The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-12-25
Protest Against Taxes
Editor Daily Item:

The suggestion to the budget COM
mission that tho coming session Of
Legislature must increase the taxes
70, nearly ten million dollars to cover
the needs and running expenses of the
different, departments Of the state is
causing the people TO begin to sit
up and take notice. If the tax payers
undertake to supply all the demands
that are being made upon them, they
VIII soon have to so out Of bust
moss. The country Is about bankrupt
pow and it looks as IL some OF our
furctionartes are anxious to lay tho
straw that viii break the camels
back. The heads OF the various de-
partments do not seem to under
stand the. timea From the demands,
they must think that the state is in
q very prosperous condition. That
the people have money a plenty and
no use for 1t. but TO quietly. without
any protest. meet all the demands
that are made upon them. We have
made big cotton crop at a great
expense and selling it at prices far
below cost OF production and the mer-
chants are losing money in their
business from the fact that the con-
sumner cannot pay the prices for the
goods that will leave them O profit
Thus you see. we are all about IN
the same condition and ii is about
time that the farmers and business
men OF the state enter a protest
against such action by the legislature
that will mean something. This is q
government by the people and for the
people and if the people do not let
their voice be heard in a depressing
time like this. sit quietly by and let
the heads OF the different depart
ynents take the reins into their own
hands and guide the ship Of state to
suit themselves, il will take a Phila-
delphia lawyer to tell us where we
VIII land. The time is at hand
when we should all speak out. We
believe in progress, but when II does
not pay the cost, we had better slow
down. We must keep our hands on
the steering wheel and stay in the
middle OF the road. OR. we will be
ditched. We hear men say that lands
are high, the man who owns any
Gan stand it and the thing for them
to do is 10. put it on him. Very few
tr5nHic value OF land is. II is worth
In proportion to its net products,
after intelligent and economical farm
ing, will bring on an average market.
Whom. I say net profits, mean after
all necessary expenses in making.
and marketing the crops
arc Daid.
The people are thinking and are
looking at this proposition as being
intolerable and while they are not,
as yet. raising a loud protest, there
is an undercurrent OF dissatisfaction
developing, and unless there is some
thing done to hold down the tax,
which ts now proposed to be imposed
upon the people, that current will
eventually burst into q passion OF in
which will open an avenue
for another political rebellion like we
had In 1890. When patience ceases
10 be- a virtale. among the people.
they become desperate and something
out Of tho ordinary will be done.
We boast OF the progress we are
but when we investigate
closely we find we are setting up a
TOT Of departments within our state
to be filled BY men who
are to be paid good salaries, 10 live
TN good style. form rivalry among
as to who can push hts
department farthest to the front, re-
gardless of what II costs the tax
payers. 1t is about time to call
halt
E. . J. c.. Dunbar.