Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1922-01-11
WALHALiIlA, $. @.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. ii, 1922.
THE PEOPLE Al ND TAXES.

STATE COnStucu Ill oOooiou
yesterday and will likely remain III
session for tho whole length or time
allotted by law, for there is much
THAI must be done, and great deal
that should be left undone.
Considering the serious financial
condition of the people generally, we
cannot understand how our Legisla-
ture can reconcile their conscience
to the levy Of such a tax as some Of
The leading members Of that body
arc contemplating and contending
for. Tho leaders show plainly that
they realize the condition of affairs
by their great activity In calling
meetings In Columbia and asking
taxpayers TO hold meetings and dis
cusS the matter. But what is the use
Of such meetings and discussion?
Would the members give heed to
decision Of such meetings adverse 10
their determination? If we can Judge
the fuutre by the past, we must an
swer no-for Il year ago meetings
were held and committees represent
ing the Taxpayers were sent 10 Co
lumbia during the session to beg for
reduced levy and expenditures, and
70 result was the highest levy and
greatest expenditure In the history
Of the State. We see no relief for
the taX-paying public as long as the
present crowd represents us In the
Legislature.
Three years ago, when everything
was high and the people were bouu-
tifully supplied with money from
the high prices they received for
everything they had to sell, the Gen
cral Assembly was besieged with n
plea from the onice-holders, COM
plaini~S OF the Inadequate salaries
pad them-complaining that it took
SO much for them to live on-and
the General Assembly gave ear to
their cry and raised their salaries
to nearly double; bu. now everything
has gone down and the people are
suffering as those officers stated they
did; but those same officers now bit
terly oppose the reduction Of their
salaries. and the members of the
General Assembly turn deaf ear to
their demand. and the great suffer
ing public must undergo the same
hardship that the officers complained
OF which found sympathetic action
in their behalf.
The public generally are now
clamoring for a reduction Of the ex-
penditures Of the government and
the tightening Of their burdens as
the people Of Israel did to Rehoboam
of old, and the result may be the
same. Beware! In reply to our pro-
testing people the representatives
are declaring that the expenditures
cannot be reduced; that 1t will take
as much as has been levied for the
last two years to defray the neces-
0f "a
year. Why cannot expenditures be
cut? For the last two years the ex-
penditure has been about double
what It was before that. To ascer-
tain the true condition Of affairs. let
us just review the appropriat tions for
the last ten years and observe tho
growth. In the year 1911 the apprS-
priation was, In round figures ST.
939,O00: in 1912. $1.993.00O: in
1918, $1,859,000: in 1914, $2.14G.-
900; in 1915. $2.463.G00: In 1916.
s2,989,000; in 1918. $3,376.000: In
1919, $3,S92,000: in 1920, $6,091,-
900, and in 1921. $6,534.000. Al!
this continued increase has been in
the face Of continuous protest on
the part OF taxpayers.
We ask, in view Of The presnet
very strenuous financial crisis, why
cannot appropriations be reduced 20
something like the expenditure three
years ago? If the state government
could be administered in the year
1918 on an appropriation Of $780,
600, we would ask, Why could It not
be administered in 1922 for some.
thing like that amount? In our opn
ion. 1t is necessary that taxes be re.
duced, and If the present officers and
Representatives cannot see their way
to give some heed to the just dc
mands Of an oppressed public. the
next election will witness q complete
change in the membership Of South
Carolina ofEicialdom. The voters OF
this State are impressed with the
fact that sovereignty rests in the in.
dividual citizens, and unless some
more heed be given them and their
demands than was at the last session
Of tho General Assembly, the com
Ing session will witness a complete
revolution and resultant change |,
the States official family"
We understand that an effort Is t.
be made to shift the burden. to som,
extent, from visible property t
other sources, but tho General Az
sembly may as we'll take notice nov
that the public are not going to b,
80 easily misled now as formerly
They now realize that taxes canno
be made to bear hard on any clas
OF people without affecting them
The one fact always prominent