The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-13
TIA yES-CONTINUED.

LII Is CI1i -hSiAJ
axnedient that the State should ae
all times in the administration OF us
affairs practice economy. we 40
NOT mean TO advance the idea that
the State should be parslmonlous
and niggardly, for such would be as
unseemly and unbecoming as eS>
and excessive liberality.
A wis e State, like q wise individual
will, follow the middle way. 1t Will
neither be too lavish with its funds
nor so n ,iserly as to attract atSen>
ton on this account: it will MAKE
appropria ton for needfnl and useful
,,urn,ses but it will consider the
condition o f the whole people and see
that taxation is not burdensome-
We know of no way by which capl~-
tai and immigration can be SO success
fully attracted to our State as by
preserving a good government and
q low rate of taxation. The State
needs no better advertisements than
these.
Taxes are at all times hard to
nav, however light they may be. 1t
is easier for him who has much to
paw his taxes. than it is for him who
has but little. Although both are
taxed alike; and this is so for the
-eason that the poor man is apt to
II 20 part of his possessions In
have dependent upon his in
cash and Is ~ the actual necessa-
diyidual labor IL. ~eyer the man
ries of life. 1t is L. pav who
who has dollars in taxes t. .- tax
breads the coming OF the @
collector, but it is the man who only
has cents to pay. Then, while it is
the duty of all good citizens to see that
there is no needless expenditure Of
the public revenues, it is doubly so
that of the poor man, for it is he who
feels the effects of high taxes more
than all others.
Under our constitution our taxes
can never exceed two dollars on the
poll and sixty-six & two thirds cents
on the 500 valuation of property.
The state now levies twenty five
cents to pay the ordinary expenses
of the State Government, and for
other purposes. The tax levied by
the commissioners "shall never ex-
coed double the state tax, except for
a special purpose In our last
issue we pointed out one way by
which it was possible for the provis>
ion fixing limit to taxation to be
evaded. Here is another: The
State can take up to the limit allow
ed by the constitution, Then there
would be nothing left to defray the
current expenses of the counties
The counties would necessarily have
to invoke the aid of that "for spec.
cial purpose" clause of the constitu
ton, and procure legislation making
special levies to pay their debts.
And thus the provision fixing limit
to taxation can be effectually evad-
ed.
Twelve and one half cents are
now levieb on every 500 worth of
property for free schools. So the
counties only have twenty nine Zone
sixth cents Of the sixty six and two
thirds left. With this the expenses
OF the courts have to be paid, prison~
oners fed, Jail and court houses
kept in repair, bridges built, the
poor and inhrm cared for. 1t is
difficult for the coulties to do all
these things with the amount now
left and it requires the strictest
economy to make ''both ends meet"
it may be said that we write Of
imaginary dangers. We trust so.
But there can be no harm done in
pointing out possible dangers.
Better prevent evils than apply re,n>
edies after they exist.
| We notice that twenty four counties
we're allowed by the last Legislature
to make special levies. We have not
taken the trouble to examine the OBJ
ject of the special levy in each in
stance, but it is an indication that
the counties have nothing of the rate
now left them to spare. This being
so, it becomes the duty of the people
unless they are Indifferent as to what
more nearly concerns them, to see
that the State is not allowed to take
more of the constitutional rate than it
now gets, lfthe State gets more,
higher taxation is absolutely neces-
sary.
THE DEMONSTRATION
The mills of theigods grind surely
/ H.