? Certainly
not, for in proportion to the decrease of
the value of the property of the State
will it be found necessary to increase the
tax levy, in order to raise the requisite
amount of money for carrying on the
government. This is certainly reason
able view of the matter, and when the
fact is made known that Abbeville Coun-
ty will pay taxes on S11S,797 less next
year than it has this, and that, too, after
the 80 per cent. of so-called Brown taxes
have been added, we are amazed that our
contemporary should censure the Board
as it does. Instead Of paying seven
thousand dollars more of taxes next year
Abbeville will really pay more than two
thousand dollars less, provided the next
levy should be the same as the last.
We do not think the owners Of real
estate in Abbeville or any of the other
counties in which the assessment has
been increased, have room for grumbling
when all the facts of the case are taken
into consideration.
Our contemporary complains also that
the assessment has been raised in Able
Vile and not in Anderson. Let US COM
pare them: The Board found the lands
in Anderson County assessed at $477
per acre and in Abbeville County at
S3.45. By adding 80 per cent. to the
value of the Abbeville lands we find it
at S4.49-still lower than Anderson
The Board did not raise the assessment
in this County simply because they found
it high enough. Anderson is the third
county in the State in regard to the val
uation of real estate as returned to the
Board. Newberry was sos, York 4.S6,
Anderson AT. Should Anderson's as
sessment be increased?
Then, the Press and Banner thinks it a
great injustice to the citizens of Able
willie County to set at naught their solemn
oaths as to the value of their property,
when the fact is the law governing the
assessment of real property does not re-
quire any oath from the owner of such