The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1886-04-16

WHAT THE PEOPLE ARE ASKED TO PAY.-Few
people, when they hear the rumpus in the
State about the taxes with which the people are
purdened, will believe their own eyes when the
cold facts are put before them. They cannot
believe that men of any reputation whatever, or
men who pretend to be informed, would go be
fore the people and turn the State upside down
with literally nothing to ground their charges
upon.
We have dealt with the taxes of n year ago.
Now let us what the Comptroller esti-
mate for 1896 calls for. We call the facts
on you, gentlemen, and turn to page of "a of
Report for session of 1885, and there We find
the following:
ESTIMATE OF AMOUNT TO he PROVIDED FOR FISCAL
YEAR 1SS5-SG.
Ordinary current expenses. lSec
Statement 4)..........................S303 0SO 90
Interest On public debt. Estate
ment 39l ,33l 81
S19i.ill 81
Phosphate royalty
should yield ........Sl 1000 90
Estimated surplus
in Treasury"......... 234, l9l 10
Leaving 10 be raised by taxation. ..Sll0,2l9 ST
Now how many mills to the dollar Of the
Oh aSScSSeu STOpcIly ltl lHS Eitlc
does this call for? Take your pencils and cal
culate for yourselves and you will find it TO
the last farthing to be pa mills to the dollar.
Now what part of this responds to the interest
on the public debt? This interest is stated be-
fore your faces, that that there can be no
dispute about it.
Make the calculation for yourselves and you
will find that this interest calls for 2.G9 mills to
the dollar. Or all that is asked Of the people
other than is necessary to meet the payment of
the interest OH the public debt is .05 mills) five
hundredths of IL mill the dollar. Every
other expense of the State government to the
last mill is met by the phosphate royalties and
the surplus in the treasury. But this very sur
plus which these provident officials have cked
out and treasured up from time to time, so to
squeeze through the lost years taxes and meet
the payment of interest the public debt, fall
ing due before the tax is paid into the Treasury.
has been absolutely made ground of accusa-
tion against these officers in quarters. 1t
is asked: Why is all this surplus in the Treas
ury when the people arc in such pccuniary dis
tress Why, don't every honest man in the
State know why? Don't the people know that
the Radical officials stole one whole years taxes
SO that with interest accumulating and due be-
fore the taxes can reach the Treasury, this
margin must he run over, so as TO take up such
obligations may fall due before the taxes can
be collected This is the whole matter and so
the State officials have saved up every cent pos
siblc, and kept it well in hand to meet the cur
rent expenses of the first part of the year
whilst the taxes are being collected. The cx-
penses of every year ought to be collected the
year before Instead of which, losing one
years taxes, the revenue has to be collected the
very year the expenses are accruing, and some
money has to be borrowed every year TO help
out that which has been SO wisely saved up.
SO far as this surplus, then, being Il ground of
complaint, it is absolutely necessary to the con-
duct of the government Mt all, and every year
there is something added so ~ to put the Treas
ury as soon rs possible ahead of the demands
arising against it. Columbia Register.