Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1898-06-02

county, from public work ? Has he not
built roads at great expense that tho
public refuse to travel, and private in
dividualS go repair the old roads and
travel them Has he not built costly
now roads that arc harder to travel and
harder to keep up than the old ones ? 1t
might be Interesting to know what it
cost to build somo Of these roads and
what it cost tho county to run tho "ma-
chino" and who got tho money, and how
much the county is in dcbt, and how
much money is borrowed for us to pay
interest Oh to carry OH such works.
llo says }. a. Johns has returned his
Why did he not give tho returns of tho
ncighbors instead of Samuel Frazier
Maxwell, p. c.? Is this man Lay to bo
believed? DO not his very statements
convict him2 Is not j. A. Johns as good
critcrian rs Samuel Frazier Maxwell,
p. .c.2 Is ho not rs good a judge of tho
value of property rs his ncighbors?
Contempt! Your granny's ducks! Was
not a. Lay "splccning" around like a
maniac, "brcathing out thrcatcnings, :"
paving up tho earth like mad-weil,
bell COW, with his caudal appondago
saluting tho moon? Wasn't ho making
awful and percmptory ''dcmands" "for
legal purposcs?" Didn't ho astonsh and
intmidate all the smallor "bcasts ?" And
UIlcll ldik ilDOuU 'COnlCmDt.'
But when ho succeeded in connecting
tho namo Of j. a. Johns with it, that
"refutcs" everything. What a magic
power that namo must havc it "rofutes"
everything on earth and quicts "IIadcs."
If there is anything contemplate it is a
little follow rushing foarcssly into tho
courts to sell his little character at fabu-
lous prices that no 0cntlcmdn would have
as gracious gift.
Solomon says tho wicked flco when no
man pursueth and the guilty conscience
moods no accusor, and Sam Jones saws
the hit dog howls. Now, don't think
Mr.. a. Lay and his "fearlcss" copartnor
| ought to suo old man Solomon. lie did
not mean much harm, and Sam Jones is
in Georgia, and they can't got him.
Mr.. Samuel Frazicr Maxwell says:
'"That fellow Scribe sho' did hit 'um,
am ho never hit 'um lick amiss 'copt ho
mt 'um an he miss 'um" Now, as Mr.
Samuel Frazior Maxwell, p. c., is truth
full man, who don't attompt to "dodgo"
his tax, allow that that is truo and not
libelous. j. A, JOIINs.
p. S.-.Tho editors Obliged us to be as
parliamentary in this answer as our abil-
ity and tho nature of tho case would
permit, which wo haye tried to do. If
we were allowed we would rake tho bot
tomlcss pit for piece of their skins as
it don't rain, wo will notice Mr.. j. A.
Cook noxt week with what space we arc
aliowcd. }. A. JOHNS.
Reader, you SEQ what l have to say to
MIR. Lays tirade. / havo been light on
Mr.. Lay because thought hc was por-
haps not altogether to blame.
-, Now, lot us reason together little.
Tax has to come in money. Most of our
people arc in debt. Prices of what thoy
have to sell arc going down constantly
and no man can toll whore thcy may step.
Tho nation Is borrowing money on your
labor and mortgaging your property.
Tho State is taxing you most outrage
0usly. Thcs" things you cannot help.
NOW, tho cou'Oy proposes to follow suit
and heap moro tax on you. 1t is borrow
ing money Oil your credit aid running
you i'll dcbt, and paying interest when
thcro ought to bo money in tho treasury
to meet oxigcncics. Thoro has not been
much rain fall in better than two years.
Tho rain fall has just been sufficient to
make crops whom tho hills were full of
water. If it continues SO our crops must
fail, but it will not. Ono cxtromo follows
another. We may look for floods sooner
or later that will carry away our bridges
and our crops as it has dOno in other
places and has dorc hero in time. Wo
should have mOnoy I'm ollr treasury; in
stead of that wo alo borrowing money
and paying interest. Whore could our
people got money to replace tho bridges
and tho crops? If wo were all out of
debt and had ample bank accounts that
wo had no particular uso for and had q
full treasury sufficient for any mishap
or emergency, it might DO different, but
as 1T is there is no amusement to mo i'm
tho way wo arc going on.
Taxes arc burdonsomo to tho most
thrifty and wollto-do, as is shown by tho
list of persons whose assessments havo
boon raised. They fcol tho burden Of
tax and recognize tho slrinlSago in
values and the difficulty of payment.
Inc people arc not beasts of burden to
be loaded down like dumb tlrivon cattlo.
Thoy hcvo q right to complain, and thor
complaints should bo heard and hcodod.
1t is not right, it Is not just, it is not
best, it is not good policy; and tho
parties who have charge should SEQ it
without any admonitions from any ono.
No foolish enterprises shonld bo carried
on; no wastoful Extravaganza should bo
INDUCED in; strictost economy should bo
praoticod in public rs we'll as private
matters. People have something else to
do besides pay tax, and taxation should
no lightoneu ana Must BIO lightoncd,
/ 40. Il 81 b. r A To-,