The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-10-08
The Press and Banner.
Wednesday, Oct. 8. 1872
The Register" the Comptrol!er-'ch'
cral, and the Railroad "IaNeS Oh
Last Year."


Last Year."
Our ncirhbor of the Register has re-
nl;cd TO our article Of last week when
was in reply ,othc Bo1mmcN FC"Pt'' INC
articles of the Register show that the ear
tor is confident of his position, ana INC
II of expressing his opinion DIS
tinruishes him as one Of the old SiEtc
Carolina gentlemen, who never iorEo' L"
be polite-cyen to- an adversary. Inc
bearing of the Register III this matter HE'S
been that of the high-toncd journalist
who. without drawing on his imaginative
genius for ~ill-manncred remarks, rr'!'S
solely upon the supposed justice OF MS
cause.
The Registcr gives some very interest,"
inc statistics rs to the valuation III tn"
different counties, but which information
is not at all pertinent, from the ia'' 'N''
he assumes the valuation OF property III
1878 to be correct. The fact is, because OF
the inequalities Of assessments, al" NHe
action of the old Radical Board, the Dem
ocratic Legislature i'll 1877 resolved to
have a new assessment i'll the following
wear. to correct the evils which had been
fastened on us since 1879 or 1871. Tho as
scssment which he speaks Of us that OF
1878 was really the assessment OF 1913 OF
1874. BY the act of 1871 the new assess
ment was made for 1878, for the express
purpose Of correcting the abuses L"
which we had been subjected by the
Republicans; but by the act of the State
Board or Equalization, the old evil
was restored, and it seems that Inc
Register would perpctuatc it, or rather
excuse the State officers for their uii-
prcccdented attempt to continue III force
an evil which the act Of the Legislature
in 1877 was intended to abatc. The re-
turns Of Abbcvillc County were given
under oath. No sophiStry, PHILOSOPHY,
or beautiful reasoning, can convince Our
people that the Board knew more of the
value Of the lands in -Abbcvi!lc County
thar we did, or induce Il taxpayers to
believe that they sworc falsely to the
value OF their lands. Not Onc-iou;lh OF
our lands will bring the assessed value, II
put up at auction. With these facts be-
fore us, it will require even moro than
the artful logic Of our friend 10 change
u views. The Registers groundwork
as to the Radical assessment which held
over to 1878 is not sound, Il the whole
superstructurc of his argument falls.
We do not admit that assessment TO he
correct. 1t was one of the old evils from
which we prayed the Legislature TO re-
lieve us, and which the law-maiing pow
or Attempted to remedy. Tho Board in
their wisdom, however, thought proper 10
perpctuate that evil, and it required
another act of the Legislature to undo
their work. The Register must show
that the assessment of 1873 or 1874 was
correct before any of his arguments will
apply.
While on this subject, VIC will be glad
to ask the Registcra question, in the in
forests of the creditors Of this County,
and if he will take the same pains to an
swer this matter as he has done to reply
to those Of last week, we shall be glad to
present it in full to u readers.
Some time back the Railroad and sun
dry citizens Of this County paid "last
wears taxes' in bills of the Bank Of the
State. Afterwards the Treasurer was re-
uuired to notify the citizens that unless
they redeemed these bills, their property
would be sold. TO all Of this we have no
objection, and have not a word to say,
but what we want to know is, why the
Railroad has been excused ron redeem
ing their bills of the bank Of the State.
Our County Commissioners contracted
debts on the faith of the taxes, and be-
cause the Comptrollcr-Gcncral chose to
favor the Railroad, these creditors have
been kept out of perhaps $500 for Il
whole year--some of whom have been
forced to sell their claims at greatly re-
duced prices. We would be glad if the
Re1tste. will cite the law authorizing
such discrimination, and at the same time
furnish arguments to sustain. an exccu-
tive officer in depressing the poorto carry
out a law while he is extending favors to
those corporations which are able to pay.
We would also like to know if the Green
Vile and Columbia Railroad is a particu-
lar or special pet of the Comptrollcr-(;cn-
erals, or does he excuse all Railroads
from paying taxes, or paying, does he
'allow them to do so in bills of the bank
of the State while he sells the lands Of.
the poor farmer if he fails to pay his
taxes in ~greenbacks?
This matter is of official record, and
we hope that our friend may be able to
explain satisfactorily to the creditors Of
this County why the Comptro!lcr-Hcn-
eral has kept them out OF their money for
awhole year. One thing is certain, we
shall vcntilatc this matter until the Comp
trollcr-Gencral has done what very plain
ly appears to be his duty in the premises.