The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1886-05-07
ARE THE TAXES OF OUR STATE so BUR
DENSOME!

| E0uof cotton L tdnt.--During the past
few months there have been many state
ments In letters and articles, as we'll as at
various meetings, that the taxes in this
State are constantly increasing, and in some
cases it is broadly affirmed that they are
actually higher than under the Chamber
lain regime. In order to test the truth
or falsity Of these political economists I
have saken the seven years from 1S69-70 to
lS74-T5 and find the State levy ranged
from mills to ~, amounting in all to 60
1-2 mills, or Q mills per anuum while the
seven years from 1861 to 1882,
ranged from = 81 to 0 1-2 mills,
amounting to SO Ia mills, or a
triae over 8 mills against 8 for the
Radical period, or very little more than
onc-hay' what the levy used to be, instead
OF being higher, as so recklessly asserted.
10 this mills must, of course be added,
the Constitutional 2-mill school tax, bringing
the State levy up 10 mills, but still 2
mills under the radical figures, and that,
too, with much lower assessment by sew
eral millions than theirs. This 2-mill tax
realized in 1ss4>5,s299, ,946, but as the
people themselves imposed it by Coustitu-
tional vote, the Legislature is not response
bic for its existence.
Total State taxes 1875 Comp
trolor Generals Report, p. 81. $S4l 52G 81
Total County Taxes for lSS4-'5.... G77 14S 81
From the above it will be seen that tho
County taxes are fast approaching the State
levy; and at page %, Comptrolers report,
the total State and County bonded and
floating debt is stated to be s13,174,536,
that of the State being s6,522, ,1SS, and tho
County sc, 1852 ,34s, or $780, in excess
of the former.
No doubt the County levy and debts
have both been largely augmented, but by
whom? Have not these Counties come
year after year, asking powers to saddle
themselves with these debts by issuing
bonds for building railr Ids They no
doubt supposed some benefits would accrue
from this somewhat hazardous methods of
building railroads, but am afraid the most
they have so far discovered is that the in
tcrest is not a.waysS 'mtbconing: and tina,
payday corfes round with unpleasan,
rapidity. Spartanburg's 'little blr amounts
to an annual payment of some S22, 1000 fol
the County, exclusive of the town debt ol
s55 900! There are but three Counties
Abbeville, Lexington and Williamsburg
free from debt. We constantly find in the
papers reports of meetings at which new
roads arc projected and further liabilities
proposed and it would seem that there
will soon be more railroads that traffic, and
that the County expenses will exceed that
Of the State.
In the call for the farmers convention
it is stated as fact that farmers pay three
tourths of the taxes and get nothing 1t
is almost impossible to proue how much
they do pay, but it is very easy to prove
they do not pay IS per cent, for Charles
ton pays 16 per cent. and the phosphate
royalty yields 10 per cent, SO this state.
ment is not all gospel truth. Let us take a
few items, and see if one-Aalf is not nearer
the mark The Comptroller Generals Re-
port for 1884 s5, gives the following:
Railroad property ......-..".......,$l5 263 34s