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

| llshcd the law as ii was finally passed
and approved by the governor. The
man who does not read any news
paper and has 10 take his information
from common talk is likely to get a
very hazy idea OF the proposition. and
| 1t would be well for the road COM
mission to have 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 ID
pay the interest and provide the sink
ing fund called for in tho act
For instance. we have been told
that the opinion seems to prevail that
every man will have TO pay an addi-
tional road tax of So whether he owns
any property or not. This Is not true.
for the man who pays the tax is the
man who owns the property. II Mr..
A. returns for taxation. as many of
our citizens do, only few dollars for
household goods-say S20-then his
tax would be increased one cent for
every three and one-third dollars on
which he pays taxes. II Mr. A. pays
on $50 his taxes will be six cents more
each year. If 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 81 900
his tax would be SO more each year.
So it Is the man with the property
who will pay the taxes.
We have shown that the people OF
the cities and towns, the corporations.
railroads, ETC., pay 20 per cent of all
the taxes OF the county and that the
people of the rural districts will pay
only 30 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 tear the
rest. In other words the taxes might
he represented by log ten feet long,
the farmer VIII carry feet of it and
the other interests of the county will
carry 2 feet. What We fail to under
stand Is that there should be any op-
position at all In the rural districts
on any such proposition.
Union County is going to have an
election on bond issue of 100000
just week after the election IN Ali
derson County, and Editor Rice of the
Union Times says:
Now, human nature is very human.
Don't you find 1t so. brother? And
are we not all very much alike? L
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
IN the shoes of the poor man.
(Strange to say the shoes nt very
cell. too.) Let's say I am a very
very poor man, right down at he
bottom. (Truth Is, l am mighty nigh
right there) Well. Rice very poor
man. what objection to the bond is
sue? Why, none; am selfish
enough 10 be willing to let the prop
erty owners build the roads. I am
glad to have them build them. /
want good roads even for walking
purposes, to say nothing of the oc-
casional use / may have for them
for riding purposes. I Will have lit
tie of the taxes to pay. I will have
as much right to use the road as will
the ten thousand dollar automobile
man have to use 1t. In fact more
right, for II the automobile gives me
any sass" will go to the courts and
/ will stand better chance to win,
for I am In the majority. More than
that. Ill get some of the 100000 of
the money that will be turned loose
for labor; for, beinga very poor man.
/ must be a 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 II ne did not for selfish
reasons.
Again. let's put ON the shoes of
hhe great middle class, not very poor;
lot very rich--just in reasonably
shoes fit or not, let's suppose they
dol Well, Rice, the moderately cir
cumstanced man, owns a small farm;
or. a small merchandise establish
meat or a 'one-horse" newspaper
Tin debt or ouD; or. small dairy; or,
small truck farm; or. a beef market:
or, chicken farm-never mind which
whatever II Is Rice owns. assessed
at about $1,000, and worth-twe or
three times that. Now, from a selfish
standpoint: Does Rice, the moderate
ly circumstanced man have any kick
against the bond issue? Not on your
life! He would be kicking against
fortune. In the first place 1t viii not
cost me over SO per year. I've got
no kick coming" for ii will put more
than that in my pocket every year.
How? Why. when hauled the pro-