The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-11-25
Local Taxation.

which lns recently paid considerable
attention to public education, is much
alarmed by the discovery on tho leg
1slativc calendar, as unfinished bust
hess, of bill permitting tho levy of a
local tax for school purposes in Ger
tain incorporated cities and towns in
this State. The Press and Banner.
calls on tho Legislature to "bcwarc, !"
and puts the members on their guard
against the bill, which, it says, is
"nothing more nor less than bill to
revive the odious and iniquitous local
taxation power" and it expresses
great surprise that tho bill twas re-
ported OH tavombly and stands now
for second rcnding."
VIC propose to argue briefly that
local taxation is not odious and
iniquitous,. that the bill in question is
meritorious and much needed piece
Legislation, and that its favorable
report should dnot be a matter Of sur
prise, but rather Of high commcnda-
ton.
The following States, as shown by
the report Of tho United States Com
missioner Of Education for 1876, have
IN operation system of local or dis
trict taxation, which they do not con.
der odious or iniGuitous: Alabama,
Arkansas, California, Colorado, Con-
hecticut, Delaware, Florida, Gcorgia,
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Ken
tucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland,
Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota,
Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New
Hampshire, New Jersey, New York,
Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode
Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia,
West Virginia and Wisconsin. The
States that have no local tax arc
Mississippi, South Carolina and North
Carolina. One or two more Southern
States may have abolished the local
tax, but we can find no evidence of
this. The Committee OH Education,
who had the tcmcrity to recommend
the passage Of this obnoxious bill,
have almost a unanimous United States
behind their back, whilc even in
South Carolina local taxation prevails
in Charleston and Winnsboro. Sure
~ local taxation cannot be very odious
and iniquits us. The four leading
States in the Union, New York, Penn
sylvania, Ohio and Massachusetts de-
rive their school fund entirely, or al
most entirely, from town or district
taxation.
But the Press and Banner doubt
less means that the local tax is odious
III South Carolina, owing to her Pc
culiar condition. 1t stigmatizcs the
old local tax law as an outrage, rs it
was; and cites it's repeal by tho Demo-
cratic Legislature in 1877, rs an argu-
1nent against any local tax law now.
VIC have always held that the Lcgis-
lutnrc erred III repeating instead of
simply modifying this law, by restrict
ing the question to property holders.
On this point tho Press und Banner
admits difference, and adds: "Say-
ing nothing about the unjust and un-
democratic discrimination against
certain class of voters which this in
wolves, we would beg our representa-
tivcs to consider wisely and well be-
fore they vote for the resurrection of
this old enemy with new face, even
If that face is white" This difference
Is Just the thing that changes Il burden
into blessing. The objection to tho
old law was that it permitted ire
sponsiblo non-taxpayers to burden
property against tho will of the OWL
ers. The present bill leaves the uucs-
ton to the property owners them
selves to say whether they prefer to
supplement the school fund by TAXA
ton or not. No additional capitation
tax is permitted by the constitution.
and the non-propcrty holder is not
pccuniariiy Interested, 60 that he is
not injured or oppressed by being
dcbarrcd from n voico in this local
matter. The bill is n true Democratic
measure, IN rcscrving to each citizen
his rights.
Again, this bill does not saw that
ecery town shall be taxed. 1t ex-
pressly provides, "Each city, town or
incorporated village In this State
DESIRING to receive the benefits of this
act, is hereby declared to be a school
district" This "odious" bill simplv
permits local tax in those towns
desiring 1t, and in no others. It re-
quires two things, first, that tho town
snail desire to operate under tho act.
and secondly, that only property hold.
ers shall vote upon the question. This
certainly docs not look like rammino
hiuseous bolus down al unwilling
victims throat. lie asks for tho nil
ana he takes 1t sugar coated. I,
Abbeyille does not desire q local tox
no ono will mako her lcvy it. But
that shc docs not is no reason for nro.
venting Winnsboro, Chester, Ben.
ncttsyilic or any other town from
adopting what It regards the bcst