Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1922-02-08


| government and economy o3Wash-
ington and twill come back home
to bless. Send extravaganza and it
Is returned ten-fold to curse.
The Power to Tax is the Power
to Destroy.
Let us as a people guard this
| right. We need
1st. to get the assessment OF all
property out of politics. SO long as
the officials assessing property are
espiring politicians there will be
favoritism.
I'd. A Governor who will throw
the responsibility for excessive taxa
ton on the Legislature by firm uso
OF the veto power. 3s
3. Do away with SO many boards,
commissions, ETC., by having one ad-
ministrative board of control all
State institutions, thereby ceasing to
duplicate State machinery
4th. The recall to apply to every
elective officer, from Governor to
coroner, so that we can fire the men
we hire.
Our free institutions can only be
preserved by getting back to first
principles, and the matter of taxa
ton will eithor force reform or rev.
olution will overtake our republic,
as it has those in the past. No saw
ing in mere money will compensate
for lowering our standard Of life,
but popular government is on trial
tho world over. Amendments to the
; constitution can give four year
terms and biennial sessions of the
Legislature, saving election expenses
and other items, amounting to at
| least a fifth Of our necessary ex-
penses
The greatest problem is to equal
lie taxation, and the county should
, be tho unit instead Of, as now, hav-
Ing a rivalry betwoen the counties in
tho matter Of low valuation. The
General Assembly should first deter
mine ju"t what amount is necessary
| to conduct tho State government,
and this ehould be apportioned
among the counties in proportion TO
wealth and population. Then the
county commissioners in each ooun-
ty-elected by the people-should
assess the property in the county
and levy tax to pay It's proportion
ate share Of the State government,
; and whatever they may determine
to spend for the county in addition.
The money would be kept in the
county, and 1t would be to the inter-
est Of each citizen to see that all of
the property in the county was re-
turned for taxation, because, every
! dollar that escaped would make his
taxes higher. The burden of taxa
ton would be more widely distrib-
uted by bringing the invisible prop
orty out Of hiding.
Instead of so many trustees, one
board, consisting Of the Governor
and other State officers and five to
| be elected by the General Assembly,
could look after every charitable and
penal institution in the State We
now virtually have three agricultu-
raj departments. The State ware
| house, Clemson College and the reg
ular department Of agriculture
should bc combined under one head,
| so that when an inspector went to
a town he could inspect warehouses,
attend to pure food enforcement and
other kindred duties. II he is quail
fed for one he can be for all. Why
pay three men when one can do the
work?
The Railroad Commission and in
surance department should be placed
In charge of the Secretary of State,
and the Highway Commission in the
charge OF the Comptroller General,
because with this new mode of as
sessment he would have ample time.
In the Judicial Department the
trial justice at the county seat should
be given jurisdiction in civil cases
where the amount involved does not
exceed one thousand dollars and In
criminal cases where the punish
ment Is not over one year. This alone
would save many thousands of dol
lars in court expenses and not do in
Justice to litigants.
The idea that money for roads or
other improvements costs the county
nothing when 1t comes from Colum-