The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-01-17

~ouiu NC q Soou pau III llOSC counties
: in which chaingangs arc maintained
: would 80 arrange as to secure enough
, prisoners from the State to keep un n
good chaingang force all the time.
From the best information available,
and from those who have had cx.
perience with chaingangs, it is not pro-
litablc, even to the county, to maintain
q chaingang when the number falls
below fifteen. In most of the counties
the average is below that number.
The farming out of convlcts TO indivi-
duals should be discontinued. If this
were done it would call in 476 convicts
who ale now hired out to individuals
and that number put on the roads in
the various counties in the State where
chalngangs arc maintained would in
a few years greatly improve our public
roads and at the same time not in
tcrfcrc with the State farms.
The present system Of chaingangs
in most OF the counties is very
expensive luxury, but by the couuties
hiring sufficient number of con-
victs from the State, rs suggested
above, we could very soon have in
those counties II good system of public
| louNS, till holillllS 'ouitl w Nbllc tllul
would add more to the comfort and
convenience and saving to the people
who live in tie rural districts. \
system Of good roads would do very
much to stop the flow of population
from the country to the towns. The
counties could not spend the public
money more wisely, or with greater
benefit to the public, than by maintain
ing good cllangang in each county
OH permanent road building. Good
roads would bring churches, and
schools, and towns closer to every
country home, in addition to the say
ing which would result from the wear
and tear upon stock and vehicles, and
upon the people themselves. And this
can be done by wise legislation with
out interfering in the least with the
management or maintenance of the
State farms.
THE vENED PROBLEM on TAXATION.
Government has no right 10 take
more from the people than is ab5o-
lutely necessary for " wise and eco
nOmical administration Of the affairs
of the State, and it should he so taken
that the burden will bear evenly on all
property. 1t is the duty OF every
citizen 10 contribute his portion to the
support OF the government in pro-
portion to his ability. This is the
standard laid down in our constitute ion {.
That taxation does not bear evenly
upon all property is patent to every
thoughtful person. If You can in your
wisdom devise any plan by which the
assessment Of property for taxation
can he more cquitably made and al the
property Of the State can be placed on
the lax books, you will have contri-
butcd much to tighten the burden on
that class of property which in Its
nature cannot escape taxation.
In some of the States tax lnq,us-
tors aye provided to discover property
that Is omitted from the tax list. There
is no doubt that Il great deal Of pro-
pcrty escapes taxation which should
be on the books and made 10 bear its
portion of the burden, and some plan
should be devised by which ,his pro-
pcrly can be reached. Missouri has
adopted Il law which provides for the
taxation OF mortgages, and the man
who owns the property has it assessed
at the value Of the property, less the
value of the mortgage, and the owner
of the mortgage IS required to pay tax
upon the value of his mortgage.
Some such provision in our laws would
be just and equitable, for il ls not
right for the owner Of property to pay
taxes upon the full value when in
reality his ownership is only the value
of the property less. the value of the
mortgage. 1t would not be right to
tax the property at its full value and
then tax the mortgage, for thrt would
be paying taxes upon the same pro-
porty twice.
This question of taxation is worthy
of your attention, for it is one Of vital
importance to all of our people.