The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1921-09-01
THE SAME OLD CATCH PHRASES

before the 1922 primary-men who
aspire to the governorship are at the
same old game-harping on lower
taxes Next summer they will be as
plentiful as hops on Pennsylvania
farm and you will hear them shout
Ing from the house-tops, ELECT me
and I'll lower your taxes,"
At the first political meeting we
ever attended some 33 years ago we
heard the same cry, and every poll
tical meeting we have attended since
that time we have heard the cry re-
peaied over and over. In the mean
time the taxes on, visible property
have gone higher and higher.
The candidate for governor or any
other state office who goes be-
fore the people and raises the
'-high tax" cry and tells them if they
will elect him he will lower their
taxes is the very man who should be
left at home. He is misleading the
people before he gets into office and
ne will fool them after he gets there
A,,.trs ~ Individual or group of indivi-
abba. 'hat matter can oring ABOUT
az, th .Jrm. 1t is too big a task. 1t is
'ann,,,Jvement that must have the sup
pct of the people themselves, and
without that support the most earn
est efforts for tax reform must fail.
North Carolina has an ideal tax
lava law that has equalized taxes,
reduced assessments on real and
other visible property, and placed the
burden of taxation where it properly
No hn I'd
but Il is not a burden. The taxes in
that state have been so equalized
that taxation is no longer burden.
II has lifted the burden from the
shoulders Of the people.
But before we can adopt North
Caroiina's tax law we must elect to
the general assembly men who will
work for the equalization of taxes -
men who will pledge themselves to do
All in their power to bring about the
equalization of taxes-not men whose
only song on the campaign is 1--WE
must have lower taxes and if you
will elect me I will see that you get
them!" We have heard too much of
that kind of stuff.
II Is there that the beginning must
lie. The demand must come
he people themselves. The
4. the banker, the merchant, the
ufs- -.acturer are carrying the tax
burden and the power to equalize
taxes is in their hands
They have a majority vote and in
the next primary they should let it be
understood that only red-blooded mel.
OF courage and independence are
wanted - not peanut politicians who,
the moment they are elected to the
Legislature, have visions of the white
house. They should let it be under
stood That the people are tired of the
gallery stuff; that we don't care
hang how many cur dogs there are
In the state; that we don't care a con-
tinental even if there is too much sui
pher and not enough carbon in the
steam coal the railroads use; that
the question as to how the 54 work
ing hours in cotton mills should be
distributed over the week is some
thing that should be settled between
the cotton mills and their operatives.
The tax problem is the biggest
problem South Carolina has ever had,
bers Of the general assembly have
apparently side-tracked this big meas
ure, have SHE'D away from many good
bills that would have equalized taxes
by taxing the many instead of the
few, while useless measures have had
the right-of-way.
When we send to the general as
sembly men who go there for the sole
purpose of working unselfishly for
The good of the state, with no thought
OF what effect will my vote on this
or that measure have on my political
future. then and not until then will
we begin to have some progressive
legislation; men Of such courage and
independence that IL a measure is pro
gressive and he Is man OF progress
i've ideas and knows it Is a good a
just law and will benefit his consti
tuents. although they may not be
prog essive enough at the time to see
1t, that he will cast his vote for 1,
oven though he knows it means his
defeat in the next primary.
We do not mean by this that every
member of the South Carolina gener
al assembly is a weakling who is sc
afraid Of the political bosses back
home that he will not do his duty as
he sees it. regardless Of the effect or
his political future. There are lot:
LOT good and fearless men in the South
Carolina general assembly. but wher
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