Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1845-10-28
COMMUNICATED.
STATE GOVERNMENT, No. 2.

STATE GOVERN MEN NO. x.
One of the most prominent objections
which has hitherto existed in the minds Of
the people of this territory against the form
alton Of state government, is the supposed
burden Of taxation which it would neccs-
sarily impose upon the inhabitants. The
extravaganza ard the Indebtedness Of the
new states, has also been held up as ter
ror to the people Of this territory, TO deter
them from entering into state sovereignty
many have doubtless been led to believe
that the pecuniary difficulties and em5ar-
rassments of the rev s'ates,a e ch ehy cha
gable to their having entered into the Union
TOO early, and before they we're competent
to govern themselves. There is however
not shadow of evidence TO prove, that the
cour Sc of ex:ravagance of the new states, is
attributable, TO their having thrown off their
territorial form of government; the old states
as we'll as the new; the large states as we'll
as the small, were plunged into debt during
the specializing mania, which pervaded !he
whole country some ten years ago. lnflu.
ences of like character, brought the oil |
and populous states on the verge of bank
rupcy, which brought the new TO the same
conditions; the extravagant notions Of the
times seized upon nearly all classes and con-
ditions, and but few were exempt from
them
1t is an erroneous opinion that a terito-
rial government furnishes any safeguard a.
oainst running into debt. Florida, which at
present has population far less than Wis
consin, has all Indebtedness Of $i,S5O, 900:
for this enormous sum according TO Hunts
Magazine, Florida became liable while a
territory. 1t is also an erroneous opinion
that states with a small population, are mole
! liable to run into debt, OF that the burdens
ofgovernmeut fall more heavily upon the
people, than in large states. 1t IS singu-
lar fact that nearly every small state (espec-
tally among the elder ones) is free from
state Indebtedness, while every large state
in the union is deeply involved in debt
From statements derived from official sour-
ces, 1t appears that the Indebtedness of the
states having the largest population was in
round numbers on the Isl of January lS45,
as follows:
Pennsylvania, $40 100000
New York, s. 100000
Oh,e, Sl7,CO0,OOO
The states of Pennsylvania, New York
and Ohio, as we'll as nearly every other
large state, on the first of January last ex-
hbited enormous liabilities, whi lie the small
states of Delaware, Rhode Island, ConRec-
ticut and Vermont, were at the same time
out Of debt. That the people are taxed
heavier in the small states than in the large
ones for the support Of government is not
true; on the contrary the rate per cent of
taxation is absolutely less in the aloremen-
toned small states, than in great major
itv Of the large states.
These facts in relation TO the indebted
ness of the States, and of the rate per cent
of taxation for the support of government,
are not stated for the purpose of showing
that small states possess advantages in these
respects over large states; but they are ad
duced with the view of disproving assertions
which are frequently made, that state with
a small population is subject TO high taxes
for the support of government, and is likely
10 become involved in debt. Facts in the
past history of the states, do not justify the
conclusion that territorial government, is
less likely 10 become involved in pecuniary
embarrassments, than a state government,
nor do they justify the assumption that new
states are more inclined 10 extravagant en-
pendaure than old states, nor that the pc
cunary burdens of government fall heavier
ON states with small population, than on
states with large populaton-
Whatever force there may heretofore
have been in the objection, that our popula-
ton was TOO limited in number TO form
state government, it certainly now has no
plausibii,y whatever. The present num-
Der of inhabitants in this territory probably
does not fall short of 10000; and should
we come into the Union in the early part
of the year ls47, Wisconsin viii have al
leas, as great if no, greater population at
! the time of her admission, than any of the
states which have preceded her. since the
confederation of the original thir,een.-'
There is no data from which the exact pop
ulation Of all the new states at the time of
their admission can be ascertaincd: the fol-