Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1898-04-07
'sTaxpayers Convention" with q Post
Script.

of last week under heading of "Tax-
payera Convention" the. editor Of
tho Oconeo News declares that there
We're more angry Taxpayers at tho
Court House last Tuesday and Wed.
nesday than he ever saw. Some
talked Of fighting, some called the
Board Of Equalization n gang of
robbers, some talked of coniscation
and accused the Board Of valuing
their own property high just to catch
a rich widow; tAat the scat Of war
seemed to have been moved from
Cuba; that many akeenly ground
knife had been sharpenedforsomo man
who might dare to poke his head
above the political horizon. ..
Nov, we have nothing personal
against tho editor of the News, and
wo have heard hat he has a fine re-
~putation for misreprescnting things.
But, we think he has boat himself in
this case. 1t seems to me that if l
was an editor and could not get up a
readable paper, without finding a
mares nest, once q week, l would
quit tho business. IT,.
We are sorry to say that we hap
pened to be one of the Board. We
were not there by choice, of course,
for it certainly was q painful duty
we had to perform. But somebody
had to perform that duty under oath
and, now, if any one is to blame, we
think, it is our lawmakers who
passed this law in tho Legislature.
If this was a bad law the editor Of
the News should have made some
effort to repeal it when VIC sent him
to the Legislature. We arc certainly
not to blame for his negligence.
When we examined the books and
returns we found that about one
third Of tho citizens were paying
about two-thirds of the taxes which
the others ought to pay. W. con-
sidered this to be very unjust.
Hence, the raises on tho assessments,
| which were the cause Of the COM
plants.
Now, VIC think ourselves that the
tax levy of our State is an outrage
upon the people, but it seems to- be
n popular idea among our lawmakers
that the dudes and college professors
must be kept up, and all tho little
pig-headed negroes educated at the
expense of the State. And they arc
going to have that done in spite of
all that we can say or do. Knowing
90 we do that there is a certain
amount of taxes 70 bu raised, it is
an undcniable fact that it is juat and
right for each and every citizen to
pay his pro rata share of that tax,
according to the taxable property
that he OWNS. We found some pro.
perty that we we're we'll acquainted
with which was only returned at
about twenty per cent of its actual
value, while other property in the
very same vicinity was returned at
one hundred per cent. Now, cup
pose Mr.. A. returns his property at
fifty per cent. of its value and Mr..
3. returns his at ono hundred per
cent. should the Board fail to change
it ? OF course Mr.. b.. would have to
pay half the taxes that Mr.. A.
ought to pay, which is very unjust.
Some mon seem to havo an idea that
they can lower thoir taxes by return
ing their property low, but this is a
big mistake. That is the way to
raise them. Suppose every citizen
of tho State would return his pro-
perty at fifty per cent. OF half its
value, and that the total amounted
10 800, 000, 1000 ; then place the tax
levy on that assessment at twelve
mills +, then lot every citizen agree at
onco to return the very samo pro-
bperty at one hundred per cent. OF its
Full value. Why, then, the total
Assessment would be $200,000,000
And our tax levy would only be six
mills.
We were trying to cqualize these
peoples taxes, and also to got them
lowered, and they get angry with us
for doing just what they wanted
done and just what they were trying
to do themselv,s ). Now, it does
seem to me that if | were not willing
to pay my pro rata share of the
taxes, knowing it to bo just ant
right, and some other citizen had to
perform the painful duty on oath .
making me do right, ought not [ b.
ashamed to complain ? Each ant
member of that Board wa
under oath to carry out the laws o