The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1845-05-31
For the Sprit Of Democracy.
THE NEW TAX LAW.


ton between the two sections OF the State, tn
eastern and the western, and to do away with tn
monstrous inequality which has hitherto existe
against the eastern counties, is it not worth Will
to give it fair trial? To amend it where evil
and inequalities exist, and render it as perfect a
The beginning is hard New. laws are some
times imperfect at first, though their general ope
ration may be most beneficial. VILE the objec
tors deny that mercantile and money capital i
the richest source of revenue to a State, espe
clally to State oppressed and weighed down will
debt and taxation as this State is? win they den,
that this invisible wealth gives the greatest abIit,
and facility TO the tax payers The great difficult
y in taxing this species of wealth is that it is SC
easily concealed. Ten thousand golden dollar.
can easily be hidden, the widows COW can easil,
| be SEEN
But the fair question is. not whether the law is
in some respects unequal, but whether our system
of taxation will operate more unequay under the
new law combined with the old, than under the
old law alone. l have already pointed out the
rampant injustice of making such counties as Bel.
mont and Guernsey pay almost as much horse and
cattle tax as Hamilton and such counties as Mon.
roe pay more than half as much where the wealth
Is so utterly disproportioned-an shall not repeat
my observations here.
But the land tax is also against us in most EN-.
inent degree. A thousand dollars worth OF land
in the Scioto or Miami valley, will yield more
profit to the owner if he keeps it in his own hands,
and more rent if he lets it out, than thousand
dollars worth of land in Monroe county, yet both
pay precisely the same amount of taxes. Is this
equal? A thousand dollars worth Of houses in
Cincinnati will rent for FIVE or SIX times as much
as thousand dollars worth Of houses in one of our
eastern villages, yet both pay precisely the same
amount of taxes. Is this equal' Gentle reader,
if you doubt this, just visit the queen city, as the
subscriber has done lately, and inquire for yourself
The citizens will show you small rooms which
rent for twelve dollars month-such rooms in
this town would rent for twelve dollars year; vet
building IS, upon the whole fully costly here as
there. Then is rot the land and house tax most
unequal, and is not that'inequallty against u.s.
Again, that great city, whose prosperity is graf.
flying TO the subscriber, well as to every other
friend Of his country, has scores of taverns and
hotels, some OF them containing from ten to fifteen
thousand dollars worth of stock appropriated and
calculated for the entertainment of their guests
yet under the old law all this immense capital did
not pay as much tax as the widows COW. Was
this equal' Just enter and take survey of such
establishments as the Henry House, the Dennlson
House, the Broadway Hotel, and many others, and
say why those rich and worthy gentlemen who
own those immense establishments, should pay no
tax upon the enormous capitals which they have
SO proftably invested therein, while the widow in
Monroe must pay tax upon her last COW, if she has
at the same time pony to plough her ground
Yet this was the state of the old law; was il equal
was it just' Was not your representative JUS
tilted IN voting for changer Would he not have
been ignorant or unmindful of your interests if he
had opposed this change? Again, this immense
Babylon, which builds two thousand houses in a
single season, gave in under the old law, about
half as much merchant and money capital, as be-
longs to single firm in the city, thus showing
that the attempt under the old law to lay mer-
chant and money tax was mere farce and failure.
Was this right? was it equal? was it just? ought
it SO remain: Ought millions and millions of
merchant and money capital in this great and rich
city TO pay less tax than the widows cow Yet
so it was, under the old law Was this equal?-
There is a singularity about the merchant and
money capital on the tax list has been for years
running down until it is about the size of the lit
tie end of nothing whitfield TO point. Does any
man believe that the queen city has been growing
poorer and poorer from year to year, If he does,
he is child of nature without any of the trouble
some lumber of human knowledge or information
But can only glance at matters in one of these
letters; time and your patience, gentle reader, for
bid me to enlarge; but as rely on the poteness
of the editor of this paper to afford me an open
fight and clear field. daylight and fair play, you
shall hear from me, citizens again and again
until shall have disclosed the reasons which gov
erned my conduct, as your representative in the
public councils. Certainly must be far less than
man if could be willing to have it supposed that
| have no reasons to render for my public conduct
or acted from mere caprice or without due con-
sideration. The sweaty reaper who comes from
the field Of cxertion weary and toil-worn, likes
to see some smile of appreciation on the counte-
nance Of his employer, so l have natural ambi-
lion 10 convince my fellow citizens that if any
thing was done wrong by me it was for want of
knowing better. Surely care and diligence and
wearisome toll, and watchings by day and by night
might look for some reward besides stern rebuke
and unmitigated censure. As to infalhbility of
Judgment, none but fool or a coxcomb would lay
claim to it, and fair discussion will enghten the
public mind. l am, therefore, just willing that
q fair and candid opponent should render his rea-
sons against the new tax law as l am to write
these letters in its favor Let the public hear both
sides and then decide.