The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-01-17

as placing gall property on the tax
books upon equal basis atsits marEet
value is Concerned, the County Audi
tors otiice is a farce and the Board
of Equalization is huge joke: :s*5 .:
Tt is a stupendous fact that every
one who places his property on the
tax books at current or customary
rates helps to pay the graft or rake
of held back by. tax-dodgers which
fact should enlist the active coop
Of all law-abiding citizens,
with Comptroller General Jones in
his commendable crusade rfo- tax
equalizations; :;.s.. y
b. Publishing all taI returns In scoun;-
ty papers every four years at re-as-
sessment of real estate is the one fell
sweep that would attract the interest
and aid Of the people in each town
ship Of the State. This publicity lis
the gatling gun or homb-shell that
would drive every hider out in the
open where. the populace can inspect
the returns and see.sto it. that no one
shall pass muster without a clean
record. For the, same reason. shat
we require publishing Of expenditures
of the. peoples money. that, we may
see just where3it goes, we should also
know who .iE not turning In all the
just. tax money due the; county and
State. : :;
The drag-net that would catch all
the sharks that jump over and dive
under the first of January as the
date for property on hand, instead
of naming one day, the law should
take an average Of several months
for a basis Of money on deposit or In
any business. 81:
A tax inQuisitor for each Congress
sioDal district having the right to
examine all public and corporation
records and the power to summon
witnesses Ito testify, rs to taxable
property as well as the right to con-
lvene County Boards Of Equalization
to suit the itinerary OF his rounds,
would also be the one limb of the
law that might be made to bring in
a revenue /. Of ten or more dollars
for every dollar spent on his work
on either Of the plans OF a salary OF
percentage pay Some think that
these tax inquisitors should be re-
.quired to change districts in their
rounds after the plan of the circuit
judges. 1
Our law makers should. keep the
fact in mind that these tax-dodgers
are cunning masters in this art and
unless master in the art Of tar find
err is? sent after them, the effort will
Be futile. s5-,. :.s
These tax inqulsitors should not be
:foundering politicians or weaklings
Of the thirty cent 'calibre, but should
be selection from among the ablest
men we have and paid accordingly for
their. work Sof spine, discretion
and diplomacy, that know the law
more than< <kith>:or KIN, or friend or
foe. -. j..5 l;ss z: e. &,
I'VE have been moralizing over this
rax-dodging graft about long enough,
1t is time our representatives go for
these parasites. upon the body pol
,itic''S with gloves of, and provide a
sure plan to tighten the screws down
upon all ll:tax-dodgers alike. We have
sent q Lyon cut after the. liquor
grafters that fetched in the game
and we now want a gang Of Bengal
tigers, that can see to go after the
willy tax-dodgers. Something must
be done to relieve tho strain upon the
.consciences OF our good people who
are in the habit Of sitting in the
"amen corners" of churches singing
psalms on Sunday and going before
the County Auditor on Monday ana
swearing that the value Of their COW
is So when they know they could
get $40 or $50 for her, or their land
is worth $6lper acre when they know
that other lands by them are selling
from $40 to 500 per acre; or they
have no other property, stocks, notes,
mortgages, cash or any other prop
erty to their credit not listed IN their
returns and spend six months after
wards trying to relieve the strain
upon their Conscience By saying 'they
all do IT. or trying to make them
selves believe that false swearing Is
diplomacy Or some other left--handed
thing with no harm in it.
Most any man who. has the pluck
to say that plain people do the dou-
BILE tax paying while the cunning rich
do the stunts in tax-dodging Is sure
to be styled as demagogue and now
is the time for each and every rep
resentative 10 be called upon to stand
up and be counted as to whether a
dollar be dollar whether it be in
the hands of the rich, or poor mar
or in iron clad securities, or in the
active producing world. Give all a
chance to say whether or not they go
to Columbia to get something for the
interest they represent" that other
people don't get. Is there an hon
est p''n in all South Carolina who
thinks or believes that other people
should pay taxes on his dollars?
J. G. Stribling,
Pepdleton. S. c.
Farmers Union Bureau.
atroetiva condition than II does well