The Horry herald. (Conway, S.C.) 1886-1923, January 19, 1911, Image 8
LETTER TO
MER
If a rake-off in a liquor deal is
grafting the State's money, what is
tho man doing who is false-swearing
about the amount of tax he is duo
tho State?
We often become awe-stricken
over corporation of foreign graft, but
have to be lambasted into paying
any attention to our big army of
home-made grafters?tax-dodgers?
at our own door.
If it is a flagrant violation of law |
for the genial whiskey-drummer and
dispensary men to fail to turn in justj
revenue and profits to the state, is it,
not also a crime of the same class)
for our genial friends in other oc- j
cupations to fail to turn in to the
state every dollar of taxes lie is due
the State according to law?
We farmers are prone to point to
corporations and the business world
as the great harbingers of grafters, ,
but the plain truth is no man or class j
of men can point the finger of scorn I
at any other class and say thief! j
grafter!
The farmer lias the same kind ofj
human nature in his make-up that;
everybody else has. All the farmer]
has to do to rid himself of this conceit,
let him take a peep at a few j
pages of his county Auditor's book
and blush with shame at the black
sheep there are within his own flock.
Why, bless you, not long since a
farmer was looking over bis county!
Auditor's books after another matter;
and uncovered the tax returns of anfnrtiinr
wlin is woi'tb more than
one hundred thousand dollars, who
returned his property at less than i
five thousand dollars!
This well-to-do farmer pe vs less
than one hundred dollars tax while J
another fanner near by. who does j
not own one-fourth as mucli proper-,
ty, pays two hundred and twenty dollars
tax. And, worse still, this wellto-do-tax-dodging
farmer's son Is on j
the County Board of Equalization, j
while yet another son is the county
clerk. Now, this may not he a conspiracy,
to have one son holding
down the County Board of Equallza-|
tion and books that contain certain J
records of the securities of his fath-,
er, but at the same time we are
forced to say that if this ugly state 1
of affairs is not a conspiracy, that it j
Is at least an allfired convenient accident
or coincident to protect taxdodgers..
Many of us know of cases where
some unfortunate who owns nothing,
taxable save his head and heels (poll
and road) has been chased for miles
over the country and finally run i
down and in for from $8 to $12 costs
and the employer is compelled to'
pur up me casn ior ms un iuri u nate
laDorer or tenant or bis man goes to
the cliaingang, while another well-;
to-do tax-dodger is just as lawfully,
due the Stale anywhere from $r>0 to I
$100, but is allowed to forswear and
go free. Another ease is the "homebuilder"
(the slogan for the safety
of the State and nation) who pays I
one-third on his purehase for a home;
and borrows the balance and after
years of toiling, under the burden of.
high interest, taxes and family ex- ;
penses is closer! out at last to satisfy'
the money-lender's claim, which is |
lawful, but the holder of these iron- .
clad securities had not paid a dollar
taxes on these notes and mortgages
during tho whole time this "home!
pay lax, 100, wnne ine law says oom
terest, and taxes. I
Ask this money-lender why ho does
not pay the taxes on his securities
and lie will have the call to say a ;
whole heap about double-taxing, to
compel the farmer to pay tax on bor- j
rowed money and the money-lender!
pay tax. too, which the law says both
shall pay tax.
1 am informed by a reliable source;
that we have in our State a corpora-!
tion that has more than one and a!
half millions cash in its business that
is paying lax on only ninetv-flve
thousand, lor the reason that one of
the head officials of this corporation
is on the Board of Assessors and no ,
doubt the State has all sizes of this
kind of graft in all its counties. i
Are the tax laws of the State made
for the plain, honest people to go by \
and the unscrupulous cunning to
evade? Why is it that the County
Auditors .do not. go down into this
thing and place all the property on
t Tl O tnv P? flin 11 iv.nnh no
them to do?
There are a few among them that
have the "sand" to go into the lair
of the lions that guard the voters,
that drive the nails down in the shingles
that eover their heads! Do these
floundering officers of the law think
more about their salaries than they
do about the good of the people or
the oath they take? Why don't the
Hoards of Kqualization do their duty
and place all taxable property upon
the books upon an equal basis?
Is it a fact that many of tnem are
tarred with the samo stick along
with the common tax-dodgers and
Railroads to Advertise.
A letter was read at the Chamber
of Commerce meeting on Wednesday
night from the Clinchfleld and Ohio
Railroad Company in regard to advertising
campaign by the railroads,
the object of which Is to exploit thie
section of the country. The Chamber
approved the plan, and promised
Its cooperation.
FAR:
UNIONISTS
the rest keep mum for fear of being
called a "common knocker"? So far
as placing all property on the tax
j hooks upon equal basis at its market
value is concerned, the County Auditor's
ollice is a farce and the Board
of IOqualizai ion is a huge joke.
It is a stupendous fact that every
one who places his property on the
tax books at current or customary
rates helps to pay the graft or rakeoff
held back by tax-dodgers, which
fact should enlist the active ro-operation
of all law-abiding citizens,
with Comptroller General Jones in
his commendable crusade fo;* tax
equalizat ion.
Publishing all tax returns In county
papers every four years at re-assessment.
of real estate is the one fell
sweep that would attract the interest
and aid of the people in each township
of the State. This publicity is
the gatling gun or bomb-shell that
would drive every hider out in the
open where the populace can inspect
the returns and see to it that no one
shall pass muster without a clean
record. For the same reason that
we require publishing of expenditures
of the people's money, that we may
see just where it goes, we should also
know who is not turning in all tlie
just tax money due the county and
State.
The drag-net that would catch all
" -? "...i i ..,.,1 A ; I
i lie siiiiiKS in;ii jtiui]/ u vi dim wi>c
under (be first of January as the
date for property on bin!, instead
of naming one day, the law should
take an average of several months
for a basis of money on deposit or in
any business.
A tax inquisitor for each Congressional
district having the right to
examine all public and corporation
records and the power to summon
witnesses to testify us to taxable
property as well as the right to convene
County Hoards of Equalization
to suit the itinerary of his rounds,
would also be the one limb of the
law that might be made to bring in
a revenue of ten or more dollars
for every dollar spent on bis work
on either of the plans of a salary or
percentage pay. Some think that
these tax inquisitors should be required
to change districts in their
rounds after the plan of the circuit
judges.
Our law makers should keep the
fact in mind that these tax-dodgers
are cunning masters in this art and
unless a master in the art of tax finder
is sent after them, the effort will
be futile.
These tax inquisitors should not be
floundering politicians or weaklings
of tne thirty cent can ore, our snouin
be :i selection from among tlie ablest
men we bave and paid accordingly for
tlioir work ? men of spine, discretion
and diplomacy, that know the law
more than kith or kin, or friend or
foe.
We have been moralizing over this
tax-dodging graft about long enough,
it is time our representatives go for
these "parasites upon the body politic"
with gloves off. and provide a
sure plan to tighten the screws down
upon all tax-dodgers alike. We have
sent a Lyon out after the liquor
grafters that fetched in the game
and we now want a gang of Bengal
tigers, that can see to go after the
wily tax-dodgers. Something must
be done to relieve the strain upon the
consciences of our good people who
are in the habit of sitting in the
"amen corners" of churches singing
ps.ilms on Sunday and going before
the County Auditor on Monday ana
swearing that the value of their cow
is $S when they know they could
got $40 or $60 for her. or their land
is worth $0 per acre when they know
that other lands by them are selling
from $40 to $100 per acre; or they
havo no other property, storks, notes,
mortgages, cash or any other property
to their credit not listed in their
returns and spend six months afterwards
trying to relieve the strain
upon their conscience by saying "they
all do It" or trying to make themselves
believe that false swearing is
diplomacy or some other left-handed
thing with no harm in it.
Most any man who has the pluck
to say that plain people do the double
tax paying while the cunning rich
do the stunts in tax-dodging is sure
4 s~\ 1\a oti?la.l o u e /I am r% crnryn a n a\if
i w liv 01* iuu do ci iiciii uiiu iiu n
is the time for each and every representative
lo be called upon to stand
up and be counted as to whether a
dollar be a dollar whether It be in
the hands of the rich or poor man
or in iron clad securities, or in the
active producing world, ("live all a
chance to say whether or not they go
to Columbia to get something for the
"interest they represent" that other
people don't get. Is there an honest
man in all South Carolina who
thinks or believes that other peopio
should pay taxes on Ills dollars?
J. C. Stribling,
Pendleton, S. C.
Farmers' Union Rureau.
Makes ITs Shiver.
A dispatch from Reno, Nevada,
says tho present snow storm is the
heaviest within memory in thio dstrict.
After a steady fall of .16 hours
there was a record depth of two feet
on the level late Friday night.. A
depth of 12 feet Is reported at Truekeo
and six feet at Immigrant Gap,
Cal.
i
RADICAL CHANGES
?4? 0 I*
suggested in the new smiooi
as recommended.
Commission to Revise State's System
Reports to legislature After Year
of llurd Work.
Three amendments to the cons'itution
and important and far-reaching
alterations in the present school
law are recommended in the report
made to the general assembly Krlcl 1/
by (be "commission to c 'mine and
revise (he school law ol the State
and to recommend changes in the
same," this report, with the accompanying
bill, constituting perhaps
the most important document yet
presented to the 1911-12 legislature.
The commission was created by
joint resolution of the general assembly,
approved February 23, 19 10,
the suggestion for its creation hav.
ing been made in the annual report
for 1 909 pf Mr. J. E. Swearingen,
State superintendent of education,
it was directed to "carefully examine
and revise the common and high
school laws of the State, with power
to recommend any changes in the existing
law by bill or otherwise," and
was required to "report to the next
session of the general assembly."
In the resolution, it was specified
that the following should bo members
of the commission: "The Stale
superintendent of education, the inspector
of high schools, the president
of ono of the State institutions off
higher learning, one person familiar j
with graded and common school systems,
and one person learned in tile
law." Members not specifically designated
were to be appointed 1>\ the
governor. As organized for won;,
the commission was composed of Mr.
.7. E. Swearingen, State superintendent
of education; Mr. W. H. Hand,
State inspector of high schools; Or.
I). H. Johnson, president of Winthrop
College; Mr. S. II. Edmunds, superintendent
of the Sumter city schools,
and Mr. Mendel L. Smith, attorney,
of Camden. Mr. Swearingen was
chairman and Mr. Hand the secretary.
The commission thus summarizes
its important recommendations:
"The commission has endeavored
to make a practical and progressive
report. It has sought to retain the
best features of the present, law and
to avoid radical or revolutionary
changes. It has been compelled,
however, to recommend some important
and far-reaching alterations
in order that the new school law may
help to meet present needs and to
improve present conditions.
"1. An amendment to section 2,
article IT, and to section 2 4, article
III, of the constitution, will remove
the obstacle that prevents many of
our best npn from serving as school j
trustees. liiougll LIU? cuiibiiumuii
forbids the holding of two offices,
this provision has. by common consent,
been widely disregarded. This
amendment seeks merely to legalize
service to education when rendered
in connection with other service to
the State.
"2. The State superintendent of
education is held responsible for the
acts of the State Board of Education,
and, in the opinion of the corn mis
sion, he should have seme voice in
selecting its members. Tt is, there- '
forc, recommended that section 2, <
article XI, of the constitution, be M
amended so that henceforth the gov- j i
ernor shall appoint the State board 11
of education, upon the roeommenda- j
(ion of the State superintendent.
"3. The commission recommends t
the appointment of a State board of
examiners for teachers in order that , <
the present varying standards may ; '
ho harmonized by the establishment j 1
of a uniform method in the exami- i
nation and graduation of applicants
to teach. <
"4. The county hoard of education '
is given large powers in three impor- s
t.ant respects: a. To levy a special ?
county tax. b. To apportion public 1
school funds, c. To choose from eligible
applicants the county superintendent
of education to serve for a
term of four years.
"5. The right of all special school
districts organized under special acts
of the general assembly to adopt
their own text-books has been withdrawn.
I'he State superintendent of
education is empowered to appoint
text-book commission, composed of
five public school men, to act concurrently
with the State board of education
to adopt a dual list of texthooks
and to prescribe unified
courses of study for all the free publi/,
^ r t
ll\, ni lllMMo V>1 lllu
"G. The members of the State
board of examiners for teachers shall
servo also as division supervisors of
schools, who, under the direction of
the State superintendent, shall audit
school accounts and perform such
other duties as may he assigned.
"7. Idle county superintendent of
education is to be elected by the
county hoard of education, in order >
that restricted qualifications may be
demanded of all applicants. The
term of tho county superintendent is
made four years, and the minimum
salary in any county is $1,200.
"8. The State high school law is
simplified and strengthened, and the
high school appropriation increased
to $75,000.
"9. Tho State board of education
is authorized to classify under a recognized
nomenclature tho schools j
THK BKAZILLIAN WAY.
The Forty-Five Rebels Meet Mysterious
Knds.
According to reports from Brazil
Jao Candido, leader of the recent revolt
in the navy, and 4 4 other mutineers
have met sudden deaths. Candido
succumbed to gangrene while a
prisoner, 2G of his assistants died
from sunstroke while engaged in repairing
the fortress on Cobris island,
and 18 others were suffocated in their
cells in the prison on Vlllegainon i3lan
d.
When the later of the two recent
naval revolts in Brazil was put 'lown
three weeks ago it was announced
that the mutinous sailors had been
sent to s'alos remote from Rio Janeiro,
where they were employed in
the construction of highways and
railroads.
Since that time comparatively little
news has been gotten out of Brazil.
but there have been persistent
rumors of disturbances in the state
of Para on the north coast due to
political dissatisfaction. *
LITTLE BODY KOl'NI).
Seems to Have Been Poisoned With
i arnouc /\cm.
Aid of the police in every largo
city of the country has been sought,
thus far In vain, in an effort to learn
the identity of the five-year-old boy
whose frozen body with acid stains
about the mouth, was found Thursday
in a swamp on the Schenectady
road in New York. Today an autopsy
will be held to determine more
definitely the cause of death, but the
police have little doubt that the boy
was slain by some one who forced
carbolic acid down bis throat.
A half empty bottle of the aci ,
bearing Hie label of an Albany, N.
Y., druggist, was found under the
body. The corpse was wearing shoes
and stockings and feet showed traces
of mud, as they would have done had
the child walked to the place where
he was found. It is the theory of
the police that the child was murdered
by kidnappers to get rid of
him
Alfalfa and Kiisibigc.
A subscriber asks why if, say,
thirty pounds of good field corn ensilage
and ten pounds of good alfalfa
hay make almost a balanced ration
for a 1000-pound cow there should
be any addition of grain even ever
so small:
We answer that it is well to add
to the above a small grain ration for
two reasons: (1 ) Because experience
shows it to be profitable. We
are feeding cows for profit and if on
experience we find that more or less
of a grain ration is profitable the
cows get it. (2) We must remember
that it takes a considerable portion
of this combined ensilage and alfalfa
ration to support the work of grind
ing it and putting it into proper condition
for digestion. All work ot
this kind that the cow does must be
paid for in feed. It costs more in
the economy of the cow machine to
reduce roughage of any kind to a
digestive condition than it does well
ground grain feed. For that and
the other reason given the addition
of, say, four to six pounds of a good
grain ration is a profitable thing. *
and colleses of the State.
"10. County boards of education
ind school district boards of trustees
Eire made continuing bodies in order
that a majority of their members
may he able, at all times, to form
legal contracts.
"1. An adequate system of reports
s provided in order that school staistics
mav he reliable.
"12. The State superintendent of
3'lucation is required to keep a correct
account of all school bonds and
ax levies provided for (heir retirement.
"in. Kach county superintendent
education is required to submit to
the grand jury a written report
showing, by school districts, all receipts
and disbursements made by
him.
"14. All alterations of whatever
kind in school district lines must be
recorded by the clerk of court. Since
the school district has been made
the unit of taxation for school purposes,
it is absolutely necessary that
school district lines bo clearly and
definitely established.
"15. The most fundamental
change recommended in the report is
the new definition of enrollment,
which bases tho apportionment of
public school funds on the average
attendance of pupils. Under this
definition the teacher, the school, and
the (listriot, loan money every day a
pupil Is absent, and pain every day
he is present.
"lfi. An attempt is made to establish
a permanent State school fund
and a permanent building fund.
"17. The additional expenditures
required by this report will he increased
salaries for county superintendents
of education, a small appropriation
guaranteeing to each
school district one separate school
for three months for pupils of each
race, the salaries of the division supervisors.
all of which will impose
only slight expenditures above present
appropriations made either oy
the several counties or by tho general
assembly.'
It. is significant that the men of
vast fortunes do not seem to be enthusiastic
over the Income tax proposition.
TOKRENS SYSTEM
A HILL FOR ITS ENACTMENT BEFORE
THE HOUSE.
Synopsis of tho Bill as Proposed by
Representative J. Archie Willis of
Laurens.
A bill providing for the adoption
?>f the Torrens system of land registration
was introduced into the house
Friday morning by J. Archie Willis?
Iiiomhpr from LsilireilS COUllty,
and the following is a synopsis of
(ho bill:
A referee, who shall ho appointed
in each con my, shall constitute
"courts of land registration, for the
purpose of the settlement, registration,
transfer, and assurances of titles
to lands within their respective
jurisdiction ' The jurisdiction of
the registration courts shall he the
same as that over which the registrar
of said county shall have jurisdiction
as clerk of court.
After the petition has been made
to the court for a registered title,
and the decree has been granted, a
petition for a rehearing may be tiled
within one hundred and twenty days
after the granting of said degree.
It is provided in the bill to be
Introduced that the clerk of the i
court of each county shall bo the
registrar of the land registration)
court. The "said registrars and their
deputies shall he authorized and inquired,
under the direction of their
respective courts, to issue process
and to enter the decree of the court
touching lands in their respective:
counties or corporations, and to outer
and issue certificates of title, .is i
provided herein, whereby the seal i
of tbe court to such certificates and
1 " .1 n i.lio'i fna n twl (Tnnrnrnliv
iui;i i u u I/I ivyti . i*n vi in
to perform such other nets and duties
as the court may prescribe."
The clerks of the court when an- :
pointed registrars of the land courts
shall qualify and give bond for thej
faithful performance of their duties.;
Two or more lawyers of the coun-,
tv In vMeh the court has jurisdiction
shall be appointed as examiners
of titles, and these may also be appointed
referees in the cases tiled.
It shall 1)6 their duty to search
tho records and to investigate all
facts stated in petitions for regis-1
tered titles.
Petitions for registration of any
land or lands may bo made by the,
"person or persons claiming, singly
or collectively, to own or to have
the power of appointing or disposing
of an estate in fee simple in any
land, whether subject to liens or
not."
The petition is filed under tho
provision of the bid in the registrar's
office, after which the court
shall cause notice of same to be sent
to "all whom it may concern." same
being sent by registered mail, and
certificates of these notices shall be,
filed with the petition, and shall be
conclusive proof of service. Anyj
persons having an interest in or
claim against the land for which the
petition has boon filed, may answer
the petition before the final dccee]
has been given. The court may have
the land in question eurveyel, if it:
thinks it necessary.
With the exception of executors i
and administrators who are winding
up estates, it is left purely notional
with all landowners as to whether
they shall have their land registered
but it is believed by many that shoal '
the bill pa?s and become a law, the!
majority of land owners will want;
their titles registered as soon as they
can have them registered.
The doorea of registration is final,!
it quiets the title, and binds against
all the world, subject to appeal, as J
provided by the bill.
When a tract of land has been .
4 1
registered an original certificate is
kept in the office of the registrar,!
and a duplicate certificate is given
the holder of the land registered, j
The original and duplicate each show 1
all the incumbrances, if there are:
any, against the land registered, and
any one may tell at any time the ex-1
act condition of the title. All incumbrances
placed on the land after1
registration must he recorded on
both the original and duplicate cor-i
j tifieates of title.
Under the provisions of the hill,
the land when once examined by
the examining attorneys nnd registered
in the court of land registration
shall be guaranteed to the holder
of the title, the State making the
guarantee. An assurance fund of
one-tenth of one per cent of the assessed
vain? of the land is paid in
to the registrar when the land is reg-j
| istered. This amount is kopt by tho
registrar until turned over to nho
State treasurer. It is hold by the
State treasurer to pay off any loss
that may come to the State from
guaranteeing the titles that are registered
In the courts provided for
bat purpose. If at any time the
assurance fund is insufficient to satisfy
any judgment certified against
it as aforesaid, tho unpaid account
shall bear interest at tho legal rate
and be paid in its order out of the
moneys coming into said fund.
Mats Poison I^lls.
Discovering half a dozen strychnine
pills that had been left for a fever
patient, Pauline, the three-year-old
daughtor of George W. Young, of
Juniata, Pa., ale them while her
mother was absent and in half an
hour was dead.
UNUKIt THH DAI8IB8.
It Is strange what a deal of trouble
we take
What a sacrifice most of us willingly
make,
How the lips will smile tho* the
heart may ache,
And wo bond to the ways of the
world for the sake
Of its poor and scanty praises;
And th9 time runs on with such pitiless
flow
That our lives aro wasted before we
know
What work lo finish before we go
To our long rest under the
daisies.
And too often wo fall in a useless
fight,
For wrong Is so much in the place
of right,
And the end is so far boyond our
sight,
'Tis as one starts on a chase by
night,
An unknown shade pursuing; J
Kven so do wo see, when our race
is run
That of all we nave si riven ior nitio
is won,
And of all the work our strength
has done,
How little was worth tho^doing.
So most of us travel with very poor
speed,
Failing in thought where we conquer
in deed,
Least bravo in the hour of greatest
need,
And making a riddle that few may
read,
Of our life's intricate mazes.
Such a labyrinth of right and wrong.
Is it strange that a heart once bravo
and strong
Should falter at last and earnestly
long
For a calm sleep under tho
daisies?
Itut if one poor troubled heart can
say:
"His kindness softened my life's
rough way,"
* ? 1 A 1 l .... 11 ~ ? 11. ? t t 0^1
A 11(1 1 III! IU<U S ltlll UVt'I LIIIJ HieiUHS
clay,
Wo shall si and up in heaven In
birghter array
Than if all earth rang with
our praises,
For the good we have (lone shall
never fade,
Tho' the work be wrought, and wages
paid,
And the wearied frame of tho laboror
laid
All peacefully under the daisies.
Bryan to Hoys.
Tn answer to a rodent Inquiry*
about advising boys Mr. Bryan said
"there is no new advice to give boys,
and there tire no new boys to advise.
The boy is the same that he has been
and he is not likely to change much
in the years to come. His impulsesare
the same that they were centuries
ago; the dangers that confront
him confronted his father and
his grandfather in their boyhood
days. If 1 were suggesting a warning
to boys I would not suggest a.
better one than that embodied in the
text, "The wages of sin is death."
That is the law, and it cannot be repealed.
"The honest, truthful, industrious
hoy will succeed in proportion to big. j
intelligence, hut no intelligence can.
make up for lack of honesty, truthfulness
or industry?especially Is it
impossible to substitute anything for
honesty viid truthfulness. Lazinesswill
limit, one's accomplishments
whatever his other good qualities
may he, but he can outgrow laziuess
just as he can outgrow lack o
cation or ntelli enee, but it is q/ueh
more difficult to outgrow a lack of
honesty or a lack of truthfulness.
"Possibly I ought to suggest that
patience is a virtue which should be
added to the ones already mentioned.
Impatience has led many young men
to ruin; they have not been willing
to wait for a fortune to come through
legitimate accumulation, and through
their haste to get rich they have
fallen. The hoy shouldd "learn to
labor and to wait." Character is
built slowly; but it can be lost in a
day. The farmer must wait frdpci
seed time until the harvest, liowt^r
long it may seem, before he gathers
b's crop, and ho tlio boy must be willIns?
to plant In the springtime of life
for the harvest that he will gather
when he is grown."
Killed by Train.
The Cheraw and Darlington train
In coming Into Florence Monday
night struck and killed John Mullins,
a negro laborer at the shops.
negro evidently attempted to caRs*
the track just ahead of the train Xu'l
was not quick enough. Fngineer
Cleorge Wilson, one of the best aad
most, careful in the service was on
the engine.
? ?
Coat Saved Him.
At Atlanta J. H. Andrews, secretary
and treasurer of the Georgia division
of the Travellers' Protective
| Association, missed death by a hair's
breadth Monday when a heavy iron
bolt, red hot, fell from the thirteenth
story of the new bank building being
constructed at Broad and Marietta
streets, striking him on the shoulder.
The surest and quickost remedy
for the carnival of crime that is
sweeping over this country is for the
people to fear God and keep his commandmeats.
#