Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1844-03-12

on by the wild spirit Of speculation and
The mania Of internal improvement, have
involved themselves in enormous debts
for improvements and schemes Of various
kinds, injurious, in some cases, TO them.
selves and Of no possible benefit 10 any
OtherStGte. Aud yet all the other States,
whether indebted or not, are, by this in
iquitOus scheme, required TO contribute
TO the payment Of these foolish, imPru-
dent, or fraudulent debts, which they
never had any agency in contracting,
which they had no pOwO TO restrain, and
lOr which they never were in any Possi-
BILE manner or degree liable or respOnsi.
Bile. Besides the assumption Of these
debts by the Federal Government would
afford no real relief 10 The people Of the
indebted States, because the government
must raise the amount of the people Ell.
Their by direct taxation, Or by great in.
crease Of the already oppressive tariff, Of
duties upon imports. Direct taxation by
the GeneralGoVernment, though it might
be the NEST economical and least bur-
densome, is yet the most unsatisfactory
to the people, becsuse inquisitorial, and
is not advocated by any statesman or par.
ty.lndireCt iaxaliOn,by system OF duties
upon imports, has been adopted as least
inquisitOriRl and most agreeable to the
people although it is really by far the
most burdensOme and especially 10 the
West and South, who are the greatest
consumers Of articles Of impert, and con.
sequenlly the greatest tax payeVs TO gov
Ornment, and who; being tarthest from
the place Ofimport or manufacture, in
fact pay several aud even many peTcsn.
tages, both upon the profit Ofthe manur
fGcturer, and importer, and upon the dO-
ty. Frst to the original manufacturers
and importer, and afterwards TO the sew.
eral parties, Of the eastern jobber, wes'
tern city'merchant, and country store
keepers, &c, through whose hands The AZ
ticles passes, before il reaches the Con-
sumers. Thus the great consumers, the
planters and farmers Of the South and
West, farthesl from the places Of impOri,
bear thO heaviest burdens Of fgOvernmen.
tai taxatiOr, through the medium ola tar
1T upon imports, aid such iS the evil Of
taxation, the government receives no
part ofthis increased payments, but they
are like seed scattered by the way side,
dropped here and there along the
route from the place OF import and man
ufacture, 10 the place Of consumption but
chiefly INTO the Golfers of tho eastern man.
ufacturer.
And as the States who suffer most
from their own debts, are chiefly those
farlhesl from eastern seabOard, the place
of import, it is believed that their people
would encounter much heavier burdens
Of taxation when imposed by the Gene
eraI Governmental pay their State debts
than they do by direct taxation by their
own State Legislature for the same pur.
pose.
4. Because the pledge oflhe Public
Lands, (as prOpOsed) to the payment Of
these, when assumed by the General
Government, would be violation Of the
trust reposed in the government, by the
States who Ceded 10 it large portion Of
these lands for the ''common benefit OF
all the States, ''and violation ofiustice 10
the whole people as regards that portion
Of the public domain, which was purchas
ed by the common money Of oil the peO-
pie, drawn from the national treasury for
the purpose. The first portion were ap
propliated in perpetuily 10 the support
0c .Lo GanapoI GovArnunank - ro,s ,ko
national war debt, and to diminish the
necessity for taxation. And whenever
surplus arises in the national treasury,
instead Of distributing the prOceedS OI
the public lanes, Or spprOpriating them
to the payment Of the State debts, the du
ties on imports should be decreased, M.
Ill the revenue is brought dOwa to the
proper standard Of an economical admin
istratiOn.
And as to the latter portion they were
paid for out Of the common treasury o
the whole people, and cannot w;theu
, positive injustice, be disposed Of for IhC
special benefit of particular parts. The!
: belong emPhatiCally to the common treas
D ury.
5. Because we ara utterly Opposed
= 10 a NdtioRaI Debt. The assumption o
. the debls Of the States, would impos
/. upon the Federal Government nation
Y al debt Of 200 millions, which must b
k provided for by vastly increased burden
4 Of taxation upon the people. While ih
= Fedsralisis have always considered
IL national debt, as. . ''nstiOnal blessing,
8. the Democracy have ever considered il q
- national curse, I-
at. 6. BsCagse this national debt wOul
r. create the necessity for a great increas
Of of the present already unjust and OI
re- uressive tariff Of duties upon Imports
;or Even with the small debt now resting u
mt On the Government, Of about 80 million
u. ~uh an annual expenditure Of not mo
than % Or, 90 Millions . and With the 9