The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1915-03-06
SOME UNPARDONABLE
MISINFORMATION.

ions. For this reason we have pub
lished the law as II was finally passed
and approved by the governor. The
man who does not read any news
paper and has to take his information
from common talk is likely to get n
very hazy idea Of the proposition, and
1t would be well for the road COM
mission tohave number OF pamphlets
printed giving the exact wording OF
the law and some more data on the
taxes, and the methods to be employ
ed TO raise the money with which To
pay the interest and provide the sink
ing fund called for In the act.
For instance. we have been told
that the opinion seems to prevail that
every man will have TO pay an addi-
tiona: road tax of So whether he owns
any property or not. This Is not true.
Tor the man who payB the tax is the
man who owns the property. II MIR.
A. returns for taxation, as many OF
our citizens do. only few dollars for
household goods-say $20-then his
tax would be increased one cent for
every three and one-third dollars on
which he pays taxes. If MIR. A. pays
on $50 his taxes will be six cents more
each year. II he pays on $10O his tax
would by thirty cents more each year.
II he pays on $500 his tax would be
$3.50 each year. II he pays on $1,000
his tax would be SO more each year.
So 1t is the mani with the property
who Will pay the taxes.
We have shown that the people of
the cities and towns, the corporations,
railroads, ETC.. pay 70 per cent OF all
the taxes of the county. and that the
people OF the rural districts will pay
only 80 per cent of all the taxes. So
the argument that Is being used that
the farmers will bear the burden of
the taxes for the bond issue is not
true. He will bear approximately 80
per cent of the burden, and the other
interests of the county will hear the
rest. In other words the taxes might
be represented by log ten feet long,
the farmer will carry feet of 1t and
the other interests of the county will
carry z feet. What we fail to under
stand is that there should be any op-
position at all in tho rural districts
on any such proposition.
Union County is going to have an
election on q bond issue of 100000
just e. week after the election in An
derson County. and Editor Rice OF the
Union Times says:
Now, human nature is very human.
Don't you find Il so, brother? And
are we not oil very much alike? 1
believe so. Let us get down to brass
tacks. Let's take things as they are.
VIII this bond issue hurt the poor
man? am going to put myself
m the shoes OF the poor man.
tStranBe to say the shoes fit very
yell. tool Let's say am very
very poor man. right down at the
bottom. tTruth is. / am mighty nigh
right there.) Well. Rice, very poor
man. what objection to the bond is
sue? Why, none; am selfish
eneuss - .%r,n:rg to let the prop
erty owners build the roads. I am
glad to have them build them. I
want good roads even for walking,
purposes, to say nothing of the oc-'
casional use / may have for them
for riding purposes. will have lit
tle of the taxes to pay. Twill have
as much right to use the road as will
the ten thousand dollar automobile
man have to use 1t. In fact more
right. 10. IL the automobile gives me
any sass" will go to the courts and
will stand better chance to win,
for am In the majority. More than
that, I'll get some OF the $200.000 of
the money that will be turned loose
for labor; for being o very poor man,
i must be q laboring man. Yes, Ttice.
the very poor man will. IL he uses
shrewd Judgment, vote for bonds for
good roads. He would act with poor
Judgment IL he did not for selfish
reasons.
Again. let's put on the shoes of
hhe great middle class, not very poor:
not very rich--just In reasonably
good circumstances. whether the
shoes at or not, let's suppose they
dob Well, Rice, the moderately cir
cnnistanced man, owns small farm
or, o small merchandise establish
ment 0r .one-horse" newspaper
lin debt or out): or. a small dairy; or,
small truck farm: or, beef market;
or a chicken farm never mind hieh
whatever 10 ID Rice owns, assessed
at about 81 600, and wortlf.stNIo or
three times that. Now, from d seIfssh
standpoint: Does Rice. the moderate
.1y circnmstanced man have any kick
against the bond issue? Not oD your
life! Ifs would be kicking against
fortune. In the first place Il Will not
cost me over SO per year ave got
no s'lxick coming, 2 for It viii put more
than that In my pocket every year.
TIcw3 Vhv when I. harfed the nrn-