The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1845-07-12

lives and exists by means Of cunning. and intrigue
and management, and solicitation, and underhant
practices, and secret influence with the member
Of the General Assembly, and officers of the gov
eminent. Our republican institutions cannot with
stand its poisonous breath. We must overthrow
1t Or it will introduce vice and corruption enough
INTO the body polite TO overthrow our liberties.
All that is wanting to insure the utter, the final
condemnation of this system, is that the people
should lecome acquainted with it, that they
should see it as it truly is Reader, do you ina
gine this language too strong, and this picture too
highly colored' Take the Journal of the 22d
January last, and read the strong and condemna-
tory language OF the resolution which felt it my
duty to offer on that day, connected with the fact
that that resolution passed the House unanimously,
no one man of either party having the boldness
TO say no; and then say whether am not borne
out in my charges by the unanimous voice of the
House of Representatives. No stronger language
has ever been employed amongst my friends and
constituents at home, than that embodied in this
resolution, and its passage is evidence that the
spectators and adventures, who infest our State
and swarm along the line of our public works,
stand convicted, not only in the opinion of the
House of Representatives, but of the intelligent
circle at Columbus, of practices as gross and as
shameless as ever emptied the treasury of con-
fldng people. Yet organised and systematic op-
position to them and their doings, has only reared
its head in the Assembly at period comparative
y recent 1t remains for the people to say wheth-
er that opposition shall continue and gain strength; !;
until the righteousness Of its cause shall enable it
10 beaT down all opposition, or whether tempo
rary camor about measures comparatively trivial,
shall drive the men who have so successfully COM
menced it, from the public confidence and the
public councils. The political fate of the TREA-
SURY GUARDS depends on the will of the peo-
pie.
There is still another feature of our canal poll
cy which late events have taught the best and pur-
est spirits in the land more than ever to regret.
And that is the transfer of the taxing power from
the General Assembly TO one man IN the person of
the State Auditor, leaving the representatives of
the people as far as our public debt is concerned,
nothing but the meagre power Of saying what
species OF property shall be subject to taxation.
This arrangement may be said, without attributing
bad or base motives to It's authors, to have orig
mated in kind OF half consciousness that the
Representatives of the people would not readily
load their constituents, with such burthen of
taxation, as would be necessary to pay the inter-
rest on the immense loans required to carry on
those vast schemes Of wlld and visionary local
Improvements then contemplated. Yet it has
RENAME d on the statute book unrepeaed for more
than twenty years! And the State is now involv-
ed in controversy which owes lis bitterness, its
ferceness, its powers of mischief, nay its very
existence to this most hateful and baneful ar
rangement. l mean the' controversy concerning
the act to tax merchants and money lenders, com.
monty called the new tax law. In speaking of
this act, shall, through the remainder of this
address, call the persons affected by it the money
ed interest
Whether engaged in the complex operations of
trade, or in the simple task of money lending, they
in fact constitute the moneyed interest of the
county, and the same class of men are so termed
throughout the civilized world This act met
with no actual or effective opposition from any
source; the riiling and rresolute opposition which
had been made to it in the House having died
away before its final passage, SO that it passed
without even 50 much as a call Of the ayes and
nays though they had been called in the previous
stages.
Reader, do you suppose that any thing but
strong and cogent reasons could produce so much
unanimly, where there is ordinarily such incura-
bic diversity of opinion, and in bodies accustomed
to debate and division. Some of those reasons
were that there had recently been most rapid
and unexampled increase of taxation on visible
property, live stock, lands and houses, amounting
to FIVE-FOLD in the last ten years; although the
government tax itself had decreased seventy five
pei cent in the last four years. In ls4l that tax
was one mill and three fourths on the dollar, this
year we voted one mill. There had been an actu-
al deficiency In the payment of the interest on our
public debt of more than 81 ,543 900 in the last
five or six years. This deficiency had absorbed
the three per cent. fund, the sinking fund.- and a
great part of the surplus revenue, and the funds
arising from the sale of school lands; and had been
merely patched up and concealed by anticipations,
by temporary loans, and by other ruinous and
costly expedients.
Under these circumstances, we thought it right
to call on the moneyed interest, who had hitherto
almost entirely ESCAPED taxation, to come to
the aid of the owners of visible property and
tribute something to the necessities Of the State.
We did not entertain doubt that if the moneyed
interest could be fairly reached and made to con-
tribute its full share, the funds thus diverted
might not only be restored to their legitimate
channel, but the rate Of taxation on visible pro-
perty be materially reduced and ample provision
made for the gradual extinction of the public debt
And so confident were we of the truth of this
position, that if the State Auditors ONE MAN
POWER of taxation, had been out of the way,
we would instantly have reduced the rate Of canal