The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1922-01-20
ABOUT TAXATION

The cry is that a property tax is
unequal and that not all the people
contribute to the payment of the
running expenses of the government.
It is proposed, therefore, by those
who would see conditions improved
in this respect to have some system
of taxation which will be more near
ly equd.
Several schemes have been sug-
gested looking to this end. Some of
them may have merit and deserve
consideration, but there is. nothing
more unfair in our judgment than
an income tax. A large percentage Of
the people, under a property tax,
contribute to the running expenses
of the government, which govern
ment is for all alike, while under an
income tax d few people, (and they
taken as q whole are those now most
imposed on in matters of taxation,)
will be called on to pay portion OF
the running expenses of the govern
ment. The fact IS that it is a shifting
Of the tax burden from property own
ers els q whole to property owners of
very; limited class, to corporations
and individuals Of large means, per-
sons natural and artificial who are
already paying more than their. part
Of the taxes. ....
The people who say that they
want to equalize taxes and shift the
burden to the shoulders Of others not
paying any taxes, are not, we think,
sincere when in the next breath they
undertake to impose a great part of
the burden. of government on a very
few. Of course it will be said that
there is q man here and there who
has an income of five thousand dol
lars who is paying no taxes, and
maybe there will be found such, but
the man who is dishonest enough to
undertake to- escape the payment of
$axes under one plan will escape
under another plan. There is no way
to make 8 perfect machine of gov
ernment. The danger is that in under
taking to perfect 1t we make it's i'm
perfections greatef.
We believe that there is justice
and equality in tax on gasoline.
The people who run motors cars have
in large measure been responsible
for the issues of road bonds and for
extraordinary expenses for road
building. They clamor for good roads,
and when the roads are built they
use them. Why not make them pay
the bill or good part of it? But
when We are putting a license tax on
automobiles and forcing their own
ers to pay d tax on gasoline. why
not also charge license tax against
horse drawn vehicles, against ami
mails driven upon the highways, and
against all the people who use the
highways? To be perfectly frank is
the real reason why this is not
done this: The legislators are
willing to put the burden on the few
'(automobile owners) and allow the
many to escape because in this way
they do not offend the men who cast
the votes?
We would like to see the General
Assembly get down to rock bottom
principles and do what they propose
to do, impose the burdens of taxa
tion on all, as nearly alike as posi-
bic. But they will not do so. They
will in effect fine a man who has
something to leave to his wife and
children; they will put a penalty on
him if he works while others play;
they will burden him with an unequal
load if he tries to build up while the
demagogue howls, and so it will 60.
The public schools affect the whole
people. If the members of the Gen.
eral Assembly want everybody af-
fected to bear some of the burdens
of government, why not require of
every child attending the public
schools the payment Of tuition in the
amount Of one dollar per month? It